ESTETICA Magazine USA (3/2022)

The beehive is perhaps the most fun and versatile of all classic shapes, and that’s exactly why award
winning artist Sabrena Handley chose to create an updated version for a recent photo shoot. “The key
is to look to the past for inspiration,” says Handley who fell upon skyhigh updos on Brigitte Bardot,
Dolly Parton and Amy Winehouse during her research. “There is something so exciting about the
structure of those beehives. I don’t want to recreate someone else’s design but instead enhance the
basic silhouette to make it my own.” Handley says that color and decoration is one way to modernize
any classic. “Be creative and make it new.”
PRODUCT SELECTION AND PLACEMENT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
For some looks, updating can be achieved through the proper use of products. “To bring some shapes to
life I use a variety of liquids,” says Melissa Crosby, a freelance artist based in New York and Florida.
“Today’s products elevate our styling options.” Crosby uses wax and styling cream to create texture
and hold. “They are ideal for shags, pixies, shattered bobs and mullets,” she says. “I use
root lifts to give hair grit for layered cuts, and to add movement. Oils and silicone
products are ideal to keep hair smooth, allowing me to polish a beehive or twist.”
Crosby, who has been a hair designer for more than 30 years, appreciates the latest
technology in product development. “We were once limited to foam and hair spray.
Now we have a boundless inventory at our disposal.” Lisa Lobosco, Ecru New
York Creative Director, agrees and uses dry shampoo and air dry foam “to give
classic styles a new contemporary look.” These products allow her to style with
her hands as an alternative to the “very finished look of a brush and blow
dryer.” Adds Crosby, “We are limited only by our imaginations.”
Hair: Sabrena Handley - Photo: Roberto Ligresti
Getty Images
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