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Hayley Williams has mere minutes before she needs to start vocal warmups, and her hair is still in rollers; her makeup is only half complete. Williams, the frontwoman for Paramore, has decided to pair her custom Collina Strada mini dress, nude fishnets, and combat boots with super-teased hair and winged eyeliner inspired by iconic women of the 1960s — but it's a delicate balance.
"Keeping the hair down, paying homage to [the ‘60s] with the teasing but not overdoing it [was important]," says Brian O'Connor, Williams's hair and makeup artist since 2005. "Especially with that dress, we didn't want her to feel like she was a cruise ship singer." This look in particular is the most feminine we've seen from Williams; we weren't prepared for the onslaught of fanaticism this look would inspire from both her fans and casual listeners online.
To that point, this is Paramore's first tour since 2018 — Williams isn't curating her looks on a "vibe." The artist and co-founder of Good Dye Young, a hair color brand, shares that her hair and makeup inspiration for this run of shows (which will extend through next summer) is specifically and thoughtfully curated to make a statement — something Williams has been known to do throughout her almost 20-year-long career.
Focused on muses from the 1960s and early '70s such as Rita Moreno and Jane Asher, Williams sought to embody their style during a time when things were just as political as they are now. "There's a lot of political discourse around that time — the miniskirt itself was a political statement," Williams tells Allure. "There's a lot of parallels, politically. It's uncool that, in some ways, there's been no progress. There's still inequity — whether it be racial issues, gender issues." Williams explains that her look on stage is about subtly playing into the commonalities of the fight women have been enduring for the last 60+ years. "On the opposite side, Brian and I've been really inspired by these women throughout time. There's ways to find throughlines through all of it."
Williams is herself a muse for many in the emo generation. She's been at the helm of Paramore since the band's inception when she was 15: a vocal powerhouse and commanding frontwoman in a genre dominated by men. Her style has always been eye-catching, from her hair, which has ranged from amber to clinohumite to everything in the fiery in-between, to style juxtapositions of placing a pleather skirt with a tee or a frilly red frock with Birkenstocks. Over the years, she's been able to soften structured looks with fairy-like makeup or make more dainty ensembles edgier with in-your-face hair colors.
For Paramore's latest tour, she's leaning hard into the girlish, the delicate, and even the whimsical. "I think holding on to femininity and using that as a way to feel empowered has been really cool," says Williams. "I've been very adamant about pulling away from femininity [in the past]. Not really seeing my own power in that way. And Brian's always tried to help me understand that there's power there."
O'Connor is not just Williams's one-person glam squad: he's Good Dye Young's co-founder, chief innovation officer, and Williams's best friend. He takes her direction and executes it the Williams way. "How can we take [inspiration] and make it our own?" says O'Connor. "Maybe mess it up at the end? Like Hayley said, getting up on stage in a dress for just a regular show — most people wouldn't realize that it's a big deal for her, it's not something she would consider her norm. It's also making sure that the hair and the makeup complement that and not put it over the top to where she does not feel like herself. If the clothing and styling for stage are very structured, or maybe something that's more outside of her comfort zone, it’s good to have hair and makeup be in her comfort zone."
Williams has maintained her voice throughout her almost two-decade-long career — as recently as 2020, she seemingly called out a former bandmate for homophobia to (rightfully) put former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in his place for misogyny; at the Beacon Theater show, she passionately commented on how proud she is of Paramore's diverse and inclusive fanbase; she wants to communicate that we can't turn a blind eye to the state of the world and to send a message that we need to acknowledge current events, transgressions, and inequalities without letting them destroy us.
Though Williams is happy to share style and beauty tips, dressing with clear references to other performers-turned-activists provides an easy transition to bigger discussions as well. "The main goal is to acknowledge where we're at, as a society," says Williams. "And as a planet that is dying, we are literally on a spinning, burning ball where the days are numbered. And it's terrifying. As much as climate change is terrifying, I'm actually more afraid of what we're doing to each other. As a human species, it's pretty depressing." The act of tackling these types of issues can take multiple forms: sometimes, Williams says, it looks like "dancing and being in the moment with the people right in front of you… There's power in being kind to each other and being present with the people you love.”
Keep reading to see exclusive behind-the-scenes images of Williams preparing for her show at the Beacon Theater in New York and learn more about her beauty routine.
Skin Prep
"[Brian] has been saying to me for 10 years, 'Girl, you need to stop drying your face out with all these acne products,''" says Williams. She tells Allure she developed acne-prone skin around 19. "And that's what happens when you get into a bad relationship, kids; you just get stressed. My skin was trying to save my life for a really long time."
Williams applies her own skin-care regimen ahead of getting into the chair, which includes brands from all corners of the beauty spectrum. "I got very accustomed to buying products that I didn't necessarily love," she says. But these days, even acne treatments can spark joy. "Young people can break out and put a Starface sticker on, and it is so freeing. I wear Starface stickers all the time if I get a breakout or even the tiniest spot; I just find it so liberating. Starface stickers are a godsend. I love that company."
Williams is also into the fancier stuff: "I have been moisturizing more. I've been trying a few different ones," she says. "I tried Augustinus Bader because it's all anyone talks about and it's so damn expensive, and I have to say I like it. It's a really great formula and my skin likes it. On the same side of the spectrum, I like Biologique Recherche products. They have really great masks that are hydrating and even the one that's for acne makes my skin look really good." For more affordable (but still effective) products, Williams likes "a lot of Asian beauty products — J-Beauty, K-Beauty — because their formulas are beyond." She cites Dr. Jart as a favorite.
O'Connor started Williams's look for the evening with the complexion using Peace Out Instant Pore Perfector and a dab of the Bondi Sands Eye Spy Brightening Eye Cream as primers. For her base, he blended in the Rose Inc Skin Enhance Luminous Tinted Serum, which he says they love because it's lightweight and looks like her skin. "She has the best natural skin ever," O'Connor boasts.
The Makeup Look
O'Connor brightened and corrected the skin with the Rose Inc Softlight Luminous Hydrating Concealer then set everything into place with his favorite Kosas Cloud Set Setting Powder. For browsm Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze was applied, and to keep the look set through the show he spritzed the Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix Makeup Setting Spray all over her skin.
For the cut crease on the eyes, O'Connor applied About Face Matte Fluid Eye Paint in Watermelon Pink on the lids, followed by the shade Astral Amethyst Moon from the Pat McGrath Labs Huetopian Dream Kit: Astral Allure palette. For her graphic wing, he used NYX Epic Wear Waterproof Liquid Liner in Black and Pat McGrath Labs FetishEyes Mascara to thicken up her lashes.
Hair Details
"Honestly, my hair has been really healthy and hanging on to this color pretty damn well," says Williams of her current clementine hue. "And the good news is, Brian and I actually really like it when it fades too — there's this really great point that it gets to where it's very Jane Asher, it's like this great copper." Williams uses Good Dye Young’s Copper Dyeposit, which O'Connor formulated.
Her hairstyle, also inspired by Asher, was prepped with Good Dye Young’s Prime Color Kind Hair Primer plus a new product from the brand that's currently under lock and key. He curled and set her hair with rollers before starting the makeup; once that was wrapped, the curlers were removed and the hair was teased at the crown.
To add height and bounce, O'Connor applied Kevin Murphy Powder Puff Weightless Volumizing Powder before curling the hair again and setting it with Living Proof Style Lab Flex Hairspray. Once Williams was dressed, the hair was taken down, combed through, and sprayed into place.
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