Sherry Heart, HEARTS Scünci + Girls Giveaway

Photo courtesy of HBO

When I moved to New York City more than a decade ago, young women everywhere were deeply engrossed in the adventures of Carrie Bradshaw and her fictional column Sex in the City. Fresh out of college, where I did not have cable, I saw the HBO show for the first time with my summer roommates. 

While Carrie's ramblings and dramas were something I could sorta relate to, and only really after I had lived in New York for years longer, her Patricia Field styled life was definitely not a reflection of my life.

A few years ago, HBO released Girls. And I am going to openly admit, that though everyone around me seemed to be into it, I just could not bring myself to add HBO to my cable bill. Rumor had it that Girls was Brooklyn's answer to Sex in the City,  which was compelling to me, but just not enough for me to shell out the cash. 

Four seasons later, I still had not seen a single episode of Girls.

A few weeks ago I got an invitation to meet Sherry Heart the Head of Girls Hair Department, and attend a viewing of Girls. 

On the day of, winter dumped a foot of snow on the city. I thought about staying toasty in my apartment. But, the people who invited me pinged with a smiley message: "So excited to have you tonight." 

Ugh.

I wrapped myself up and made the trek to Norwood.

If you watch Girls, the screening turned out to be this episode:

Photo courtesy of HBO

Everything about that episode was totally my life. Merp. I might have to play massive catchup now. I hear you can stream it on Amazon?

What amazed me about the show was not just the storyline. The character and production design was so on point. Hannah's apartment didn't look like a Design Within Reach ad. Her clothes were a little ill-fitting and she definitely did not own all of Jimmy Choo's best sellers for the season. And, very importantly, none of the characters looked as if they had a mobile salon service them every morning.

It's absolute genius. 

And... a huge part of the look and feel of any production is the vanities department. So, with out further delay... I got to do a little Q&A with Sherry to learn a little about what makes her tick and to snag a few realistic hair tips for us every day gals.

ALICE: How did you come to work on Girls?

SHERRY: A makeup artist I sometimes work with recommended me for a new pilot that was being shot. She told me the show was about four 20-something girls living in Brooklyn and making their way through life. I thought, “cool, this is probably a Brooklyn take on the Sex and the City story.” The show also interested me because I live in Brooklyn and I thought I could relate to the girls and their story. It’s always exciting to be there at the beginning of something you can make your own.

ALICE: How does a typical day on set look for you?

My days start early, my call time can be anywhere from five to seven a.m. I get to the studio (or our trailer if we’re shooting out on location) and get the coffee started. I read through the pages that we’re shooting that day, make sure the crew is set for the day and make sure everyone understands the looks we’re creating for the actors that day. Then, the actors come in for their hair and makeup before they head off to get dressed. The scenes are rehearsed a bit before lighting and cameras are set up. Once shooting starts, my crew and I head to set to maintain the hair while the scenes are filmed. Sometimes, we have to create multiple hairdos for different scenes throughout the day. We usually work a ten to twelve hour day – which is short in the TV and film business! After so many years on the show, we operate like a well-oiled machine. The actors and crew are like one big family.

ALICE: What is your favorite hair look for Girls? Is there a story behind it?

Photo courtesy of HBO

SHERRY: In season two, I created a crimped look on Jessa that had three different styles all in one day. It's the episode in which Jessa goes out to dinner to meet her then-husband’s parents. Her hair was half up and half down in a faux Gibson with a couple of chopsticks thrown in. I like to refer to that hairdo as an 80's-Gibson Samurai. Her hair is always my favorite to do - just because she's got so much of it! She can really carry off any style.

ALICE: Since we are still in hat season, what is your favorite tip or trick for combating hat hair?

SHERRY: Don’t get a hat so tight to your head that it smooshes down your hairdo. You may have to rethink your size and buy larger hats. A cute hat is no fun if it ruins your hairdo. I always like to put a hat on really low and then push it up so that it pushes my hair up with – this will keep your hair from going flat. Those two tricks usually work.

ALICE: What do you think will be on trend in hair accessories once we ditch hats in warmer weather?

SHERRY: I love the vintage hair look in which you curl your hair on the end and clip it back with a fun barrette. You can see this hairdo in the “Scunci night time hair looks” inspired by GIRLS. Also, I still love a good messy top knot. Scunci has a knotted pony tailer that makes it easy to put a pony tail up on top of your head.

ALICE: Please share a quick and easy DIY hair look for spring.

Photo courtesy of HBO

SHERRY: To get Jessa’s signature top-knot, it's all about twisting and pinning. First, bend over and gather your hair right on top of your head and twist. Come back up and twist your hair down in a spiral, wrapping the hair around itself. Tuck the end in and pin along the bottom until it's secure. The messier the better for this hairdo. Of course, Jemima's thick mane of hair makes it really easy to have a substantial top-knot, but any one with long hair can create this style.

To celebrate the finale of season four of Girls, which airs tonight at 9pm on HBO, Sherry has curated this lovely giveaway of 5 of her favorite accessories:

Enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win! And, follow @SherryHeart and @ScunciHair on twitter to join in their #GirlsHair live tweet chat during the show! 

Click through to read more about Sherry Heart on Examiner.com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway