Campbell McAuley - Celebrity Hairdresser To The Stars

Introduction

It was a few minutes after 1:00 pm California time when I connected with the brilliant celebrity hairdresser, Campbell McAuley. He assured me, in a very friendly manner, I was calling “at the perfect time, because he had just finished lunch.”

I inquired if he preferred to be called Campbell and he charmingly replied "I go by Campbell McAuley".

Relaxed and easy going, Campbell was only too willing to chat about his superb new product line, CTonic™, along with some personal stories of his many experiences from the celebrity hairdressing front.

I explained I was already in a "C frame" of mind - Vitamin C that is - having recently been battling a killer flu and nagging cold. I expressed a wish that I had some of his amazing CTonic™ on hand because I would drench my entire head with it.

Laughing he replied "CTonic™ was designed to make the scalp healthy along with strengthening hair. Which means it probably would help my cold".

Campbell's new hair care line is truly revolutionary having evolved directly from his own belief systems and self-health journey.

Through a progression of ideas based upon years of studying Kundalini yoga, living as a vegan and embracing many different holistic healing disciplines, Campbell learned first hand what the body, the scalp and hair needs to be completely nourished and healthy. This knowledge led to the ultimate creation of his line which is based on the finest organic whole foods and ingredients.

When creating his line he shunned the traditional practice of building products based upon a mix of petrochemicals or other artificial additives and ingredients found in most modern hair care lines. He was determined to do whatever it took to find the very best and most healthy ingredients for his line.

He summed up his philosophies behind the creation of CTonic™ as "you are what you eat" and of course your hair and scalp reflects what you put on it. He also strongly believes in "the importance of getting back to truth in beauty".

Whole Foods, a company known for their dedication to only the very highest quality ingredients “is a big sponsor of the product” and it's available in select Whole Foods stores throughout California. The CTonic™ line will eventually be made available in other states over the next several months.

What makes CTonic™ so different from other hair care products? Quite simply it’s alive. CTonic™ products are live, bioactive cleanser and tonics for the scalp and hair that are made with love and the absolute highest quality ingredients.

They are designed to feed the scalp and the hair and to help promote shine, body, volume, growth and strength. Campbell commented that CTonic™ results are accumulative and strengthening.

He mused aloud that he has "worked for many large hair care companies over the years" and “it was funny but when he presented his ideas of the type of living products he wanted to develop, he was told by the big boys it couldn’t be done”.

Not willing to accept the naysayers, he forged ahead, dug his heel in and did his own research. He determined it was possible to utilize living products and was the importance of hunting down the very best and purest ingredients.

Determined to have only the absolute best ingredients Campbell and his partner, Dr. Julian Neil, searched until they found the premiere essential oils of bergamot and hemp seed.

They also searched for the very best clays since unlike any other hair care products, CTonic utilizes unique clay ingredients to draw out toxins from the scalp.

The product is 99% organic with 1% food grade preservatives and it's certified organic.

Not all hair care products that advertise they are organic actually have passed the certification process and may or may not really be organic.

Note: For more information on CTonic™ visit: CTonic™ Product Line.

Career Beginnings As A Celebrity Hairdresser

Born in Australia, Campbell McAuley knew at a very young age that he loved sticking his fingers in other people's hair. By the time he was fourteen, he knew that his destiny was in the hair world and he began the required four year apprenticeship required in his home country to become a certified hairdresser.

Determined to be the very best he could be, by the time he was sixteen he was name Australian Junior Champion. At the tender age of eighteen he traveled to London where he trained at the prestigious Vidal Sassoon salon. This was just a stop on his way to becoming one of the most sought-after celebrity hairdressers in the United States today.

Even though Campbell started in the world of hair in his early teens, his orientation was in the world of fashion. Yes, he was doing hair, but hair that was in the fashion world.

Unfortunately, the ultimate type of high fashion hair that Campbell desired to work with was not in demand in his homeland. In fact, Campbell explained that he soon found himself bumping his head against his own version of a glass ceiling.

Although he loved his homeland, he knew in his heart that to work with the type of high fashion and celebrity hair he wanted, he would ultimately have to leave his native country.

While working diligently to develop his book of hair work in Australia he kept one eye peeled for future opportunities in other countries.

Shortage Of Hairdressers In Australia

After Campbell related the "lack of high fashion hair opportunities in his homeland" I quizzed him about the documented deficit of hairdressers in Australia.

He agreed "there is a shortage" but he pointed out "it was due to the mindset of the average Australian hair consumer". As Campbell explained "while Australian hairdressers are generally very forward in their styling, cut and color techniques, hair consumers in Australia are not used to spending on their hair like they might in Beverly Hills".

