How Ursula Stephen Tackled All of Zendaya’s ‘Challengers’ Premiere Hair

It’s no wonder that Zendaya won fans over along with her stunning glamor (2024) premiere ahead of today’s nationwide release. Dyeing her hair honey blonde, the actress kicked off her latest romantic sports film – during which she plays tennis star-turned-coach “Tashi” – with striking hairstyles, viral tennis braids and bouffant ’70s hairstyles.

“One of the things I love most about working with Zendaya is the challenge,” celebrity hairstylist Urszula Stefan says ESSENCE. Using an intensive arsenal of hair care products, Stephen supports the actress in taking care of her hair health with low-temperature hairstyles. “I’m always finding alternative ways to create these fantastic red carpet and editorial looks using the right products.”

Game, set, match! Below, Stephen breaks down all the gorgeous moments from Zendaya’s tour.

‘Old Money’: Sydney, March 26

The first stop on Zendaya’s press tour was a blonde bob and a courtside ride. “We wanted to feel the atmosphere of old money,” says Stephen. Referring to the million-dollar tennis clubs in old Hollywood mansions, her fashion stylist Law Roach “wanted it to appear like she was dragging [her hair] she got up on her own. As if she was just walking off the court with a racket in her hand, Zendaya turned her perky bob right into a feathered hairstyle paired with a Loewe gown for the State Theater ballgame.

After shampooing and conditioning, Stephen prepped his hair with conditioner Heat protection foundation and drying with a SexHair dryer before you blow it out. “Once the hair was blown out, I added Velcro rollers to each section to add volume,” she says. “After styling my hair, I removed the rollers and brushed the hair to soften the look” – hence the feathery, flying details. Then she added volume with The Hair Shop 18 inch tight clip ins round her head, teasing her brown roots, before gathering her hair right into a low bun and securing the look with rubber bands and pins.

“Finally, I styled my fringe and left it down to frame my face for a casual look,” closing it with Big SexyHair And Play volumizing hairspray.

“The bomb explodes”: Paris, April 6

Heading to Paris, Zendaya visited town for the second time in two months (the primary for her premiere) and third time this yr. But it so happens that she showed three looks in someday. First, the old French money look with a white headband worn with Louis Vuitton by Marc Jacobs checkerboard coat. Then she livened up her upturned bob with a playful bang. She ended the night at UGC Normandie with a bombshell paired with Bulgari diamonds.

For that last look, Stephen stretched out Healthy Smooth Stunner Blowout sexy hair cream, blow-dry the actress’s hair straight for a silky finish. Then she added, from the neck to the temple clip-in clips from The Hair Shop so as to add length to your bob. “The Hair Shop has the best color selection to highlight Zendaya’s new blonde look,” he says, who looked like Sandy Blonde (#840). After application heat protectantStephen went through the spraying section by section Big Sexy Stay hairspray Intense hold before curling your hair with a big curling iron.

“Since we wanted a smooth and shiny look, I added a few drops The Hair Shop silk drops to enhance the shine,” she says. “I brushed my hair and tucked it behind my ears on both sides to make it effortless,” after which applied hairspray to carry it in place overnight.

“Sharon’s Stone in Rome”: Rome, April 8

“We wanted to create a strong but sexy effect. Think: Sharon Stone – she was our inspiration,” says Stephen. During the third stop of the tour, Zendaya showed off her claw-clip hairstyle in Rome. With Stone’s major 65-year power outage cleared, the 27-year-old stepped into the role of leading lady in . To do that, “we began with clean, damp hair and added SexoHair root and root pump– says Stefan. “This volumizing spray mousse will give us the firmness and lift we need to maintain all night long.”

Drying his hair away from his head, Stephen added volume after which curled the mid-sections with a big curling iron. Silk drops from her Parisian bombshell were massaged in, making her hair shine like Bulgari jewels. “Then we caressed the top of her hair, used a brush to tie it into a low bun, secured it with a rubber band, and pinned the loose hair close to her head.” As the ultimate detail, the hairdresser pulled and separated the crown, after which the style was set with volumizing hairspray.

‘Braid and Bow’: London, April 10

In London style, Stephen referenced Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova. It’s probably essentially the most overt nod to the “literal approach to the braid and bow,” she says. As easy because the look – combined with the custom Thom Browne a sporty halter-neck mesh dress and red lips – the execution had us wondering. A chunk the scale of 1 / 4 Strongly holding SexHair Hard Up gel the look began; apply to your complete length of the hair, hairline and nape for strong hold.

“Then we combed the hair into a ponytail and secured it with a rubber band,” she says before putting it on Wrapped ponytail in a hairdressing shop extension for an extended look. Holding the extension with hairspray, “we braided the ponytail, securing it with a tiny invisible elastic band.”

“Unfinished Do”: Los Angeles, April 16

“We didn’t want to compete with the dress,” says Stephen, referring to the deconstructed version of Zendaya Vera Wang ball gown. At home in Los Angeles, the actress’ lace bra mimicked underwear, and her hair complemented her bedtime outfit well. “We thought simplicity was the most sensible thing,” says the hairdresser. “The slightly open lacing matched the sex appeal of the corset.” The bedhead ballerina bun, prepared with blowout cream, was blow-dried with a voluminous root.

Adding narrow clips to the highest of her head, “I then tied all the hair into a ponytail, secured it with a rubber band, and then twisted and pinned the hair into a donut,” she says. The well-rested look would not be complete without some texturizing powder, which Stephen applied to the hairline and nape of the neck. While working with the product, she “used her fingertips to move the hair in circular motions to create a fluffy, airy, ‘messy’ texture.” In this manner, the unfinished “done” is the right style to finish a month-long press tour.