The Cowboy Carter tour isn’t any old string of Beyoncé concerts: It’s a celebration of the legendary singer’s Southern roots, a lurid display of fashion and beauty, and most importantly, a musical homecoming for the Houston native.
Despite the ever-changing wardrobe of fringe-decorated Western garb that accompanies the songstress to every city, there’s one facet of Beyoncé’s ethereal looks that tie everything together. It’s the physical manifestation of her proud heritage, the asset she plays up the most during this tour, and the source of inspiration behind her own beauty brand, Cécred. You guessed it, this invisible string is her hair—and it’s no shocker that her Texas-size, honey-blonde curls are full of tour secrets.
To get the low-down on the Grammy Album of the Year award-winner’s hair, I gabbed with Beyoncé’s hairstylist and Cécred’s lead global stylist, Neal Farinah. Ahead, the secret message behind those big, bouncy waves, how they concocted the perfect Cowboy Carter blonde, and the very products Farinah uses to make the performer’s strands concert-ready every night. This and more about our favorite “cowboy” ahead.
The Beyoncé Blowout Breakdown
Whether it’s the built-in fans constantly blowing back her lengthy tresses or the hairography baked into every performance, any member of the Beyhive is familiar with the significance (and star quality) of Beyoncé’s blonde mane. “I’m always so inspired by big, Texas hair. We definitely wanted to reference that classic big body, voluminous look,” Farinah tells Who What Wear. “It’s a nod to Southern glam, but modernized with a lot of movement, body and bounce. You know that hair has its own choreography at this point!”
Her onstage styles are designed to stay “Flawless” despite the show’s intricate hairography, but concertgoers will notice a string of visual interludes showcasing the performer’s strands in everything from spaghetti Western micro braids to vintage-inspired (and aptly named) beehive barnets, her hair teased tall as she lights a cigar with the Statue of Liberty (IYKYK). According to the hairstylist, these styles are reimaginations of classic country Western culture in very Beyoncé iterations—meaning more glam, more creativity, and more edge.
Farinah primarily took inspiration from “bouncy Southern belle curls”—think her “Ya Ya” featured artist, Dolly Parton—when crafting the hair direction for this tour, but it was important to “make it feel [like] classic Beyoncé” at its core. “You’ll see a lot of different hair looks throughout the show’s visuals, which tap on so many iconic Southern styles–everything from braids to bouffants. But on stage, it’s all about the bouncy blowout,” he adds. “Like I said, we need that movement, baby!”
But curls and blowouts were only half the battle. While the “16 Carriages” songstress has been known to switch up her shade from her natural deep brunette to varying shades of bronde and platinum (hey, Cowboy Carter album cover!), it was important to devise a new shade that would take her through her months-long tour and symbolize this new, genre-defying era.
“Color definitely plays a role in the show,” says Farinah. “We took the classic honey blonde and added a bit of a punchy, cool-toned twist,” he adds, an unseasonally cool shade rising among the fashion-forward as the weather warms. “It’s the perfect evolution of the Cowboy Carter platinum and that iconic honey shade Beyoncé is known for.”
But at the end of the day, it all comes down to the products Farinah trusts to use on the megastar’s mane for countless nights of hairography, and he dished on the exact routine he relies on every night.
Beyoncé’s Showtime Hair Routine
The star can croon that she “woke up like this” largely because of the proper hair preparation that the pair painstakingly worked at leading up to the tour. “Getting hair tour-ready—3 months of heat styling, sweat, and general wear and tear—means we did a lot of treatment prep to make sure it was the strongest and healthiest it could be,” he explains.
Four of the hair products from Beyoncé’s brand were the most pivotal in the care and keeping of her frosted honey hair, becoming mainstays in his stylist’s kit while traveling from city to city.
Proper Prep
Cécred
Fermented Rice & Rose Protein Ritual
Key ingredients: Hydrolyzed rice, fermented rice powder, biotin | Benefits: Smooths split ends, strengthens hair
When it came to hair health, Beyoncé’s strands were primarily treated with two products: This revitalizing treatment and a strengthening hair mask. “Fermented Rice & Rose Protein Ritual plus the Reconstructing Treatment Mask were really important to make sure her hair stays the healthiest it can be,” quips Farinah. The rice and rose elixir comes pouched, with enough to last you four months of use. Each once-a-month treatment is made with a rich mixture of plant-based ingredients that work together to strengthen and encourage growth—inspired by Asian beauty rituals that increase shine, softness, and strength from a cellular level.
Cécred
Reconstructing Treatment Mask
Key ingredients: Bioactive Keratin ferment, hydrolyzed rice, sea buckthorn oil | Benefits: Prevents breakage, smooths hair microcavities, strengthens strands
The other key player in Farinah’s preparation rotation was this rich reparative mask. Made for anyone who uses heat or dye on their hair often, this treatment soothes, softens, and repairs damaged hair by sealing and filling hair cuticles for thicker, lusher strands. Also safe for human hair wigs and weaves, all it takes is one use of this treatment to see real-time results and noticeably stronger strands.
On the Road
Cécred
Moisture Sealing Lotion
Key ingredients: Phyto-seal complex, African oil blend, hyssop extract | Benefits: Seals cuticles, fights frizz, reduces appearance of split ends
“When it comes to showtime, the [Cécred] Vented Paddle Brush, Moisture Sealing Lotion, and Nourishing Hair Oil are with me everywhere I go,” says Farinah. This smoothing serum is a frizz-fighting milk that marks all hair textures and types safe from humidity. Its oil-infused formula armed with cuticle-sealing properties work hard to smooth and nurture strands with split ends or damage, improving hair elasticity and defining natural texture—making curls and wave spring to life in any weather, any time.
Cécred
Nourishing Hair Oil
Key ingredients: African oil blend, sea buckthorn oil, hyssop extract | Benefits: Improves elasticity, boosts shine, protects hair from environmental stressors
The last ingredient Farinah relies on backstage? This gorgeously packaged, honey-gold nourishing oil. Though the stylist relies on this oil to keep the singer’s strands sleek and frizz-free throughout these high-powered performances, the formula works overtime to deliver the hydrating properties of 13 oils and plant-based extracts. “They’re all I need for quick, easy touchups throughout the night,” Farinah muses. “Especially when we get to those summer nights in the South—I gotta protect against the humidity and frizz!”
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