Before she arrived on the 2024 Oscars red carpet, Lily Gladstone had already made history: the Killers of the Flower Moon star is the first indigenous woman to be nominated for Best Actress. To make the night even more memorable—and to dress for a potentially historic win—the actress opted for a hairstyle meant to be both timeless and eye-catching, while also paying homage to her heritage.
Gladstone worked with celebrity hairstylist Marc Mena, who chose side-parted gentle waves that tumbled past Gladstone's shoulders. Mena worked closely with Gladstone's stylist to ensure that the classical Hollywood-inspired glamour complemented her dress, a deep blue custom Gucci gown made in collaboration with indigenous fashion designer Joe Big Mountain.
"For tonight's look, we wanted to make sure that the look was timeless," Mena explains to Marie Claire. "This is a historic moment, and we wanted Lily to shine. Her hair is down, and the soft, loose waves work beautifully with her custom Gucci gown."
To create the stunning look, Mena first applied the Sister Sky Minkisoft Nourishing Mist on Gladstone's still-wet hair, followed by Better Not Younger's Lift Me Up Hair Thickener and No Remorse Heat Protection & Taming Spray. Then, he sectioned her hair and blew it out with a round brush for a balance of volume and smoothness.
Mena particularly wanted to enhance Gladstone's length in creating her look, so he then added hair extensions from Great Lengths to her blowout. They were shaped to look like long layers with a swooping side part.
“When I work with Lily, I need to make sure whatever I am using is authentic and ethical," he says, noting that Great Lengths is ethically sourced and B-corp certified.
Once Mena had styled the extensions, the hairstylist used a curling iron to create waves, brushing the curls out for a soft, natural look. Finally, Mena finished her hair off with the Sister Sky Sleek+Shine Styler Oil for ensured shine all night long.
The final touch? As an homage to Gladstone's indigenous roots, Mena tucked a thin micro-braid into the actor's voluminous hair.
While the on-trend detail is mostly hidden from view, Mena says that it's meant to be a good luck charm of sorts for the actress—though, as a fan and critic favorite, she'll hardly need it.
Shop the products used for Gladstone's meaningful Oscars 2024 beauty look below.
