The Best Gels and Hair Tools for Resurrecting The Matrixs Liquid Hair Looks in 2021 – Vanity Fair

The first witnesses to the worlds most famous liquid-effect hairstyle recognized its immediate appeal. Carrie-Anne [Moss] loved her lookit was sharp and sophisticated for the time, but also allowed her a softness without being too girly, remembers Nikki Gooley, the hair designer for 1999s The Matrix, speaking about the actors transformation into her character, Trinity. Gooley credits the films writers and directors, Lana and Lilly Wachowski, as visionaries. The Wachowskis were so well prepared with details of looks. It was a great collaboration, she says, underscoring how precise the styling needed to be to create an alternate reality. It needed to look modern.

At Saturdays San Francisco premiere of The Matrix Resurrections, the franchises anticipated fourth installment, attendees like designer Marc Jacobs and actor Madelyn Kline wore slicked-back styles in true Y2K spirit, while Mosss patent-finish hair was designed as a 2021 update, according to Los Angelesbased hairstylist Sunnie Brook. We wanted to incorporate a nod to the original character, says Brook of the decision to keep the look feminine but also strong. Meanwhile, futuristic spin-offs of the style have been seen on the recent runways, too, from Eckhaus Latta in New York to Balenciaga in Paris. The Matrix is so iconiccombining technology, ideas on futurism, transcendence, and, most important, major fashion looks, says hairstylist Tamara McNaughton, who created aerodynamic gelled hair for Eckhaus Lattas block party-style presentation. We all collectively feel a little sci-fi, says McNaughton of life in 2021. The ideas of personal strength, pushing boundaries, and forging new paths seem fitting.

From left: Elliot Page at this falls Balenciaga show. A slicked-back look from the spring 2022 Eckhaus Latta runway. Carrie-Anne Moss at the premiere of The Matrix Resurrections.

Ahead of the new films December 22 premiere (in theaters and on HBO Max), here are 13 products and tools for resurrecting The Matrixs liquid-hair momentsfrom the actual pomade used in 1999 to todays runway-tested formulas.

Bringing the Matrix characters to life in 1999 was a long time ago, Nikki Gooley says with a laugh. Still, she adds, the keys to those original wet looks are readily available two decades later. I do remember using American Crew pomade and old-fashioned water, says Gooley. Water is a big product of mine.

At The Matrix Resurrections premiere, Sunnie Brook leaned on her Biolage ambassadorship for the product updates she used on Carrie-Anne Moss. After a precision-tapered cut, Brook ran the brands All-in-One treatment spray through the actors hair as a heat protectant for her natural waves and a boost of added shine while still maintaining volume, says Brook.

Edge styling tools can create different levels of hair separation: a pointed tip for crisply drawn parts, a tiny brush for a dense slick. Brook used a small brush dipped in gel along Mosss hairline, where she has more curls, to keep the hair slicked-back and in place.

Aerodynamic is Tamara McNaughtons description of the pandemic-vibes hair she slicked back for Eckhaus Lattas outdoor Brooklyn runway in September. For a greasy hand-through-the-hair look, she used Avedas styling cream, while harder windswept looks required a stronghold gel.

Gel is your friend. Dont be scared, says McNaughton, who favors Bumble and Bumbles flexible formula. Something with a sheen to it will lend to the futuristic vibe, she notes, comparing the final finish to sharp leather outerwear.

Once the style is created, destroy it a little, says McNaughton of an on-set trick she uses for aerodynamic hair. Bring the feel of wind in by removing the nozzle from the blow dryer and directing hairspray at the airstream. LAnges bubblegum-colored Le Styler weighs under a pound to make multitasking easy.

McNaughton imagines something reminiscent of a cycling helmet as a visual guide when misting the final shape with flexible hairspray, such as Bleu by R+Cos Cult Classic. (It comes in its own forward-looking wardrobe of 100% recycled packaging.) Where the hair would go naturally when running is the logic, adds McNaughton, and the result freezes bits of hair in the air and makes it feel more cinematic.

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The Best Gels and Hair Tools for Resurrecting The Matrixs Liquid Hair Looks in 2021 - Vanity Fair