We Asked Sabrina Carpenter’s Hairstylist How He Creates Her Iconic Short n’ Sweet Tour Blowout – Here’s What He Said

Sabrina Carpenter is having her moment to shine, and it’s about damn time. Shortly after releasing her number-one album Short n’ Sweet, which soared to the top of the charts instantly, the singer kicked off her sold-out tour. Seeing snippets of her tour all over our TikTok feeds, the one thing that always comes to mind is how does her signature blonde locks look so good after hours of being on stage? On a mission to learn more, we put our investigative skills to use by going straight to the source: Scott King, Carpenter’s longtime hairstylist. 

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Sabrina’s hair is her iconic curtain bangs and blowout, so obviously we had to know what products she uses and how long she takes to get ready ahead of each show. Don’t worry – King divulges all. 

Before we get into the interview, we need to talk about how Sabrina is making a big splash within the beauty sphere. First, she launched her latest fragrance, Cherry Baby, and now she’s the face of the prestige hair care brand Redken. The “Espresso” singer was also recently named the global partner for Prada Beauty, so yes 2024 is most certainly her year not just when it comes to her music but also making her mark in beauty. 

Scott King is also the mastermind behind a bevy of celebrity hairstyles including clients Madison Beer, Jennifer Coolidge, Lucy Hale and more. The Redken partnership, which both King and her colorist Laurie Heaps, are also ambassadors of now, is the first time the pop icon has partnered with a haircare brand. When you think about it makes sense that a major haircare brand would want to be associated with the singer, since this has been the year of curtain bangs thanks to the starlet.

We caught up with King to learn more about her signature look on tour and how exactly she achieves those enviable blond locks for her tour. 

TQE: First things first, how would you describe Sabrina's signature look on tour?

SK: “Sabrina’s signature look is a bouncy, voluminous curl, almost like an amped-up version of her signature blowout but with more of a ‘60s ‘doll’ aesthetic.”

TQE: We’ve noticed that rather than changing her hairstyle a few times during the tour, Sabrina sticks to one throughout the duration of the show. What was the reason behind that? 

SK:  “We leaned into the baby doll vibe because her outfits are reminiscent of the 60s/70s. We went with only one hair look because the time between changes is less than two minutes, and the priority is definitely making sure she gets the outfit on just right so there are no malfunctions.”

TQE: What products do you use to achieve Sabrina's signature tour look? 

SK: “I prepped her hair with Redken ABC Leave-In treatment for heat protection, Root Lifter for volume, Hot Sets 22 for heat protection and hold, and finish off with Control Hairspray 28 for hold and anti-humidity.” 

TQE: One would envision that getting ready before showtime is not only super stressful but also time consuming. How long does it take to do her hair before each show?

SK: “It takes about an hour to an hour and a half to blow dry, curl, and set the hair. Depending on how early we start, I let it sit for one to three hours, and I brush everything out and spray it, which takes about 20 more minutes.” 

TQE: Do you do any touch ups during the show? How long do you have and what do you do to get it back into perfect shape? 

SK “There are three touch-ups during the show; the first two are about two minutes, and the last one is about 30 seconds. I spray Redken Brushable Hairspray 12 on a brush and clean up any flyaways.”

If you’re looking to see Sabrina’s signature look live in action, the Short n’ Sweet Tour is currently happening now and coming to a city near you. In the meanwhile, we’ll be trying to recreate her iconic look at home with these tips straight from her hairstylist Scott King.