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With the sequel to her 2005 album Confessions on a Dancefloor finally released, Madonna is rethinking her legacy. And so does Madonna, one of her go-to glam pros.
Celebrity hairstylist Galen worked with the pop star on some of her most iconic looks from the ’90s and early 2000s, helping to refine her ever-evolving image in the process.
“I love creating characters out of characters,” he told Page Six Style. “She loves changing herself.”
After first hitting it off on the set of Italian Vogue, the pair have been “lock and key” for more than 20 years, with Gallen often providing candid feedback on more than just the pop queen’s hair.
“I think that’s why she loved working with me, because she would always say, ‘Galen, what’s wrong with this look?'” he laughs, recalling a comment he made about her outfit at the Venice Film Festival, which ended up accompanying her to a Tom Ford store in Canada.
“(She said) ‘You’re coming to Toronto with me…because you have to help me put my face together so I look more serious,'” he recalled.
Galen collected tabletop books about Old Hollywood and often drew style inspiration from other eras. (“We would drag the book to the set and I would tag the pages,” he recalled.)
Given that Madonna is now a blueprint on many fans’ vision boards, we asked the celebrity hairstylist and co-founder of R+Co and R+Co Bleu about her three most iconic “actions” and which modern products she would use to recreate them.
Vanity Fair cover inspired by Marilyn Monroe, 1995
“[She]was wearing Harry Winston jewelry that she bought herself. These were the days when she would come to the studio by herself, and maybe a publicist would just stop by to say hello and then leave.”
R+Co Blue Blonde Brightening Mask
If you’re a “Material Girl” looking for products to care for your blonde hair, use this hair mask and Blonde Brightening Shampoo to create this look today, Galen said.
“Her hair was bleached to a pale yellow, but it didn’t have the shine of platinum,” he said, explaining that the high-end products helped “make the hair shine even more.”
MTV VMAs, 1995
Ron Galella Collection (via Getty Images)
“I had a fall in the late ’80s, and I pulled it out of the closet. I have a stash of hair, and the whole section is Madonna’s hair. She was[inspired by]a picture of Catherine Deneuve walking in the lobby with her hair slicked back. I went for it, and it really elevated her and took her to another level.”
“Courtney Love was very uncomfortable with her looking so glamorous. Madonna was like, ‘Oh, let’s go now. She’s going to ruin me… Don’t let her touch my hair.'”
R+Co Blue Cult Classic Hairspray
Madonna wore a hairpiece during her much-talked-about VMA appearance, and Gallen said she plans to create a similar look by incorporating the spray.
“I like the way it feels on my hair,” he said. “If you brush it up, there’s a ton of memory left.”
“Sex” book and “Erotica” music video, 1992
“We had so much fun for four weeks. When you look at the ‘Sex’ book, you think, ‘Oh my God, how could that have happened?’ But we kept laughing throughout the whole process because every situation was prepared.” ”
R+Co Bleu Optical Illusion Smoothing Oil
To recreate the slicked-back chignon from Madonna’s “Erotica” video, Galen recommends applying this oil to maintain the “glassy” look throughout the day.
“Oils usually erase waves and curls, but we wanted something that would just coat the hair,” he said.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Page 6 Why You Can Trust Style Shopping
This article was written by Hannah Southwick, Commerce Associate Editor at Page Six. Hanna covers actually affordable styles worn by celebrities, testing celebrity brands and finding beauty products that keep stars red carpet ready. She consults stylists and industry experts (including celebrities themselves) for first-hand product recommendations, trend predictions, and more. In addition to writing for Page Six since 2020, her work has also been featured in USA Today and Parade.
