When it comes to hair, there aren't many brands as iconic as L'Oréal. The French cosmetics company is as renowned for hair care and colour as it is for the makeup and skin products that line our makeup bags and bathroom cabinets. Who hasn't stood in front of a mirror, swished their hair and coquettishly recited those immortal words: "Because I'm worth it"?
The brand's story really began with L'Oréal Professionnel, its line of salon-quality hair products dating back to 1907, when French chemist Eugène Schueller created a hair dye formula that transformed the world of hairdressing. Two years later, his company became L'Oréal.
Over a century later and L'Oréal Professionnel is still at the forefront of hairdressing, with its products found backstage at fashion weeks around the world, used in the most influential editorial photoshoots and in the hands of the most celebrated fashion and beauty industry insiders.
The brand has just revealed two new celebrity ambassadors for 2017 and its choices are as forward-thinking as you might expect. Model and Instagram VIP Hailey Baldwin, and Victoria's Secret Angel Taylor Hill will be the faces of new products launching this year.
Who better to be the face of the INOA hair colour range than Baldwin (considering she's known for her fearless cuts and dye jobs)? She'll also head up the brand's Pro Fiber campaign, an in-salon reparative treatment. Refinery29 caught up with the 20-year-old in Paris with L'Oréal Professionnel this week to talk hair heroes, beauty icons and Instagram hairspiration.
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When do you feel the most beautiful?
Definitely when I’m natural. I love it when I’ve been in the sun a little bit, beach vibe. Do you like beach babe hair?
Yeah, just messy, my natural hair. If you have five minutes to get up and get out, what’s your hair and beauty routine?
I’ll probably throw it up in a bun, and then for makeup I’ll throw on some mascara, some highlighter and some lip balm. Your job involves a lot of globetrotting. How do you take care of your hair and skin on planes and while travelling?
I try to be easy with it and I try not to use any heat on my hair myself. Then for skin, I just keep it super moisturised when I’m on a plane. I use La Mer when I travel because it’s really thick and dewy. What’s your signature hair look?
Maybe this shorter, choppy look I have now. I had this hair when I started modelling and I had shorter hair for a while but I’ve done my share of extensions and making it longer and shorter. And colour-wise, blonde, for sure. What’s your favourite beauty look?
I’m always about that dewy skin and a good lip. More of a natural lip. A lot of people, when they talk about my features, mention big lips. So when I created my makeup line with ModelCo, what we focused on was lips and highlight. Who are your hair heroes? Whose hair would you love to have, if anyone’s?
There’s a lot of people, to be honest, because there are some people that I’m just like, 'Wow your hair is so magnificent'. Taylor has really good hair – I always notice that. How about beauty icons?
Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington and Carolyn Murphy – she's so pretty. What’s the worst hairstyle you’ve ever had?
There’s been a couple. I’ve done dark brown and I definitely don’t think I thrive with very dark hair. I just don’t think it fits my look as well. And I've definitely gone too short. Probably to just below my jaw.
How has your approach to hair and beauty changed as you’ve got older?
As I get older I feel like less is more. When I have my hair short like this and when I’m not wearing makeup people think I’m much younger and I’m like, 'Uh, I'm 20 now'. Someone asked if I was 16 or 17 the other day. I’d rather be seen as my age because 16 is really pushing it.
Definitely when I’m natural. I love it when I’ve been in the sun a little bit, beach vibe. Do you like beach babe hair?
Yeah, just messy, my natural hair. If you have five minutes to get up and get out, what’s your hair and beauty routine?
I’ll probably throw it up in a bun, and then for makeup I’ll throw on some mascara, some highlighter and some lip balm. Your job involves a lot of globetrotting. How do you take care of your hair and skin on planes and while travelling?
I try to be easy with it and I try not to use any heat on my hair myself. Then for skin, I just keep it super moisturised when I’m on a plane. I use La Mer when I travel because it’s really thick and dewy. What’s your signature hair look?
Maybe this shorter, choppy look I have now. I had this hair when I started modelling and I had shorter hair for a while but I’ve done my share of extensions and making it longer and shorter. And colour-wise, blonde, for sure. What’s your favourite beauty look?
I’m always about that dewy skin and a good lip. More of a natural lip. A lot of people, when they talk about my features, mention big lips. So when I created my makeup line with ModelCo, what we focused on was lips and highlight. Who are your hair heroes? Whose hair would you love to have, if anyone’s?
There’s a lot of people, to be honest, because there are some people that I’m just like, 'Wow your hair is so magnificent'. Taylor has really good hair – I always notice that. How about beauty icons?
Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington and Carolyn Murphy – she's so pretty. What’s the worst hairstyle you’ve ever had?
There’s been a couple. I’ve done dark brown and I definitely don’t think I thrive with very dark hair. I just don’t think it fits my look as well. And I've definitely gone too short. Probably to just below my jaw.
