Cady Heron is all grown up. Lindsay Lohan stepped out Monday night for the premiere of the new Mean Girls film, leaving all things pink at home. Instead, she opted for a black, ab-baring Alexandre Vauthier couture gown, Giuseppe Zanotti heels, and Muzo jewelry. To complete the look, she wore her red hair down in glamorous loose waves, courtesy of hair stylist Danielle Priano.
“We envisioned capturing timeless elegance, but with a touch of softness,” Priano tells ELLE.com. “We wanted an elevated look, and I styled her hair in sculpted soft waves.”
To achieve the look, Priano started by detangling Lohan’s hair, adding SexyHair Big Altitude Bodifying Blow Dry Mousse, then drying it with the Mermade Hair blow dry brush. Then she sectioned the hair and added 20-in extensions by Hidden Crown for a few extra inches, holding it down with SexyHair Big Powder Play Volumizing & Texturizing Powder.
Then came the waves. Priano used the Mermade Hair OG Pro Waver on sections of Lohan’s hair, hit it with hairspray, then brushed it out again with the blow dry brush for an Old Hollywood effect. She topped it off with a final spritz of SexyHair Big Spray & Stay Intense Hold Hairspray, polishing back any baby hairs, then tucked one side of the ’do behind Lohan’s ear. The end result was a look so sophisticated, even Regina George would be jealous.
But of course, Priano didn’t do it alone; even Lohan had a say. “It was a group effort!” she adds. “Makeup, styling, and of course, Lindsay—we all pitched in.”
If the look was a far cry from Lohan’s character on the beloved 2004 comedy, that was the point. Priano and her team chose to eschew Mean Girls references for this red carpet moment. “We wanted to keep it fresh and current. It was more about giving Mean Girls a new feel,” she explains. “Modern sophistication mixed with Lindsay’s present style—less about throwbacks and more about the now.”
But if Mean Girls references are what you’re after, then check out the film (a new, musical take on the original) when it hits theaters this Friday. In the meantime, try copying Lohan’s waves below.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she’s listening to Lorde right now.