Noemie Lenoir: Balmain made me love my hair

OHMYGOSSIP – Noemie Lenoir was encouraged to embrace her curly hair when she starred in a Balmain campaign. The French supermodel reveals she used to hate her naturally curly hair, but working with creative director Olivier Rousteing and Balmain’s hair designer Nabil Harlow has made her feel comfortable in her dreamy textured style.

Featuring in Balmain’s Spring/ Summer 2016 campaign for its Hair Couture line, Noemie was photographed by An Le, alongside other stars such as Devon Windsor and Cindy Bruna. In the images, the models show off sleek and sexy hairstyles ranging from Farrah Fawcett feathering to Cher’s sleek and straight locks. Pumping up the glamour, the models pose in macrame tops and form-fitting jackets which feature in Balmain’s ready-to-wear line.

Speaking with Vogue.com, Noemie recalled how stylists back in the 2000s would take a brush to her curls, teasing them out into a textured Afro which was a dramatic shift from the slicked back ponytails of her childhood.

“I hated my hair!” she said, adding, “Balmain told me they believed in the curls… and it was fashion that made me like the curls, and to be who I am.”

The 36-year-old reveals she keeps her striking hair in check by getting her hairstylist to give her a carefully layered haircut and swears by using a daily, hydrating Kerastase mask.

Once a month, she likes to use an olive and argan oil mixture that she rakes through her mane and lets soak for the weekend, as a two-day softening treatment. Finally, she likes to spritz in some Balmain Silk Perfume spray each morning for added shine and a slightly woody scent.

“For my hair, less is better,” she shared. “Can you imagine if I put more volume in my hair?”

Noemie, who has walked the runways for the likes of Gucci and Jean Paul Gaultier, adds that she was happy to see the resurgence of the ’90s fashion model recently and felt no reason not join in.

“Everything comes back all the time,” she shared, “Naomi (Campbell) is back, and Claudia (Schiffer), and Cindy (Crawford), so I thought, ‘Why not maybe me?'” she smiled.