| The Evolution Of Meg Ryan |
| Karen Marie Shelton |
| Date: 7/28/06 - Original Publication Date: 3/21/2002 |
Introduction
 Meg
Ryan has great hair karma. In the “reap what you sow” category Meg has a history of
being independent and outspoken about her path to megawatt tousle.
Wisely picking her battles, Meg has confessed in media
interviews that she speaks her mind about the characters she
portrays in films.
She also has very specific ideas about the way her hair should
appear. (Photo of Meg Ryan Courtesty of Short Cuts Magazine -
Copyright - All Rights Reserved).
In a past Harpers Bazaar interview (January 2001) Meg admitted
that she tangled with her As The World Turns soap opera directors
over hot rollers and her own belief that she had a need for “a
good haircut”. Determined
to dump a frumpy do, Meg won her tress battles when she charmed her
audience with a new edgy style, much to the chagrin of the
producers. Since
As The World Turns was Meg's first big recurring acting role her
determination to honor her character's look is admirable.
If first time actress Meg was vocalizing her tress needs in her
very first acting gig, she has gotten more outspoken over the years.
Meg’s hairstyles have dramatically evolved and transformed
over the past twenty years in concert with the movie roles she has
portrayed and as a result of events in her private life. Scorpion
Meg always remains true to herself and the looks that she feels are
best for her.
 From
long lush blonde curls in Top Gun, When Harry Met Sally and
Sleepless In Seattle to short flirty shaggy bobs in IQ, French Kiss
and Addicted To Love, Meg has run the gamut of hairstyles and shades
of blonde. Her sleek
You’ve Got Mail tousle emerged as a heavily layered, wavy
highlighted bedhead, in her Proof of Life film.
Her choppy waves then morphed into a super sleek ironed look
for her most recent Kate And Leopold romantic fantasy film.
One thing remains clear, Meg makes her desires known about
her hair both on and off the screen.
(Photo of Meg Ryan Courtesty of Short Cuts Magazine -
Copyright - All Rights Reserved).
Great
Hair Secrets: Celebrity
Stylists & Flattering Cuts
 Although
Meg has been coiffed by Frederic Fekkai and many of the best and
brightest of the hair world, her secret hair weapon is celebrity
stylist Sally Hershberger who shot to fame after creating the world
famous “Meg Ryan shag”. Sally
is often beseiged by fans seeking Meg Magic for their own locks.
(Photo of Meg Ryan Courtesty of Short Cuts Magazine -
Copyright - All Rights Reserved).
One of the many things that sets Meg’s hair apart from the
celebrity pack is the fact that she always seems to have the perfect
combination of cut and color for great texture and movement. All of her styles have the uncanny knack of combining
simplicity with sexy sophistication that showcases her beautiful
eyes and flatters her pretty heart-shaped facial features.
Meg has a wide forehead and high cheekbones that taper into a
pointy chin. Bobs,
chops and shags that are just below the jaw line or longer with
face-framing layers or lightly flipped ends are always most
flattering for Meg or anyone with a classic heart shaped facial
structure. Although Meg wore
long curls for Harry & Sally, Sleepless In Seattle and short
curls in City of Angels, in her personal like she prefers a sleek,
straighter look.
She traditionally avoids unflattering hairstyles that are too
short, brushed off her face or have well defined side parts. These
styles might add too much width to her forehead as well as call
attention to her prominent chin. Too many curls layered
near her checks might also highlight her chin inappropriately.
Proof
Of Life - Tousled, Textured, Choppy, Waves
 Meg’s
messy, yet chic, bedhead look for her role in Proof
of Life was designed around a loose wavy look.
Meg’s layered bob style had angled pieces and layers around
the face. It was created with slightly off center long piecey bangs
and a tapered neckline to soften, frame and glam up her facial
features.
Meg’s “in-the-jungle” style can be adjusted to work with
most facial shapes by adding or subtracting height or length as appropriate.
It is a perfect style for fine to medium hair that is naturally
wavy or slightly curly. (Photo of Meg Ryan Courtesty of Short Cuts Magazine -
Copyright - All Rights Reserved).
Steal Meg's Style
 The
foundation to Meg’s style is a great versatile cut that has
well-designed layers to enhance natural waves and slight curls.
Great styling products, good
hot tools and skillful fingers give the style volume and punch.
 Depending
on the natural texture of your hair use a quarter-sized dollop of good
styling balm, gel
or mousse
on partially dried hair to create
volume and texture. Working
from the underneath of the hair use your fingers to lift, tease and
tousle the hair as you blow dry.
Select small sections of hair, use your fingers to scrunch
and apply heat. Direct
the air
flow of the dryer from the ends of your hair towards the roots
to maximize fullness. If you prefer,
you can use a dryer with a finger
diffuser to give even more tousle. For perfect ends use a
small
(3/8" to 1/2") barreled curling up to touch up the
ends.
 Create
a polished look with a defrisant
serum and use styling
paste on the ends to create a more shattered look.
Add a shine serum for sparkle or use a hair
gel with built-in shimmer. Avoid using combs or brushes on the
finished do to maintain absolute tousle.
Kate
And Leopold
The lovely Meg made her latest movie debut as the female romantic
lead in Kate
And Leopold released in theaters on Christmas Day 2001. As
always, Meg unveiled a newer version of her famous “Meg Ryan do”
that has launched a thousand wannabe's around the world. Meg’s
purposely disheveled Proof Of Life look was tweaked yet again so
that it looked new and fresh as a very hot shattered razored
precision style with a mixture of flattering longer layers.
Steal Meg's Style
Meg’s current Kate style was created using an open straight
razor instead of the standard hairdressers' scissors. This look can
range from smooth to choppy depending on the look your stylist is
trying to achieve and the natural texture of your own hair. This style is great for straight hair that is thin to medium
in texture. Hair that
is slightly wavy or curly could be adapted to this style through the
use of straightening
balms or gels.
 Hairstylist
Alan D’Angerio created Meg’s modern swingy Kate look by letting
her hair air dry. After applying a molding hair mud, small sections
of her hair were straightened with a flat iron.
Meg’s super straight tresses can be recreated at home by
using a straightening tool like Conair’s
Professional or Shiny
Straight irons that offer shine along with straight sleekness.
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