Campbell continued "basically in Hollywood anyone can walk into any top salon to get whatever they want and they are very willing to pay for it".

This scenario is "just not true in Australia". According to Campbell Australians think “it's only hair” and just aren’t willing to invest in top salon treatments for the most part. Hopefully "this general attitude will change someday".

Kismet – Finding A Great Agent – Patti Kassover

As fate would have it, Campbell found those new opportunities he was searching for in. The amazingly talented hairdresser met a brilliant and devoted agent, Patti Kassover, from Solo Artists. Patti saw Campbell's award winning hair designs and had a vision of how far his talent could ultimately take him.

She immediately “got behind him, encouraged him to spread his wings, take a risk and fly to new countries for new hair dressing opportunities. At one point in their evolving relationship Patti suggested Campbell “travel to London to check out a project”.

Although he was still in Australia at the time Campbell told Patti “sure, he could swing by her way". He immediately hopped a plane.

The London hair project held an amazing surprise. It required him to coif the hair of "actress Claire Danes for media events and ultimately the United Kingdom premiere of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet".

He was thrilled to meet Claire and have the opportunity to work with such “a lovely talented actress”. While working with Claire Campbell "met her co-star, superstar Leonardo DiCaprio" whose hair he also coiffed.

That first London meeting led to a long enduring relationship between Claire, Leonardo and Campbell. In fact, Campbell mentioned "he still works with Claire's hair even now" in the present time.

From his work on the Romeo and Juliet project, Campbell was tagged to work on a hot new music video for Boy George. Campbell recounted how during that video shoot Boy George was really into "his Hare Krishna phase" and was “a very cool person”. The celebrity hairdresser found it "interesting and very exciting” to work with Boy George’s hair. As luck would have it, his hair talents were put to work on the rest of the band.

Jumping On The Titantic With Kate & Leonardo

After he finished in London with Romeo and Juliet, Patti was calling again. This time she suggested “he pop over to LA”. He again agreed to “stop on by”. He was greeted with an opportunity to work with an unknown actress by the name of Kate Winslet. She was working on a little film called Titantic.

During the course of that pop-in visit he also would have the opportunity to reconnect with Leonardo and work with him on the film. Campbell jumped at the chance to join the project.

Yes, it was "amazing it was to watch the entire Titantic project slowly unfold". At the beginning, back in 1997, Kate was a virtual unknown. He had the privilege of "watching her career literally skyrocket" from those very first days of working with her on the Titantic set.

Campbell reminisced "how excited he was to read about Titantic and Kate in Movieline Magazine". As he was reading the article he was overcome with a strong feeling in his gut about the ultimate success of the movie. That Movieline article gave him a window into the long range results of the careers of everyone on the film.

Even to this day, so many years later, he remembers that Movieline article and his excitement. Over the years he has “watched Kate and Leonardo become superstars". And he was there at the beginning - to watch it all unfold.

The wildly talented hairdresser's career was also sprinkled with Titantic stardust. His work with Claire, Leonardo and Kate began garnering lots of attention and the phone started ringing.

An amazing list of some of Hollywood’s brightest stars such as Salma Hayek, Kate Bosworth, Cameron Diaz and Rachel Weisz, to name just a few, were calling. The big stars wanted to take part in a “bit of his hair magic.” Campbell was only too happy to oblige.

Blowing Open The Doors In Hollywood Hair

His great early foundation working with hair in the worlds of fashion, music videos, films and print opened all the doors in the Hollywood hair world. Campbell became the go-to free lance hair guy in great demand being asked to work on everything from Red Carpets and premiere events to print, film and videos.

His list of A listers continued to swell with eye popping names such as Rachel Bilson, Eva Mendes, Mischa Barton, Evangeline Lilly, Carrie Underwood and Katherine McPhee.

Part of the secret to Campbell’s rise in the world of celebrity hairdressing? It was “a great agent like Patti”. He pointed out, “Patti made all the difference in helping him create a successful career”. He noted Patti “has been very instrumental in helping him in so many ways”.

She always “went the extra mile for him and opened a long series of doors that have lead him to where he is today”. Campbell is extremely loyal to Patti, who is still his agent at Solo Artists after all these years where he rubs elbows with the likes of the well-known Chris McMillan, celebrity hairdresser to Jennifer Aniston.

He made it very clear to me throughout our call how very appreciative he is of all the great things Patti has done for him, his career and her commitment to his success”.

Of course he modestly agreed that “he is also very good at what he does with hair” and laughing, he agreed with me when I pointed out he is obviously fantastic to have as a hairdresser.

