How Hunter Schafer Transformed Into Botticelli's Venus For The Oscars Afterparty, According To Her Hairstylist
We're not one to play favourites but ELLE UK's April cover star Hunter Schafer just stole the show at the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. The Euphoria star was a Renaissance painting reincarnated in Ann Demeulemeester's feather ensemble, designed by Ludovic de Saint Sernin, and paired with derrière-grazing, cascading waves by hairstylist Rena Calhoun.
'Hunter has an effortlessly ethereal presence to her. She's just naturally beautiful and otherworldly,' Calhoun exclusively tells ELLE UK. 'When we saw the dress it instantly made me of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. She looked like a goddess, so statuesque like a work of art.’ To offset the dramatic length and play into the angelic vibe of Schafer's ensemble, Calhoun opted for an 'airy, natural and undone' finish, created using Virtue hair products.
The process starts by cleansing the hair using the brand's Recovery line which Calhoun recommends for bleached and highlighted hair like Schafer's, as it restores moisture without weighing it down. She then detangles it using a Tangle Teezer. Next, Calhoun applies Curl Defining Whip to 'enhance and bring out natural texture', before misting with a spritz of Volumizing Primer to create weightless hold.
'I combed the products through the hair thoroughly with the Tangle Teezer Wide Tooth Comb to ensure that the product is evenly dispersed,' she explains, adding that the wide teeth helps with encouraging waves to form.
On damp locks, Calhoun braids the hair to create soft loose waves and diffuses it on a low speed with high hea, which results in dreamy texture Venus would envy. A misting of Virtue Dry Shampoo lends a 'soft, fluffy finish' that still looks au naturel.
A pop of colour comes through via Schafer's make-up. Make-up artist Sandy Ganzer used a combination of gold flecks and brick hues for a painterly take on the smokey eye, while a soft touch of Shiseido Technosatin Gel Lipstick in Data Stream completed the heavenly look.
