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Jen Atkin is to hair what Albert Einstein is to physics. I know nothing about physics, but I do know that Atkin is a maven of her craft—the sheer force behind a slew of A-listers: Gigi and Bella Hadid, Jennifer Lopez, and the everywhere-all-at-once Kardashians. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, but for Atkin, the crown is her canvas.
Speaking of the Kardashians, Atkin kicks off our conversation with a familiar name-drop for anyone who’s keeping up. “I just did Khloe Kardashian's podcast on Monday, and I gave Allure the biggest shout-out,” Atkin says. “I was telling my career-journey story, and I literally had only Allure to figure out, in 2000, which salons to try to work at.”
Of course, a lot has changed since those days: Our phones are pocket-sized computers; cars, for better or worse, can drive themselves; and Atkin now has a bona fide empire with Ouai, her hair-care line founded in 2016, and Mane, her hair-tools and body-care line. Atkin is also the global ambassador for Bellami, an extensions brand—because two brands, motherhood, and 5.2 million Instagram followers aren’t enough to keep the queen of hair busy.
In conversation with Allure, Atkin shares her secrets to effortless extensions, living boldly as an entrepreneur, weighs in on breakup bangs, and teases a top-secret launch for Ouai.
Allure: What's the biggest difference between extensions in 2025 versus what we saw in the early aughts—the good, the bad, the exposed tracks?
Jen Atkin: I lived the exposed tracks [days]. I started my career doing extensions in 2005, 2006, and it's night and day. I can't even tell you. Back then extensions were so heavy, and it was so hard to blend them. It was an hours and hours and hours-long process to do a head of extensions—it was so chaotic. All we could do [was] tease the roots and pray that no one would see the tracks. We didn't have root sprays back then.
It was so bad, but thanks to Bellami, you can now match [most] every texture, every hair type, every undertone, every color tone. It's so personalized now. Also, they feel weightless, and they now protect your natural hair. The vibe went from cheesy and trying-too-hard to, now, no one really thinks of it. They just think, Oh my God, her hair looks so good!
Allure: Right? No one can really tell anymore. How has technology changed to achieve that?
Atkin: I was really excited to be able to work with Bellami, and I feel like they have always been known for the next-level quality hair, lighter wefts. They've got really amazing invisible tapes, keratin bonds. They've always been about protecting your natural hair, and their color range is beyond anything I've ever seen.
We're used to the standard salon swatch book. [Extensions] now match such dimensional highlights, and you don't have to touch any bleach. I think what's really fun for me right now is being able to further break the taboo of extensions [being] hard to put in yourself. They're so amazing and so easy; it's just such an instant transformation, and you don't get damaged [hair].
Allure: What's the most effortless way to integrate extensions into everyday life?
Atkin: If it's feeling overwhelming to you, just know that there are so many options. You can keep it really simple. You don't have to do a full head to see a major difference. I always tell clients to add a few pieces for fullness around the front; you can always mix in some color to give dimension around your face, and you can cut really gorgeous layers.
I think the most important thing is that extensions are for everybody now—and for everyday life. It's not just for glam squads doing people on the red carpet. I think these pieces are so lightweight and reusable, so easy to style, and they really give you the most amazing confidence boost. It's like mascara, but for your hair.
Allure: And tying into the confidence… the Bellami “Be Full of Yourself” campaign. Was there a moment in your life when you had to be "full of yourself”?
Atkin: I also am obsessed with that tagline from the campaign, because I started Ouai back in 2016, and launched Mane three years ago. I think at so many touchpoints in my career, I've had to really be my own cheerleader, and that's the thing that has always been kind of my North Star; this moment where you realize that being full of yourself is really being sure of yourself and being confident and not waiting for permission to take up space. Looking back now, I'm like, that is such a huge part of my story.
[My] brands have always been about that philosophy of really empowering people to feel their best, and not feel like they have to hide themselves or wait for approval. It's really important to encourage—that's why I got into this business, to be honest. I was obsessed with Barbie. I was obsessed with My Little Pony. I was obsessed with transformation scenes in movies, and I really loved the idea of helping someone find their inner confidence.
Allure: There's a boldness that comes after getting a really sick haircut or finding that mascara, like you said, but beyond that, what does being confident look like in your everyday life?
Atkin: Being bold, to me, is getting to decide who I'm going to be today. Hair's always been—and I've witnessed it with my clients in the salon and working with celebrities—an emotional reset, in a way. It's like you get to feel powerful when your hair looks good. You get to feel playful. You get to really hone in on your self-expression. Whether it's cutting your hair short or adding major length, it's so incredible to see that boldness. It makes you feel empowered. It doesn't mean that you have to [be] really loud, it just means you're unapologetically you. I love a bold ponytail. I love a bold bun. I love bold layers. I love how powerful great hair is.
Allure: We can’t not mention the breakup bangs, right? The ultimate sign of boldness.
Atkin: We love a breakup bang. I love that you can also play with [temporary] bangs and have [them] for a night. There are so many amazing options now. I love watching TikTok videos and watching everybody really hone in on the different characters that they are.
Allure: Can you use extensions to fake bangs if you’re not ready to take the leap?
Atkin: Yeah, you can definitely do that, and there are a few different ways. This is something we used to do on set a lot: Leave out the tiniest bit of hair near your part, and then braid back your hair and pin it. Then you can do clip-ins and have a hairstylist—I don't like to recommend everybody cutting their own bangs, although it does make good content—cut a long, wispy bang for you, or something that feels a little feathery, and wear it until the next time you wash your hair. It's so fun.
Allure: So maybe not for a breakup, but an on-and-off-again relationship—if you just want to try it.
Atkin: It's so funny. I would always ask clients when they want to cut bangs, like, “Okay, did you just go through a breakup? Did you lose your job? What's going on in your life?” And 95% of the time it's emotional.
Allure: What’s the most overrated hair tool or product?
Atkin: I feel like people have this expectation to kind of fix their hair and not maintain it—of having a miracle transformation with hair health. I think it is really important to invest in really good brushes and tools, and really good extensions, like Bellami, and pay attention to your hair like you would your face and skin.
Allure: Of course, now I have to know the most underrated tools and products.
Atkin: I feel like we need to talk more about dry shampoo and how amazing it is. We're launching something very soon [at Ouai] in the dry shampoo space. It's very innovative, so I'm really excited about that right now. I feel like that is something that changes people's lives. And we have this Mane hot, round brush that everyone goes nuts for, because you can smooth and bend your hair really easily, and it's flying off the shelf. I feel like anything that can speed up your routine is really appreciated.
Allure: Dry shampoo singlehandedly got me through college, so I can vouch for that.
Atkin: Yeah, nothing can save you the way that it can. It just saves so much time.
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