When I dial into a 10-minute phone call with Jennifer Aniston, I have to slow my breathing to match the beeping of the hold tone. She's a dream interview and right after 'hello,' I tell her. "Oh, goodness," she laughs, humbled by my starstruck admission. "I hope your dreams come true."
The purpose of our call is to talk about the actor's hair-care line, LolaVie, which launched with a single product that Aniston describes as the "absolute perfect" detangler (approximately $25). Ahead, she tells me all about why she started LolaVie, the charming story behind its name, and of course, her thoughts on 'The Rachel,' the most copied — and her most complimented — haircut of the '90s.
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Refinery29: This new brand is so exciting! As you must know, your hair is iconic; ‘The Rachel’ might be the most-requested cut of all time. I have to ask, did you love and identify with that style as much as the rest of the world?
Jennifer Aniston: Over the years, I've gone in and out of loving it and not loving it. At this point, you sort of just sit back and appreciate the history of something so simple as a haircut. Twenty-something years ago, I was thrust into this hairdresser [Chris McMillan]'s chair, and he was like: "What are we going to do with you?" Then he just chopped my hair to bits and I had the haircut.
Prior to that, I had never had a haircut that got compliments. I loved it...when Chris styled it. But it wasn't an easy haircut to style on my own, so that's where the love-hate of it came in. When he did it, it looked great. But I have no skill in styling my very-wavy, hard-to-manage hair. It's taken me years, and it's ultimately what landed me here.
Refinery29: Hair is such a big part of our identity. How do would you describe your personal relationship with your hair?
Jennifer Aniston: There are good days and bad days — we all have them. On a good hair day, you feel incredible. But as an actor, my hair goes through so much wear and tear. When I'm shooting for The Morning Show, my hair is blow-dried and styled with heat every single day. Then there's colour, too. So in my personal life, I'm not one of those people who can just walk out of the shower and let it be.
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Refinery29: You could have fooled me! The way your hair is styled, it always looks effortless.
Jennifer Aniston: Oh, it all takes work. For me, it doesn't just happen.
Refinery29: Many women experience hair loss or thinning, or a change in texture as they age. Have you noticed a change in yours over time?
Jennifer Aniston: One-hundred percent; my hair is getting older. As our bodies age, our hair ages, too. But also, the wear and tear I, and so many women, put our hair through — going to work, hair colour, straighteners, curling irons — everything over time is going to have an effect. That's why it's important to find products that can re-nourish our hair and bring it back to life.
Refinery29: What’s the best thing you’ve done to maintain your hair health?
Jennifer Aniston: I have a really good hairdresser who gives me good haircuts. But honestly, I think it's the basics: Get good sleep, drink a lot of water, eat proper foods so that you're getting vitamins and minerals. It's also about finding good hair products that are long-lasting. A lot of products claim to do something, and may actually do it, but then because of the filler ingredients, like silicones, over time, your hair might start to degrade.
Refinery29: Was there a specific moment or situation —working with Chris or on set or just in your everyday life — that made you feel inspired to design your own haircare line?
Jennifer Aniston: Over the years of trying to style my own hair, I was using this cream, that leave-in, combining a hair serum, doing all sorts of things to achieve a certain look. I would always say: "We should just bottle something." Then I ended up working with another beauty brand, and that experience gave me the bug to get behind the scenes of product development. I wanted to be a part of the creation of something, to understand the science behind it, and have a voice. Like anything, when you get to go behind the curtain, you often feel inspired and excited to create.
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Refinery29: What was the product-development process like? Did you know exactly what LolaVie would look and feel like, or did the scope change a little bit along the way?
Jennifer Aniston: A little bit of both. The vision was always there; I knew what I wanted it to be. But it was so much fun to be a part of the testing: smelling the products, seeing what worked and what didn't work. Though it did take us forever because I pay attention to details and I'm very particular. But there was no deadline, so we just waited until we found the absolute perfect product. We all tried it, we had our friends try it, and we got a lot of feedback.
Refinery29: I can't wait to try it! What’s your favourite way to use the Glossing Detangler? How often are you using it and how do you incorporate it into your existing hair-care routine?
Jennifer Aniston: You can use it in any way you want. You can use it on damp hair, out of the shower. I sometimes will use it when my hair is dry and a spritz will give it a little vitality and shine, like a little lustre. You can't really mess it up.
Refinery29: The name is so cute; what’s the story there?
Jennifer Aniston: So 'Lola' is a nickname that I was given years ago when I first moved to California. I love that song, "Whatever Lola Wants" by Sarah Vaughan. Then 'Vie' means life. So I wanted to incorporate the idea of living my life and being authentic.
Refinery29: It’s funny the way that trends in hair can be cyclical. It seems like now we’re kind of seeing a ‘90s trend resurgence in both fashion and beauty, how do you feel about it?
Jennifer Aniston: The 2000s was just yesterday! I will always love the '90s, there's a purity about that time. Social media, the Internet, none of that had exploded. We still had a little morsel of human communication. Things seemed a little easier...and kinder. But I always like to see a trend come back. My friends tease me because I won't let go of anything. I have a pair of shorts from '88 and I still love them.