Ariana Madix’s Hairstylist Hauled 70 Pounds of Hair to Fiji for Love Island USA

Six weeks. Thirty-seven episodes. Football fields-worth of extensions. Carl Bembridge shares how he prepared for season 7.

ariana madix in three different hair looks for love island season 7
Every night that a new episode of Love Island USA drops, my sister Taylor and I, from our respective apartments, simultaneously press play and text each other our live reactions. (As a loyal fan, I am compelled to tell you that there are season 7 spoilers ahead.)
The moment host Ariana Madix came onto the screen at 57 minutes and 19 seconds into episode 12 for her always-dramatic arrival to the villa, I typed out, “I need to know how many pounds of hair Ariana’s stylist brought to Fiji.”
Extensions are often incorporated into Madix’s Love Island USA looks for extra volume, mermaid-y waves, and Cher-esque lengths. But for this particular scene, they helped turn her hair into an extremely sleek, hip-grazing high ponytail that echoed the structural, futuristic elements of her bold, cut-out gown.

Season 7 is only about a third of the way through its 37-episode lineup, but Madix’s hair has punctuated some of the most dramatic moments. Take episode 12, which Love Island fans know will go down in the show’s history. The Islanders underwent a game-changing recoupling that viewers voted upon, and a dumping voted upon by their fellow Islanders. With screaming, crying, and crash outs abound, Madix’s high pony mirrored her demeanor: commanding, polished, and captivating.

 

Even if you haven’t been watching this season, you’ve probably seen Madix’s viral brunette moment. For episode 9, she showed up to a bondage-themed challenge—which involved the Islanders dressing in pleather and lace and strapping each other onto huge Xs—in a look that truly helped set the tone for the episode. Instead of the blonde she’s graced our screens with over the past 15 years, Madix wore a rich espresso brown wig with an all-red dominatrix-esque ensemble. My jaw dropped. My heart stopped. Everyone was shocked.

ariana madix with long brown hair on love island season 7

Because I write about beauty for a living, I didn’t simply slide into the DMs of Madix’s hairstylist, Carl Bembridge, to find out what inspired this show-stopping hair color change and to circle back on that question about how many pounds of hair he packed. Instead, I interviewed him. (I love when my job can help me answer my most burning Love Island USA questions.)

Before I dive into our Q&A, here’s some quick background on Bembridge. Typically based in the UK, he’s styled stars like Ariana Grande, Nicole Scherzinger, and Love Island alum Maura Higgins. Bembridge started working with Madix when she started hosting Love Island USA last season, helping take her from Bravo reality TV staple to style stardom. He’s also a Color Wow ambassador and has a namesake line of wigs and hair tools.

Allure: How did you prepare for this season of Love Island?

Carl Bembridge: Preparation is one of my favorite things to do because I love being organized. Months ahead, I gather hair extensions, hairpieces, and wigs from my hairdrobe. I usually work around the outfit and go from there, so before flying to Fiji, I ask Ariana’s stylist for a mood board of all the looks from the final fitting—that’s my favorite part because the ideas come flooding in. I plan from there and make mood boards to help gather my ideas.

Allure: Is there a specific aesthetic that you seek out for Ariana when creating those mood boards?

Bembridge: For me, Ariana doesn’t have a specific aesthetic. Because she’s always up to try different things and can carry numerous styles, I homed in on that and played with edgy looks, girly looks, fashion looks, power looks, and inspo from different eras, like the ’90s and Brigitte Bardot—kind of a bit of everything.

Allure: Are there any lessons you learned last season that you’re keeping in mind this season?

Bembridge: The humidity is intense here, so straight hair is a bit of a battle against the elements. Color Wow’s Extra Strength Dream Coat and a cordless straightening iron have been lifesavers. I brought three bottles of the Extra Strength Dream Coat to make the hair waterproof. Also, the Color Wow Texas Hold ‘Em Big Hold Hairspray is great for strong hold and keeping everything in place.

Ariana Madix in a silver two piece set with extra long straight hair on love island season 7

Allure: OK, I must know. How much hair did you pack for Fiji?

Bembridge: I came out with three extra-large suitcases weighing 32 kilograms [70.5 pounds] each. One of them was full of hair, so I think that’s around 70 pounds of hair. I brought clip-in extensions, wigs, ponytails, half wigs, bangs, and extra hair to create anything I want—all in different shades and lengths.