But seriously, he said “I came into the Hollywood hair business completely green but was very lucky. I had a really great agent in Patti who helped me non-stop over the past 10 years and believed in me”. Of course he also worked very hard and developed strong relationships with his many celebrity clients.

Does he miss his homeland? "Of course, but he visits on a regular basis".

Kate Winslet's Hair

Campbell works with a dizzying list of celebrities and does not name favorites. However, he has some clients he has worked with many times over the years. One such celebrity is Kate Winslet.

Having spent so much time working with Kate's hair has given Campbell a good understanding of what works best for the beautiful Brit. "Long hair suits her" he noted.

However, Kate "is the type of person who is happy with her hair the way it is". She is a no muss, no fuss kind of gal who loves "bedhead, messy, sexy hair" which her naturally wavy hair allows her to wear.

At one point when Kate asked Campbell to cut her long tresses into a short style, Campbell refused. Why? He felt she wouldn't like it and didn't want to be the one changing her hair to a style she ultimately would not like.

Kate decided to have her hair cut anyway, even though Campbell wouldn't do it. She had it cut elsewhere and as expect, she really didn't like it at all after she got it cut.

Not one to say I told you so, Campbell pointed out he knew "she wouldn't like shorter hair because she's a busy mom who loves to pull her hair up into a ponytail and do a lot of different things with it". When it was short Kate "had limited options to play" with her tresses like she loves to do normally.

Campbell keeps the lovely Kate's hair fresh and edgy by changing up her basic long wavy style just slightly.

I pressed him to name his favorite hairstyle he created for her over the years. He selected a stunning updo that she wore for an awards show. Sweeping her normally loose, messy, sexy strands up into a sleek updo, her hair looked amazing with a breathtaking red Ben de Lisi gown.

The combination of her upswept do with the red gown won her "Best Dressed" by many of the fashion critics. Campbell mused that he was especially pleased with how the hairstyle finished the look and how the hair was completely swept off her stunning face.

He also mentioned how much he liked Kate's hair at the 2007 Oscars. Wearing an eye popping mint green Valentino gown, Campbell created a stunning low side chignon.

It was composed of sweeping soft waves swept off her face and directed towards the nape of her neck. He told me “he matched Kate's elegant chignon to her simple but lovely gown”.

Katherine Heigl's Hair

Campbell and Grey's Anatomy fan favorite have been logging time together for a wide range of Red Carpet and print events.

After complimenting Campbell on the stunning updo Katherine wore to the 2007 Emmy Awards he revealed how fabulous she is to collaborate with. For that particular event he noted Katherine had narrowed her hairstyle options down to two different styles.

The updo Katherine wore was ultimately selected because it worked best with the gown she choose and "really wanted to wear". Her updo, was "timeless and perfect." She had the total package.

Campbell confessed "she has a great sense of style and truly understands what works for her." Even better, she's a "genuinely nice person" who is fun to work with".

We briefly discussed Katherine's recent wedding. Campbell mentioned "due to a prior commitment he was not able to attend her wedding". However, he "saw the photos" and thought she "looked absolutely stunning".

Salma Hayak

Salma Hayak is another long time celebrity hair client of Campbell's. He loves working with her hair and created some great hairstyles.

His favorites? He actually had several. He loved the hairstyle Salma wore at the 2006 Oscars. Her hair was coiffed in lush waves and she rocked a stunning blue gown.

Campbell also created the hairstyle she wore when she was nominated for best actress for her incredible role in Frieda at the 75th Academy Awards in 2003.

For that award appearance Salma wore a gorgeous white gown topped by stunning black lace with her long lush tresses worn pulled back off her face and cascading down around her shoulders and back.

Red Carpet Events & Shows

After discussing the gorgeous hairstyles some of his celebrity clients wore on the Red Carpets I asked Campbell if he always did hair for the big Hollywood events. He pointed out "a significant part of his work as a celebrity hairdresser is doing hair for the major shows - Golden Globes, The Oscars - for his celebrities clients". Since the very beginning of his hairstyling days in Hollywood he has always "done all the major shows".

In fact, he confided, he has had a long run where he has created the hairstyles for either the supporting or a key award nominee for all the major award shows.

With so many clients in his book, how does he decide which client gets his time for the shows? It's really quite simple, whoever books his time first, wins.

He has a rule that he never does more than one client for each award. Why? He wants to make absolutely certain to be completely focused on the celebrity who has booked him. They get all of his attention so he can give them his absolute best.

However, if some of his other celebrity clients want him to do their hair for the after parties he is available to do that, but only after he is finished with his primary client.

How He Decides What Hairstyle To Create

So how does Campbell decide what hairstyle to create for his famous celebrity heads for the various award shows?

