Side-swept hair is sweeping the red carpet at Sunday’s 2014 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grain Las Vegas. Stars spotted sporting the sophisticated asymmetrical style pre-awards show include Lucy Hale, Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood — the latter two expected to perform a duet of “Somethin’ Bad” from Lambert’s forthcoming album, Platinum, later on.
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“It’s a take on a very traditional Old Hollywood look,” explains hairstylist-to-the-stars and bestselling author José Eber of the sophisticated style, which is traditionally reserved for film and television award shows. “Just look at Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez—everyone is going for glamour these days. It doesn’t matter if you’re a movie star or a rock star, everyone wants to have their Cinderella moment.”
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To perfect the look, a number of factors should be taken into consideration, notes Eber, whose client roster has included everyone from Cher to the late Dame Elizabeth Taylor. For starters, pick a side.
“If there is one side of your face you like better than the other, expose that side,” he says (cue Mariah Carey and her famous right-side profile). Certain outfits may also help dictate the way strands are swept: if you’re wearing a one-shoulder dress, for example, locks should fall on the strapless side to complement the look.
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To achieve the full Old Hollywood effect, Eber suggests creating loose, cascading curls that tumble on one side. “If [the curls] are not the right proportions, you can look old-fashioned,” he says, cautioning against too-tight waves. “You want to look more Rodeo Drive than rodeo.”