Interview With Justine Marjan

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

It's no wonder that celebrity hairstylist Justine Marjan has become the go-to girl for Hollywood's A-List. With years of experience, Jen Atkin as her mentor, and an innate talent to create the most beautiful hair-do's, Marjan has climbed her way to the top of mane-chain. Her impressive celebrity clientele includes the Kardashians, Olivia Culpo, Chrissy Teigen, and Kerry Washington to name a few. Now she has also captured the love of the prestigious hot-tools brand GHD becoming an ambassador for the company. How cool! In celebration of this new project, we sat down with Marjan to talk about all things hair.

How do you pick the right hair tools for your hair? Does it depend on thickness or on length?

I think it depends more on your length. If you have short to medium [hair length] the smaller iron is probably best for you, and if you have medium to long hair then the large iron is better. Then depending on the density of your hair you would just work with smaller or larger sections. If you have really fine hair then you'd work with really big sections, and if you have thicker hair then you'd do smaller ones.

And in terms of technology, what should people be looking for?

I like the GHD [products] because it has the tri-zone technology, so it heats up in three different spots so the heat stays even on the whole iron, whereas in most irons it's just in one spot which is why it's so hard to get an even curl. So that's really good to keep in mind, and also the heat setting. Some people use too high of a heat temperature on their hair. 365 [F] is the optimum temperature for all hair types, otherwise it can blow out the cuticle layer and then the hair style won't last as long.

During humid months it can be difficult to style hair. What would you recommend in order to achieve a controlled look?

I know it's counter-intuitive, but don't use super high heat settings. And then, using good shampoos and conditioners to prep the hair so you have a really good foundation. If you use a shampoo that's too dry it'll strip your hair and make it harder for your hair to hold a style because it'll look frizzy. I also recommend sleeping on silk pillowcases because that will help the cuticle layer of your hair be flat, whereas cotton ones can cause friction. And then taking hair vitamins to just maintain the integrity of your hair.

Are there any vitamins that you recommend?

Yeah, I've been really into these Olly hair gummy vitamins lately. You can eat a handful and it's not going to do anything bad and you'll only see gorgeous hair as a result.

What's a hair look that you've recently done that you love?

I did a twisted rope braid on Shay Mitchell recently for fashion week and that was so fun and cool because it was different and really long and it's something she's never done before. I blow-dried her hair with the GHD blow-dryer and the TRESemme beauty-full mousse to create lots of volume from the root, and I kind of roughed up the texture with my hands while doing that. Then I used my fingers and gathered her hair into a really messy high ponytail and sprayed Ouai texturizing spray at the roots to get those piece-y separations. And then I just added in synthetic hair and created a rope twist braid. The ends were supposed to be really messy so I didn't spend a ton of time worrying about them being perfect.

How many times a week would you recommend that somebody use hot tools? Is there really a limit?

I don't think there's a limit. I think if you're taking precaution and you're taking care of your hair then you don't have to worry about things like that, especially if you're using high quality tools that aren't going to damage your hair.

What are your go-to products?

The GHD platinum flat iron because it has rounded edges so it's really easy to get waves in the hair and it stays cool on the outside so you don't have to worry about it burning my fingers or anything like that. And then it has a spring on it that makes it really easy on the wrist. I also like the GHD blow-dryer because it dries the hair really fast and it's really quiet. Like, you can talk over it. And then I love the TRESemme beauty-full mousse and the Ouai texturizing hair spray.