This fall, celebrity hairstylists Jen Atkin and Justine Marjan want you to be full of yourself. Yes, the common catchphrase, which has typically been interpreted in a negative connotation, is being reimagined as a point of strength in BELLAMI’s latest “Be Full Of Yourself” global campaign, which features the beauty gurus. “I feel like switching [the saying] from a negative to positive, putting your hair in, grabbing some coffee, putting rap [music] on, and just getting on a plane and go to Korea,” says Atkin with laugh to TZR. On Sept. 4, the hair extensions brand announced the hairstylist and OUAI founder as its Global Brand Ambassador, along with her agency of Highlight Artists (which includes Marjan).
According to Atkin, whose celeb clientele has included Bella Hadid, the Kardashian/Jenner crew, and Hailey Bieber, says the partnership is truly a full-circle moment for her, as BELLAMI extensions have been a staple in her kit for years. “I personally have worked with BELLAMI Hair for probably five or six years now, probably more,” says Atkin. “It was really exciting when we talked about the whole Highlight Artist team being able to work together […] and get to talk about the whole concept that BELLAMI has of beautiful extensions of you and breaking the stigma [around extensions].”
She adds that extensions have flown under the radar as a stylist secret for years, with professional, quality pieces reserved for, well, professionals. In the same token, Marjan says at-home options were often perceived as fake-looking and limited in functionality. “People are scared to use extensions because they think they only to make their hair really long, but there’s so many other ways that we use them,” Marjan explains to TZR. “And you can be creative with them and enhance your own natural beauty.”
The new BELLAMI campaign aims to take extensions out of their gate-kept box and showcase their accessibility and ease of use. “I think what so fun is showing people that [they’re] not what they used to be,” says Atkin. “I’d say in the ’90s, when people have extensions, you could see them. But, it’s 2025. BELLAMI is the best in the biz and they have the most high quality hair, and it’s really easy to have the pieces installed and do them yourself.” She says the styling options are also endless. For the festive brand dinner at the Hotel Bel-Air in celebration of the new campaign, Atkin opted for a sleek “plumped up” bun, utilizing a few pieces for extra drama. “I’m a tired mom that needs some help and it’s so easy to use and I think it’s fun for us to just show people the different tricks to installing them,” says Atkin.
As for Marjan, whose clients include Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sofia Carson, and Eva Longoria, she’s a fan of the brand’s new Tape-In Express Wefts. “They’re just so fast,” she says. “You could do a whole head of extensions maybe in 30 minutes, which is insane, and I just love how easy they are. I think it’s going to be a game-changer for people that maybe don’t want to do sew-ins.”
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Courtesy of BELLAMI
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Courtesy of BELLAMI
Extensions are also great tools to employ to jump on some of fall’s biggest hair trends, which Marjan says include ultra-long hair and bangs. “I feel like everyone’s living a pretty curtain bang or fuller bang right now,” she says. The stylist also love some face-framing highlights on the ends of the hair. “If you don’t want to damage your hair or you’re afraid of doing it, I love the BELLAMI Deluxe Tape-Ins, which have beautiful shades that are a little bit lighter on the ends and darker at the root, so they blend really easily. I feel like that kind of warms up your skin for the fall when everyone’s not in the sun as much.”
Atkin says, likely because of her age (45), she’s been having more conversations around postpartum and hormonal hair loss. “I would say I think a really big trend is going to be having thick hair, putting extensions in, taking vitamins, and getting it to grow,” she adds.
Whatever your reasons for adding some extra fullness to your mane, the two advocate equally for going about it with complete confidence. As Atkin perfectly states: “We should definitely encourage not only other women in our lives to be full of themselves — but also to be your own hype person.”
Preach.