He explained "a lot of his clients totally trust him to do what he thinks is best with their hair" but he likes to click with the person and wants the selection of their ultimate hairstyle to be a collaborative event. Of course he is happy to make recommendations and suggestions but ultimately he wants the client to have a major say in how they want to have their hair styled.

For any event he works hard to be completely prepared. Meaning he does his homework in advance. Whenever possible he finds out what gown they are wearing and what total look his client wants to go for. He also feels it is very important to work as a team with the make-up team and the stylist and anyone else who is helping to get the celebrity ready.

For Campbell is it all about the preparation. He loves to be prepared and he loves to contribute to the whole package. Afterall, its not just about the hair. It's about the gown and the make-up and the jewelry and the accessories. They all have to work together for a spectacular result.

Cameron Diaz

Our conversation shifted towards Cameron. I mentioned to Campbell how much I liked her hair blonde and asked if he had worked with her hair when she was filming The Holiday.

"Yes, he had". When thinking about it he was amazed because it was “two years ago…wow how time flies. Has it really been two years already?”

Although he didn't do her hair color, because he isn't a hair colorist, he did cut her hair and create her hairstyles for the movie.

He has worked with Cameron on several projects and enjoys it because "Cameron is cool and like Katherine Heigl she knows what she wants, what suits her and she sticks with her choices."

We touched on the fact that her hair has gone through a lot of color changes over the years. "Yes, he agreed, she went through a lot of different colors during that period from blonde to brunette and back to blonde". She also went "from long to short".

More On Campbell

Yes this hard working celebrity hairdresser gives his clients 1000% of his focus and has been rewarded with an incredibly successful career. He has also spent time in self reflection and on a personal quest to find the answer to developing a phenomenal hair care line that is actually good for you. He has achieved a lot in such a short time and everything he does he does with integrity, compassion and thoughtfulness.

Campbell does let his hair down from time to time. He confessed that his favorite singer of all time is Elvis and that his guilty pleasures include white chocolate, Moët Champagne, Japanese breakfasts at the Beverly Hills Hotel and getaways to The Italian Riviera. He is devoted to his family and is a man who puts his heart and soul into everything he does.

Summary

Campbell McAuley feels very blessed to work with clients that are wonderful and a true joy. He also feels incredibly lucky to have a great agent in Patti Kassover who has opened a long series of doors for him over the past ten years. He is also thrilled to be able to share his fabulous new product line that has been developed with Campbell's love and care.

Celebrity Clients

Campbell McAuley has worked with a stunning array of celebrities including Abbie Cornish, Alexis Bledel, Alicia Silverstone, Amanda Peet, Amy Adams, Angelina Jolie, Anne Heche, Blake Lively, Bridget Fonda, Calista Flockhart, Cameron Diaz, Carrie Underwood, Charlize Theron, Christine Baranski, Cindy Crawfod, Claire Danes, Claire Forloni, Connie Nielsen, Daphne Guinness, Deborah Messing, Denise Richards, Elizabeth Banks, Ellen Degeneres, Elsa Pataky, Emile de Ravin, Erika Christensen, Eva Mendes, Evangeline Lilly, Felicity Huffman, Goldie Hawn, Gwyneth Paltrow, Helena Bonham Carter, Hilary Duff, Idina Menzel, James King, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Jennifer Garner, Johnny Depp, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Julia Stiles, Julianna Margulies, Kate Bosworth, Kate Hudson, Kate Winselt, Katie Holmes, Katherine Heigl, Katherine McPhee, Kelly Clarkson, Kelly Preston, Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Laura Dern, Lauren Conrad, Lauren Graham, Leelee Sobieski, Lena Olin, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lesley-Ann Warren, Lindsay Lohan, Liv Tyler, Madeleine Stowe, Marla Sokaloff, Michael Michelle, Michelle Rodriquez, Miranda Lambert, Mischa Barton, Patricia Arquette, Penelope Cruz, Rachel Bilson, Rachel Weisz, Rebecca Romijn, Renee Zellweger, Rita Wilson, Ruby Stewart, Saffron Burrows, Salma Hayek, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Stockard Channing, Thandie Newton, Tori Spelling, Vanessa Paradis

Print Work

Allure, Best Life, Blender, Ciudad, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Entertainment Weekly, Flaunt, Glamour UK, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, Harper's Bazaar UK, Harpers & Queens, InStyle, Italian Vanity Fair, Lucky, Marie Claire, Maxim, Movieline, People, Playboy, Premiere Magazine, Rolling Stone, Self, Seventeen, Tatler, Teen People, Town & Country, TV Guide, US Weekly, Vanity Fair, Vogue, W.

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- Revised Date: 03/15/2011

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