Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray with Dr. Farouk Shami, the CEO and Founder of Farouk Systems USA. Photo by Mohammed F. Ghanayem.

The world was watching for the historical pageant that was Miss Universe 2018! Did you know that the new Miss Universe curled her own hair for the live show using CHI’s Self-Spinning Hair Curler made with lava rocks? The Philippines’ own Catriona Gray’s crowning curls were stunning. We”ll be giving you a step-by-step tutorial to recreate her winning look, along with other trending styles from the other four top contestants – Vietnam, Belgium, South Africa, and Venezuela!

Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray. Photo by Amorn Pitayant.

How To:

1. To create the foundation for her winning style, Catriona applied CHI 44 Iron Guard and used CHI’s Enviro 54 Hairspray Natural Hold all over for natural control.
2. Then, she divided her hair in two sections by using a middle parting.
3. She began taking 2-inch square sized subsections to curl the hair backwards and away from the face. She continued this step until all of her hair was done. One of the key benefits of the CHI Lava Pro Spin n Curl is that she could easily curl her hair backwards on both sides, just by using the two arrow buttons on the tool to pick which direction the iron will spin.
4. To complete, Catriona mixed a few drops of CHI Silk Infusion and CHI Pliable Polish for shine and to tame any flyaways for an HD finish.
5. When she made it to the Top 10 (also wearing her lava red gown), Catriona asked CHI Hairstylists Julian Macias and Leonel Rodriguez to change her hair to a sexy retro side look. Quickly done during a commercial break, Julian and Leonel both used the CHI Turbo Backcomb Brush to make the parting and add volume at the root.
6. They then misted the Lava Waves with more CHI Enviro 54 Hairspray Natural Hold and combed the style into place.
7. To finish, they misted the CHI Shine Infusion all over for a beautiful weightless, camera ready shine.

Miss Vietnam – Photo by Patrick Prather

How To:

1. CHI Stylist Sergio Salinas began her look by applying CHI Magnified Volume Finishing Hair Spray before using the CHI Lava Hairstyling Iron.
2. Taking small sections, he used the iron’s floating plates to make tiny waves all over the hair.
3. With CHI Pliable Polish on his hands, he worked it in all over to make more volume.
4. Using his fingers, he finished the look with the CHI Farouk Royal Treatment Rapid Shine Spray.

Miss Belgium – Photo by Patrick Prather

How To:

1. To enhance her natural texture, CHI Hairstylist Magali Dondon split her hair into five parts.
2. Once sectioned off, she applied CHI Silk Infusion to hydrate.
3. To redefine her natural curl, Magali wrapped random sections of hair around the new CHI Lava Tapered Volcanic Lava Ceramic Hairstyling Wand. With 3/8″ – 3/4″ tapered extended barrel, it is the perfect tool for creating dimension and texture.
4. Then, she moved her fingers throughout the length to give added volume, applying CHI Magnified Volume Finishing Hair Spray.

Miss Venezuela – Photo by Patrick Prather

How To:

1. CHI Hairstylist Leonel Rodriguez created this gorgeous glass hair look using the CHI Lava Hairstyling Iron. Taking small sections, he straightened the hair and sprayed CHI Farouk Royal Treatment Rapid Shine Spray to make each piece smooth and shiny.
2. After he finished the whole head, he applied CHI Farouk Royal Treatment Ultimate Control Working Spray to avoid flyaways at the top, while creating instant shine all over.
3. During backstage touchups, he slightly teased the front to avoid the hair from flowing on her face.

Miss South Africa – Photo by Amorn Pitayanant

How To:

1. Prior to the pageant, CHI Hairstylist Saadique Ryklief made various hair pieces with different hair colors and textures in case any of the girls wanted to use them during the live show.
2. For the hair piece she chose, a weft of human hair was stitched onto velvet using 6 different pieces of hair that were stitched into a plus sign pattern. They were arranged in neat rows horizontally and diagonally.
3. For the day of the pageant, Saadique began her look by applying CHI Pliable Polish to sleek and smooth back the hair from the hairline to the crown prior to styling.
4. Next, the hair was pulled into a super high tight ponytail siting at the crown area.
5. CHI Silk Infusion was applied to the hair piece as well as to her natural hair. The hair was straightened with the CHI Lava Hairstyling Iron.
6. A portion of the hair piece was wrapped in a circular motion around the base of the ponytail to cover the band, adding dimension and texture to her look.
7. To finish, CHI Shine Infusion was misted on his brush and combed through the pony to create a sleek smooth finish.

To style all 94 contestants from around the world, CHI brought in an expert team of stylists to create all of the pageant’s hairstyles. The CHI Global Artistic Team included:

• Tammy Mixon
• Anna Cantu
• Martha Torres
• Tarek Gerges
• Bilal Ghannam
• Leonel Rodriguez
• Julian Macias
• Ewa Kawka
• Claire Vassallo
• Edgars Zablockis
• Saadique Ryklief
• Magali Dondon
• Carine Corneille
• Chaune Fitzgerald
• Ivan Rodriguez
• Sergio Salinas

Don’t forget to get social with CHI – @chihaircare and #CHIMyWay.

You can purchase all products reviewed and mentioned on BeautyStat.com!

What were your favorite looks from the Miss Universe 2018 pageant?

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– Dawn Santamarina, Managing Editor

You can follow Dawn on Instagram @missdawn1012

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