EXCLUSIVE: Mary J. Blige Rocked 40-Inch Hair For The Super Bowl, Hairstylist Tym Wallace Tells Us Why!
Mary J. Blige wowed us with her Super Bowl LVI performance on Sunday (Feb. 13)! Trending all over our timelines, fans clearly felt the vibe of the “Family Affair'' and “No More Pain” singer as she dominated our TV screens with her soulful voice.
As the only woman in a lineup—that included Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lemar, Eminem, and Dr. Dre—Mary knew she needed to stand out. The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul did just that with her custom performance fashion designed by Dundas.
Styled by Jason Rembert, the iconic halftime ensemble featured a shimmery bodysuit, thigh-high boots, and HUGE diamond-encrusted hoop earrings that Mary co-designed with her longtime friend and jewelry designer Simone I. Smith.
RELATED | Mary J. Blige Co-Created These Diamond Hoops For The Super Bowl—Here's How You Can Get Them, Too!
Taking her look to the next level, the soulful singer also chose to go BIG with her hair! We recently had the opportunity to speak to celebrity hairstylist Tym Wallace about the inspiration behind the iconic hair moment that he described as “for the culture.”
“With it being such a big stage, we wanted to do Mary’s signature style, but exaggerated,” Wallace shared with BET Lifestyle exclusively. “We wanted her hair to give off edgy rockstar vibes.”
To achieve the eye-catching look, Blige rocked 40” tresses from Houston hair company Upgrade Boutique. Wallace dishes that this was Mary’s longest hair, yet!
“I keep taking her hair length longer and longer,” he dishes on the wavy hairstyle that took roughly 2 hours to complete. “We haven't seen her in that realm, so for the stage, we wanted to go there.”
To balance out the length of the hair, Wallace created shadow roots lower than normal. “I usually don't shadow her root as low, but with the lighting and the white stage, I wanted to deepen her root color,” he explained about the look that was all about lots of layers and tons of texture.
To achieve the perfect amount of curls and waves, the pro stylist used two different irons to create alternate waves within the hair. He also turned to TRESemmé One Step Texture 5-in-1 Mist to add texture without taking away the hair’s ability to still have movement.
Mission accomplished because Mary’s hair was full of luster and shine!
So, what do you do after a successful hair day seen by millions? According to the hairstylist, the first thing he did after the successful halftime performance was celebrate with a glass of Sun Goddess Wine, an exclusive limited-edition wine collection created by Friulian winery Fantinel and Mary J. Blige.
Sounds like an appropriate celebration. Cheers to Mary on a successful performance and winning all year long. We also hold up our glasses to Wallace and the entire glam team on creating a look to remember!
Want to recreate the look this summer? Below, see the full breakdown of how Wallace styled Mary J. Blige’s iconic Super Bowl hairstyle:
- I started off by prepping the hair using the Carol’s Daughter Goddess Strength Shampoo to thoroughly cleanse the hair, followed by the Carol’s Daughter Cocoon Mask to repair and strengthen the hair in preparation for styling. I added 40” inch extensions in color 613 from Upgrade Boutique for extra length and volume.
- After rinsing, I took a quarter-size pump of Carol’s Daughter Goddess Strength Divine Strength Leave In Cream and brushed through with Tangle Teezer’s The Ultimate Detangler brush to evenly distribute the treatment through the wet hair while gently detangling.
- To begin styling, I applied the TRESemmé One Step Texture 5-in-1 Texturizing Mist to the hair. After that, I sprayed the hair section by section with the TRESemmé Total Volume Hairspray and used a 1 1/2 inch flat iron and marcel curling iron alternating waves. Once set and cooled off, I used my fingers to break up the waves.
- Next, I used Tangle Teezer’s The Ultimate Teaser brush to part the hair, back comb at the roots, and achieve major volume.
- I then sprayed the TRESemmé Total Volume Hairspray. Next, I used Tangle Teezer’s The Ultimate Finisher brush, which has soft tips that glide through the hair to create major volume, texture and shine. I finished the look by spraying TRESemmé One Step Texture 5-in-1 Texturizing Mist in my hands to created the perfect texture.
** Editor’s Note: This story/interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