Allure: How long is the longest hair you brought?

Bembridge: Probably 30 inches.

ariana madix in a black and gold mini dress with wavy hair on love island season 7

Allure: How do you achieve the perfect mermaid beach waves for the premiere episode?

Bembridge: This look was more of an undone beach wave, so I used the GHD Wave Triple Barrel Hair Waver and the GHD Max Flat Iron with the S-wave technique. Then, I sprayed on Color Wow’s Style on Steroids to provide a light, textured hold throughout the style.

ariana madix sits outside the love island villa wearing a yellow two piece set and long wavy hair

Madix on the villa tour.

 Peacock/Getty Images
Allure: Did you do anything different for the beach waves she had for the “Villa Tour”?

Bembridge: I wanted a curlier look, so I used a 25mm tong curling iron and the GHD Thin Wand to create curls of different sizes and wrapped each section in various directions. Once curled, I put Ariana’s head upside down and shook it out while spraying texture spray throughout.

Allure: How long does it typically take to do Ariana’s hair for each appearance on the show?

Bembridge: We allow around two and a half hours for glam, then 30 minutes for wardrobe. Of course, I always squeeze in time for glam shots, too.

ariana madix in a long red gown with brunette hair on love island season 7

Allure: How did Ariana’s viral brunette wig moment come together?

Bembridge: I always like to do something different from what we have done. After last year’s looks being so fun, I thought, “Would Ariana be up for walking on TV with a completely different hair color?” She, of course, said, “Yes, let’s do it.”

I had several colors of brunette wigs with me, including the Italiya wig from my line—just cut shorter and layered. At first, I thought that since she is naturally fair, the darkest brown might look too dark. But when she tried it on, her eye color popped, and I knew this wig was going to be a look. I loved seeing everyone’s reactions to it. It really warms my heart when I see people talking about and reposting my work.

ariana madix in a bronze gown with an extra long braid in love island season 7

Allure: Can you tell me a little about the story behind the ultra-long braid moment from episode 6?

Bembridge: I wanted to be extra while still keeping the texture of Ariana’s hair looking undone, so I waved all her hair first. Then, I added 26-inch clip-ins and braided them into her natural hair. Then, I added more hair. Then, repeat, and so on. On the way to the villa, I was a couple of meters behind Ariana, holding the end of the braid.

Allure: We also need to discuss episode 12’s “Drama Pony,” as you called it on your Instagram.

Bembridge: The Drama Pony was one of my favorite styles to do because it was super polished. We discussed a high ponytail, and me being me, I saw the outfit and just wanted it to be the ponytail of the season—super clean, super long. I wanted it to be eye-catching. I loved the way it moved and how it gave Ariana the fierce look she needed for that episode.

Allure: What inspired the part details? That really set it apart from a typical slicked-back high ponytail.

Bembridge: At first, the Drama Pony had two pieces that drifted back into the ponytail, and I said, “Let’s leave these out as a nod to last year’s pony. Because the LaQuan Smith outfit was super structured.” Ariana said, “What about making those pieces sharp, going into, then under the ponytail?” So that’s what we did.

Funny fact: With five minutes left in glam, I said, “I want to wrap something black around the base,” and didn’t have anything that matched the sheen of the skirt. Wardrobe and I found a shiny piece of fabric, and I added it.

Allure: What’s your approach to keeping Ariana’s hair healthy with all the styling, extensions, and tropical climate?

Bembridge: Ariana’s natural hair is lovely and healthy, so in between shoots, I use a color-protecting shampoo and conditioner to keep the color fresh in the Fiji sun. Also, all of the styling products I use contain heat protection, which is a must.

ariana madix's hair crown from love island season 7
Carl Bembridge

ariana madix's hair crown on love island season 7

Allure: Can you tease any looks you have planned for upcoming episodes? Any that you’re super excited about and saving for the right time?

Bembridge: I can tease that I like to bring versatility, so some edgy looks and girly, flirty styles are also coming up. Ariana is such a chameleon, rocking different vibes. I’m always super excited about the finale look, as that has to be the ultimate look. The style Ariana and I have spoken about definitely gives finale.