How has your approach to hair and beauty changed as you’ve got older?
As I get older I feel like less is more. When I have my hair short like this and when I’m not wearing makeup people think I’m much younger and I’m like, 'Uh, I'm 20 now'. Someone asked if I was 16 or 17 the other day. I’d rather be seen as my age because 16 is really pushing it.
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Where do you go for hairspiration when you’re looking to change up your hair?
Sometimes I see photos and I’ll think, 'I really like that cut' and I’ll wanna have a haircut. But you have to be careful with that because how a cut looks on that person is not necessarily how it’s gonna look on you.
Do you look at any particular Instagram accounts or publications?
There’s an Instagram account called @turntslut and she posts a bunch of pretty people and photos with a very Tumblr-y aesthetic. I always come across things and I’m like, 'Her makeup’s so pretty' or 'I love her hair' and 'Who is this girl?'
Who in the fashion and beauty industries do you like working with and why?
I love working with Pat McGrath, and Guido Palau. They’re the dream team backstage at any show. Tom Pecheux is great, too. There’s a lot of amazing people in this industry.
Is there anyone else you’d like to work with who you haven’t worked with yet?
I'd love to work with Steven Meisel, who I’ve not shot with before.
Are there any hairstyles or cuts that you admire but would be too scared to try yourself?
Definitely a pixie cut. I see certain people and I think, 'She really rocks that', but I would never.
What would someone have to do to persuade you to get one?
Pay me a lot of money. Like, a lot.
Are there any celebrities you admire for their hair? Someone like Rihanna, for example, can pull off anything.
Yeah it’s really kinda crazy. She’s done everything and I’ve never seen her look ugly.
Are you at all tempted to try out some different looks? You’ve done pink in the past.
Yeah. I’ve done different colours but I don’t think I could... I’ve seen Rihanna do long black curly and then short red and then blonde and I’m like, 'Wow'. She’s just so beautiful, you can’t take away the fact that she’s pretty.
Sometimes I see photos and I’ll think, 'I really like that cut' and I’ll wanna have a haircut. But you have to be careful with that because how a cut looks on that person is not necessarily how it’s gonna look on you.
Do you look at any particular Instagram accounts or publications?
There’s an Instagram account called @turntslut and she posts a bunch of pretty people and photos with a very Tumblr-y aesthetic. I always come across things and I’m like, 'Her makeup’s so pretty' or 'I love her hair' and 'Who is this girl?'
Who in the fashion and beauty industries do you like working with and why?
I love working with Pat McGrath, and Guido Palau. They’re the dream team backstage at any show. Tom Pecheux is great, too. There’s a lot of amazing people in this industry.
Is there anyone else you’d like to work with who you haven’t worked with yet?
I'd love to work with Steven Meisel, who I’ve not shot with before.
Are there any hairstyles or cuts that you admire but would be too scared to try yourself?
Definitely a pixie cut. I see certain people and I think, 'She really rocks that', but I would never.
What would someone have to do to persuade you to get one?
Pay me a lot of money. Like, a lot.
Are there any celebrities you admire for their hair? Someone like Rihanna, for example, can pull off anything.
Yeah it’s really kinda crazy. She’s done everything and I’ve never seen her look ugly.
Are you at all tempted to try out some different looks? You’ve done pink in the past.
Yeah. I’ve done different colours but I don’t think I could... I’ve seen Rihanna do long black curly and then short red and then blonde and I’m like, 'Wow'. She’s just so beautiful, you can’t take away the fact that she’s pretty.
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When you’re doing shoots, do hairstylists ever ask to change up your look there and then?
Yeah, they’ll say 'You should do this' or 'You should cut this'. I’ve had people convince me to cut bangs right there on set and cut it shorter or do different colours. Have you ever agreed and immediately regretted it?
I've never had anything too crazy. I’ve never not liked having bangs. The only thing that's annoying is the process of growing them back out, which is what I’m trying to do right now. Does your hair grow quickly?
No, I have to take a lot of vitamins and stuff. I take Viviscal.
What do you have planned for 2017?
Lots. I can’t really say exactly what. There are things I'd love to accomplish but I can’t say for sure that they'll happen. Everything's quite last-minute in this industry.
Yeah, they’ll say 'You should do this' or 'You should cut this'. I’ve had people convince me to cut bangs right there on set and cut it shorter or do different colours. Have you ever agreed and immediately regretted it?
I've never had anything too crazy. I’ve never not liked having bangs. The only thing that's annoying is the process of growing them back out, which is what I’m trying to do right now. Does your hair grow quickly?
No, I have to take a lot of vitamins and stuff. I take Viviscal.
What do you have planned for 2017?
Lots. I can’t really say exactly what. There are things I'd love to accomplish but I can’t say for sure that they'll happen. Everything's quite last-minute in this industry.
Follow Hailey on Instagram @haileybaldwin