Beauty Secrets We Learned From Sam McKnight

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As far as we know, there’s almost no such thing as effortless beauty. From facial treatments that leave your complexion dewy and luminous to the perfect winged eyeliner, experts reveal their most-trusted, insider hacks for CR‘s series, Beauty Secrets.

Hairstylist to the stars Sam McKnight’s work is the stuff of legend and responsible for the ’90s tresses of supers Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington. For one memorable photoshoot in 1990, he used hair ties to create the illusion of slicked-back, short locks for Princess Diana. That led to McKnight becoming Lady Di’s personal stylist for the next seven years until her tragic passing in 1997. “She asked me to travel with her and I spent the next few years juggling my work with her and my fashion work,” McKnight tells CR. “She preferred her hair short and quite sporty. Her hair was always on the done side, so she had a very, sort of groomed ’90s look at the time. Done but not overdone.”

Most recently, McKnight dreamed up the beauty look for Chanel’s annual Metiers d’Art show in New York, marking its first in the city in over a decade. In addition to a star-studded front row and a surprise appearance by frequent Chanel collaborator Pharrell Williams, the collection was inspired by the aesthetic of Ancient Egypt and was aptly staged in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Egyptian wing. Here, CR caught up with McKnight about his favorite Kate Moss hairdo, his take on runway trends, and skincare products he’s coveting right now.

Tell me about the inspiration for the Chanel show.
“I was trying to keep the hair not too costume-y so I was looking at old pictures of Egyptian women with their oiled hair and that’s where it came from, those ancient statues. We used some mousse and then Hair Pomade Cock Grease to give it that really rich, shiny texture. Then we tamed it all, didn’t comb the hair, but just patted it down to keep the natural movement of the hair. At the end, I sprayed everyone with my Modern Hairspray.”

What are five hair products you’re loving right now?
“My own line. [laughs] It’s Hair by Sam McKnight. We have a texturizer called Call Girl, a dry shampoo called Lazy Girl, and another texturizer called Easy Updo, which can be used to put your hair up very quickly. Also Modern Hairspray and Hair Pomade Cock Grease to make the hair look shiny wet.”

What about skincare?
“I use Liz Earle moisturizer for men and mostly all-natural products. Rush Balm for my scalp. I have psoriasis on my skin and La Roche Posay keeps it at bay. For fragrance, I have Dior Sauvage and Chanel Sycomore. I have packets of epsom bath salts and they’re really good for a soak, softening the skin, and general wellbeing. I also used a natural sponge. It’s really good for exfoliating.”

You’re also known for your work with Moss. Do you have a favorite look of hers that you’ve done?
“I think with Kate, it’s always about how she feels that day and what that character what wants to be, whether she’s sexy Kate Moss, sporty Kate Moss, or natural Kate Moss. We’ve done so many looks on Kate that she can go from a Bardot-esque thing to really supernatural. I do love when we put a dark wig on her. I love when we transform Kate into something not really expected.”

How has it been working with Chanel for so long? How do you come up with the different hair looks for every show?
“I think anything from the last 10 years of Chanel has been really fabulous. It’s working creatively with Karl [Lagerfeld]. He has a vision of how his show is going to look, so that definitely informs the hair and makeup. It’s a challenge and interesting process to relay his thoughts into hair, to make his vision happen through the hair world.”

Do you keep up with any different hair trends?
“I hate hair trends. I don’t really understand it at the time. When you do 16 shows a season, it means you have to kind of not look at hair trends. I’m looking at that show and that shoot. With Chanel Couture, you definitely get an opportunity to experiment with hair a lot and I’m lucky enough to get to work with designers like Dries van Noten, Olivier [Rousteing] at Balmain, Vivienne Westwood, and Lagerfeld. Nothing ever gets boring.”

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