Gracie Abrams’ Kristin Ess Oscars Hair Breakdown

Gracie Abrams doesn’t overcomplicate things, and that approach carried straight through to her Oscars beauty look. With a custom Chanel sequin look setting the tone, celebrity hairstylist Bobby Elliot knew the hair needed to complement it. The result? A softly textured bixie that felt fresh, light, and completely in step with her understated aesthetic.

As Bobby explained, “The inspiration for Gracie’s look was effortless. We wanted her hair to move and have an airiness to it.” And that’s exactly what he delivered, hair that looked lived-in but still considered, with just enough structure to hold its shape.

The process started on towel-dried hair, where Bobby applied Kristin Ess Blow Dry Mist throughout to speed up drying time while adding shine and heat protection. He followed with Kristin Ess Styling Cream through the ends to define the cut and smooth any flyaways without weighing the hair down.

Once the hair was about 70% dry, Bobby switched to a diffuser attachment, encouraging natural texture and building a soft wave into the bixie shape. This step is key, it gives the style that slightly undone feel while still maintaining control.

To refine the texture, he used a combination of a 1-inch flat iron and a 1-inch titanium curling iron, working in small sections to create subtle bends rather than obvious curls. The goal wasn’t perfection, but variation, those irregular pieces that make the style feel modern.

After shaking everything out, Bobby applied Kristin Ess Working Texture Spray at the roots for lift and movement, avoiding anything too stiff or overworked. He then used the Kristin Ess Styling Wand to clean up the hairline and tame any remaining flyaways.

A final mist of Kristin Ess Workable Hairspray locked everything in place while keeping the finish soft and touchable, exactly what you want when the look is all about ease.