Maria Thattil‘s hair isn’t full of secrets (in fact, she’ll happily share her good hair guide with you), it’s full of stories.
“My earliest memories of hair are my mum giving me beautiful ayurvedic scalp massages with special hair oils. For South Asians, looking after your hair is an act of love,” recalls Thattil, an author, speaker and Shark Beauty ambassador. “Mum would get me to do a hair swish like they do in the shampoo commercial, and I just loved it.”
In her teens, Thattil began experimenting with her locks, playing with different styles, colours, and cuts. On one occasion, she pinched a pair of her mum’s kitchen scissors before sneaking off to the bathroom to cut her hair into a mullet.
“When I was 14, it was very cool for girls to have mullets, so I took the scissors and butchered my hair, thinking I was cutting layers. A good mullet looks hot, but my 14-year-old self didn’t quite nail the brief.”
“Then, when I was 15, The Pussycat Dolls came out with a music video where Nicole Scherzinger had a blunt fringe. So, again, I played hairdresser and cut a blunt front fringe.
“When I got older and worked in corporate, I would leave the office and get a blowout during my lunch breaks. My colleagues would say, ‘You don’t need to do hair for [work]’ and I would say, ‘I’m not, I’m doing my hair for me.'”
For Thattil, her hair is never an afterthought, but the starting point for the energy she brings to each day. Which is why for Fashion Week this year, Thattil has teamed up with Shark Beauty to create a series of runway-worthy hair looks.
Of her approach to planning her looks, Thattil says that her hair typically informs her sartorial choices.
“I start with the hair, because it frames your face. It just shapes everything and communicates a tone for your look,” Thatill says. “What I’m looking to serve this week is very different, versatile looks.”
Go-to Hair Tool For Versatile Styles?
“I want all of my Fashion Week hair looks to be unique and different, which is why the Shark’s Speed Style Rapid Gloss Finisher And High-Velocity Dryer is perfect. It’s got so many different attachments, so your hair can go from wet to dry and then be styled to a bouncy, wavy or textured straight look.”
Favourite Low Maintenance Look?
“If you’re running late for Fashion Week and you’ve literally just come out of the shower, I would do this hack that Chris Appleton taught me. First, use the Speed Style Rapid Gloss Finisher and High-Velocity Dryer to dry your hair.
“Then, put your hair up in a ponytail and use the curling wand attachment to curl massive sections of the ponytail; spray it; take it out, and you end up with this insane blowout that looks like someone’s done it at a salon. The whole process should only take 10 minutes.”
How To Lean Into Your Natural Texture
Recently, I’ve been transitioning my hair back to its natural state and colour and one thing I’ve noticed is that my hair has a very natural wave and a bit of a curl to it.
“I have never used a diffuser in my life, but recently, I have found myself reaching for one on those days when I want to work with a little bit of natural texture. I’ll put some product in it to maintain a bit of grittiness, and then I use the diffuser, and it just looks like textured beach hair on me.
“I’m so used to having a glossy blowout or straight waves, so it’s been fun to experiment with my natural texture.
“Many people grew up thinking that their natural hair texture was something to be ashamed of because it was perceived as unruly, unprofessional, or messy. So to have tools now that say there’s nothing wrong with what your hair looks like organically is incredible.
Shark SpeedStyle RapidGloss Finisher & High-Velocity Dryer, $199.99
Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System – Stone, $349.99
