At the Met Gala, the usual parade of theatrical gowns came with an added point of intrigue: many stars seemed to have noticeably tighter and fresher-faced complexions.
Cue intense speculation as to who’s gone under the knife.
Of course, a good A-list facelift can look incredibly natural and, since most celebrities are tight-lipped about cosmetic work, it’s difficult to distinguish between surgery and the combined effect of good genes and make-up.
Among the glowing guests, one star especially stood out. Anne Hathaway, who stunned in Michael Kors on Monday, has made multiple dazzling red carpet appearances of late promoting The Devil Wears Prada 2. Two decades have passed since she first took on the role of hapless wannabe journalist Andrea Sachs but Anne seems to have barely aged.
Recently, however, the Oscar winner put paid to any plastic surgery rumours by sharing a video on Instagram of the key to her more ‘snatched’ brow and eye line: her secret ‘facelift hair hack’.
The clip quickly went viral, clocking up millions of views and countless copycat tutorials on TikTok. Why? Well, there are no needles or scalpels required to get the look and, even to the untrained eye, it looks fairly easy to master. Plus it’s practically free – just the price of few hair elastics (and a bit of practice).
Anne Hathaway at Monday’s Met Gala. The Oscar winner recently put paid to plastic surgery rumours by sharing her secret ‘facelift hair hack’
Stylist Andreas did two tiny, tight plaits starting above the temples an inch in from my hairline, leaving enough hair loose to cover the plaits
Anne’s hairstylist Orlando Pita demonstrated the technique: two slim, invisible plaits are braided just above the temples then concealed beneath an updo. Pulled tightly together at the back, they create tension across the scalp, giving the illusion of lift – especially around the eyes. Anne herself even said the technique helps her look ‘a little bit more awake’.
But does it really work? Andreas Wilde, senior stylist at Larry King in Marylebone, London, says this hair hack is a well-kept A-list secret.
‘The “braid-lift”, as it’s known in the industry, is an old Hollywood trick actresses have been using for decades,’ he says.
‘When the plaits are placed correctly and secured tightly together at the back of the head, it pulls the scalp upwards and backwards a little, subtly lifting the eyebrows and outer corners of the eyes, making them look higher and more defined.’
As a beauty editor who has tried almost every trick in the book to shave a few years off, it would be remiss of me not to test it for myself. Anne and I are both in our 40s and have long hair (unfortunately, this is where the similarities end), so Andreas seemed pretty confident we could coax a modest lift to my face.
Before the ‘facelift hack’. As a beauty editor who has tried every trick in the book to shave a few years off, it would be remiss of me not to test it, writes Bethan King
After the hack. While it wasn’t a dramatic difference, the skin felt a little more taut and less saggy around my upper eyes
To recreate Anne’s half-up, half-down red carpet look, he started by tonging my hair into soft waves then spritzed it with Larry King Ride Or Die Texture Spray (£25 for 250ml) to give it some much-needed oomph. Then, he did two tiny, tight plaits starting above the temples an inch in from my hairline, leaving enough hair loose at the sides to cover the plaits at the end – a crucial step, as the plaits should remain invisible.
‘The key to making this work is to pull both plaits upwards and backwards at the same time, making sure they are secured together very tightly with an elastic to get a noticeable lift,’ he explains.
As he fixed my two hidden plaits in place, I definitely felt my eyes lifting a bit at the outer corners, which gave them a slightly more feline shape and just a hint of lift on the upper cheekbones too.
While it wasn’t a dramatic difference, the skin felt a little more taut and less saggy around my upper eyes. He then smoothed the rest of my hair into a half-up, half-down style like Anne’s to hide the plaits and tamed any errant strands with a finishing cream and small flyaways brush.
The style felt fairly comfortable but, after a few hours, my hair did start to feel a bit tight against my scalp – so even Anne clearly suffers a bit for her art. Sadly, no one commented on my ‘fresher’ appearance and my husband didn’t notice either. So, does Anne’s hair hack work miracles?
No. There’s only so much heavy lifting a handful of kirby grips and hair elastics can do.
But for a very subtle eye lift – even if you are the only one who notices – this is a fairly easy trick anyone can master with a bit of practice.
