Behind Charli XCX’s “Refined” Party Girl Hair for the ‘Music, Fashion, Film’ Tour

I was lucky enough to catch Charli XCX on her Music, Fashion, Film Tour a few weeks ago, and I was almost moved to tears several times. Between contemplating my morality (nothing lasts forever...) and reflecting on complex female friendships, I couldn’t help but think to myself, “God, her blowout is amazing.”

Any Angel will tell you that hair has always been an important part of Charli’s storytelling, from the second she was introduced with her colorful True Romance curls. For the Brat era, her hair, worn extra long and in her natural texture, was especially important in representing a return to herself after her “sellout” era with Crash, and embodied the album’s titular attitude. Plus, it looked really major as she thrashed around onstage.

For Music, Fashion, Film, the hair is a little sleeker to reflect the album’s sparser sound—and so shiny I could see it from the very back to the arena—but still has that signature Charli edge

This new look was crafted by Matt Benns, who has been working with Charli since the start of the Brat era. “I instantly became really energized by Charli’s presence. She has such a vision, [and is so] creatively inspiring,” Benns tells Byrdie of the popstar. “She’s very much part of my world and I appreciate our friendship immensely. Our group has become such a family, collaborating with each other in many different areas. There’s a lot of trust and protection that has been built over the years.”

Ahead, Benns fills us in on the inspiration between Charli’s latest hair era and how he preps her strands for tour.

The ‘Music, Fashion, Film’ Hair Inspiration

Benns sums up the vibe for MFF in one word: Refined.

“This new era is far more refined [then Brat.] Hair texture is smoother but it still feels effortless. She’s like the girl at the party in Paris that you want to know.” Benns adds that there’s still plenty of movement in her hair, but it’s a different kind than the wild Brat curls. “It definitely feels smoother, shinier and healthy. Her hair still has length but we aren’t pushing it as much as we did during the last era. We’re playing with new silhouettes. There’s height and small references to the early 2000s.”

Like every element of the tour, the hair is a collaboration between Benns, Charli, and the rest of her creative team “Our conversation during a fitting is vital,” says Benns. When developing the look, the team has to strike the perfect balance of form and function, as the hairstyle has to not just look amazing, but survive the performance.

“There are many things to consider—choreography, heat, moisture and outfit changes.” He adds that the era’s signature “came down to texture and a subtle new haircut.” Benns cut “shorter face framing layers through the front,” as he wanted to see “more hair fall over her face and less straight lines framing the face.”

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The Products

In addition to the inky black Glaze Supergloss in Raven Black, Benns is using a FromLabs routine to prep Charli’s hair and keep it stage-ready. “I prep her hair with the FromLabs Protein Capsule Hair Repair Mask, customized with the Booster Powder for intensive keratin care, and finished with the Leave-In Conditioner,” he says. “The result was healthy-looking hair that held up beautifully under the lights and throughout the performance.”