Ejae, co-songwriter and the vocals behind Rumi in the Netflix film K-Pop Demon Hunters, looked golden at the Academy Museum Gala. Anh created a gorgeous half-up style with soft movement, long extensions, and a mix of polish and texture for her red carpet appearance.
1. Prep & Prime
Starting on dry hair, Anh applied about four palmfuls of Milbon&’s Froth Blowout Foam evenly throughout to create control and structure. Then he added Milbon’s Enhancing Vivacity Effervesce, focusing on the scalp and crown for vitality. He finished prep with Milbon’s Reawaken Renewing Primer for softness and manageability.
2. Rough Dry & Smooth
Anh then rough-dried the hair to activate the product and build texture. Once partially dry, he then smoothed out the hair to create a clean base for styling.
3. Add Extensions
Next, Anh added 28” long Tailored Tape-ins in Color 1B from Extensionology for length and fullness. They were placed strategically throughout the back for seamless blending.
4. Create Waves
Using a 1.25” Marcel curling iron, Anh started from the bottom of her hair and worked upward to form undulating “nu-waves” throughout the hair for soft, natural movement.
5. Style the Half-Up Knot
- Anh divided the hair horizontally from top to bottom.
- Gathering the top section into a pony, he then twisted it into a knot, and secured it with pins, creating a half-up, half-down shape.
- He left out two shorter face-framing pieces, trimming them slightly to flatter her face.
- Then, he brought the top section slightly to one side to maintain volume and balance. Allowing the remaining length to drape naturally for contrast between the polished knot and textured ends.
6. Finish & Detail
Anh then applied Milbon&’s Velvet Texturizing Cream to enhance definition and piecey texture. He finished with a mist of Milbon’s Strong Hold Hairspray #7 for flexible hold and Milbon’s Dry Texturizing Spray #4 through the ends for volume and movement.
To see more of Anh’s red carpet looks, follow him on Instagram @anhcotran.