The Love Island USA villa may be closed for the season, but we’ve got one last bombshell: host Ariana Madix’s hairstylist is breaking down every extension, Fiji-proof trick and trends that defined the summer.
“The climate here is no joke,” Carl Bembridge, Bellami’s official extension partner for the season, exclusively tells Us Weekly. “One product that was an absolute game changer for me this season was Color Wow Dream Coat Extra Strength. I always describe it as a raincoat for the hair because it helps shield it from humidity and keeps styles looking smooth and polished.”
Bembridge spoke with Us just before the Sunday, July 12, finale aired, during which Ariana, 41, announced Trinity Tatum and Bryce Alakai Dettloff as the season 8 winners.
“Prepping all my hair extensions and Ariana’s hair with this at the start of glam was a must!” her stylist tells Us, revealing he packed accordingly for a long stay. “I relied on my two large suitcases full of Bellami extensions constantly this season. I had to take the hairdrobe to Fiji!”
Bembridge notes that hair extensions are often added when he’s doing Ariana’s hair regardless of the length she is sporting for that particular episode.
“I find extensions help build structure into the hairstyle, which helps everything last longer and photograph better,” he explains. “Ariana’s hair is naturally quite straight, so adding a little extra hair helps hold curls and shape plumping any style throughout long filming days.”
As for his favorite look of the season, Bembridge admits it would have to be the “premiere Bond girl blowout.” Ariana’s face card was lethal with her bangs swept perfectly to the side. Her mane had a voluminous root and soft curl, giving her backless dress its va-va-voom moment.
“That look is very me as a hairstylist,” he adds. “It was wow, glamorous, luxurious, expensive-looking hair with loads of movement and shine.”
Another favorite of Bembridge was Ariana’s “editorial fringe moment,” when her hair was up in a flawlessly tousled top knot with “the Tinkerbell bangs.” Ariana’s earring stack was on full display in her aqua-colored dress.
“And of course, I have to mention the red dress look with what I call my Bemb-shell Blowout,” Bembridge tells Us, referring to Ariana’s now-iconic style on episode 21 when she dropped jaws in a custom red lace-up number. “That’s become a bit of a signature style for me. The response to that look was incredible and it got so much love online.”
Bembridge says he and Ariana love to collaborate on her looks. “We’ll look at what she’s wearing, what kind of episode it is, whether it’s a big dramatic moment or something more playful, and then build the hair around that,” he exclusively tells Us. “Afterwards, we’ll usually sit and debate which iconic 90s or 2000s song should go over the edit. It’s normally a discussion between Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera!”
As for the biggest trends to emerge from the villa, the celebrity stylist says, “There was a look I called the ‘Modern Mermaid’ where Ariana wore a shell outfit and I created a soft textured style with a middle part, twisted sections through the front and long mermaid waves.”
He used 24-inch extensions and the GHD waver. “I’ve already seen loads of people recreating the look online and tagging me,” Bembridge adds. “One of my friends even messaged me saying, ‘I’m calling it now, that’s the hair look of the summer,’ so I’m going with that one.”
