Hair stylist to the stars Tim Muir spent over 14 years living in Utah, where he grew his career from a salon owner and stylist to designer and department head of hair on sets of wildly popular television series such as Yellowstone, 1923, 1883, Landman, and many more. His portfolio also boasts designing and styling hair on blockbuster film sets like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Those Who Wish Me Dead. And with a client list bearing names such as Demi Moore, Angelina Jolie, Helen Mirren, Harrison Ford, Kelly Reilly, Lainey Wilson and Billy Bob Thornton, Muir is no stranger to styling for festivals, award shows, and, of course, the red carpet. In fact, Muir is a 2017 Sundance Film Festival alum, when he styled Taylor Sheridan and his wife, Nicole, for the premiere of Sheridan’s Wind River.
En route to a premiere in London, Muir took some time to share his favorite products for managing hair of all types and textures in Utah’s climate, hair trends to look for at this year’s fest and what it takes to rock celeb-inspired hair on the daily.
Q: What hairstyles are trending on the red carpet?
Muir: “Right now, I’m seeing a lot of effortless, flowy blowouts and longer hair. At Sundance, I expect we’ll see a lot more waves and hair that’s tousled and more natural.”
Q: What styles do you recommend for festivalgoers?
A: “Go with those effortless styles because it’s easy to maintain and you can still look great. Do soft waves or a quick bend at the end so it will still look done, but not like you tried too hard. If it snows at Sundance, your hair is wet in five seconds. Keeping some of that natural wave will be really helpful with that.”
Q: How can someone save a hairstyle that’s been ruined by the elements?
Muir: “Always have a brush, ponytail holder, and bobby pins in your bag. For longer hair, messy ponytails and buns work really great, especially in Hollywood. If your hair ends up big and frizzy, take a ponytail holder, throw your hair back into a higher ponytail and let it go. You can wrap a piece of hair around the top of your ponytail and pin it with your bobby pin. Or, pull it up in a messy bun and pin it. Pull a couple of pieces out in the front and you’ve got a new hairstyle.
“For shorter hair, you’ve got a different situation. If you have really straight, short hair, keep a miniature cordless hairdryer or flat iron in your bag. I use them all the time on set. In fact, Ali Larter and Michelle Randolph use one in a scene of Season 2 of Landman.”
Photos courtesy of Tim Muir.
Q: What are your go-to products for managing hair in the cold, dry climate?
Muir: “Doux Gangster Wrap Foaming Hair Lotion: For people who want to wear their natural curl with no frizz or crisp—and look good all night—it’s one of my favorites. And it works for all textures.
Olaplex No. 5 Leave-In Moisturize & Mend: Keep this Olaplex leave-in conditioner with you, and rub it in your palms before applying through your ends to help with static. And, of course, fight static by getting those ends trimmed on a regular basis.
R+Co FOIL Frizz + Static Control Spray: Pulling off your jacket or wearing scarves and hats—combined with Utah’s dryness—can cause that static electricity. R+Co’s FOIL is really great for keeping your hair from being frizzy and staticky. Use it along with a heavier conditioner to weigh the hair down.
ORIBE Dry Texture Spray: This is great for helping bring that tousled, effortless look to life. I love the ORIBE’s texture spray for bringing some instant volume to hair.
Kenra Anti-Humidity Spray 5: Even in Utah, there is enough humidity in the cold air to mess with your hair. I love Kenra’s anti-humidity spray for helping manage frizz. Spray this one in your hair before styling.
All of these products come in mini sizes so you can carry them with you during the festival. And dryer sheets are one of my all-time favorite products for getting rid of static. Carry some in your bag and just run a sheet through your hair if the static starts to take over.”
Q: What might surprise people about styling hair on set?
Muir: “Styling hair for TV and film is a whole process. When I design a hairstyle, it’s not just about what looks good on that person—we’re creating a character. I have to ask, ‘Where does the character live? Where did they grow up? What is their background and what is their lifestyle like?’ Then I think about the actor’s skin tone and face shape. I also work very closely with our costume and makeup designers. When we’re creating an overall look, it’s a whole team that does that. It’s a very collaborative effort, and there’s a whole backstory to it. And for red carpets, it’s a bit the same.”
Q: What advice do you have for bringing the glamour of the red carpet into everyday life?
Muir: “Celebrities are everyday people. They get up, they shower. They go to bed, they get facials and skin treatments. They use products on their hair. If you want to have the look that you see on screen, then it takes a lot of work. It’s not just waking up and going. It takes a team of people. If you want to do it right, it takes the right products and the right outfits—and you need to plan for the time it takes to do it.”
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