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When it comes to styling their hair, Olivia Culpo, Miss USA/Miss Universe 2012, and Nathalie den Dekker, Miss Netherlands 2012, know a thing or two about looking their best. But what are the two natural beauties guilty pleasures, ambitions outside of modeling and their favorite Twitter personalities?
We caught up with both Olivia and Nathalie to find out, as well as to get some tips on how to make our hair look great. Read on for their styling secrets, favorite ice cream flavors and their opinions on messy hair.
Curly or straight?
Olivia: Curly. Always! It depends on the look but I really do like volume in my hair and it's easier to get that with curls. But sometimes I go straight if I am going for a more sleek look, like if I am wearing leather or trying to be more of a punk rock chick. But curls are more easy, breezy, bouncy, which is more of my personality.
Nathalie: Women always tend to think that the grass is greener on the other side, meaning curly girls like their hair straight and women with straight hair want curls. However, I think everyone has their own favorite hairstyle that simply works! The best hairstyle is simply the one that you feel most confident about and is close to how your hair naturally looks.
Fill in the blank: If you weren't a model you'd be a ________
Olivia: Astronaut! I think everyone at some points thinks wow I'm going to be an astronaut.
Nathalie: If I wasn't a model I would be a lawyer. I graduated for my masters of law at the University of Utrecht with GPA of 4.0 when I was only 22. However, at this moment in my life I am more than happy being able to work full time as a model. It gives me the chance to travel and see the world. Hopefully I can expand my international modeling career even further and make my dream to model for Sports Illustrated come true.
Guilty pleasure?
Olivia: I love ice cream. Mint chocolate chip. I limit the amount I eat, because, you know, you can have too much of a good thing. But after the Miss USA pageant I will definitely have some.
Nathalie: Dark chocolate, but more specific: chocolate lava cake/ chocolate lava fondue. I like to try them out in every restaurant I visit. Then I'm making a worldwide top three. So far I have tasted the best chocolate lava cake in New York City, secondly in Houston and Kuala Lumpur has the third spot. I can't wait to see my top three changing in the near future...
Do blondes really have more fun? Why/Why not?
Olivia: No! Because I am a brunette and I am the funnest chick around.
Nathalie: Girls just wanna have fun! And we like to experiment! So whether you're a blond or a brunette or a redhead, whether your hair is straight or curly, as long as you have a hairstyle that makes you feel good it will make you look good. If you feel happy on the inside, it will shine through the outside.
What's the secret to having great hair?
Olivia: I think you need to have product in your hair to get the results you want. Many people don't use the right products. You need to get your CHI products in order and get with it! I like to use the CHI Iron Guard. I also use CHI Magnified Volume Spray Foam and then I'll sometimes use Farouk Royal Treatment Hairspray.
Nathalie: Great hair means great care. Great hair is possible for everyone. There is no real secret to having great hair. Make sure you are using the right hair products that match your hair type. I have fine hair myself so I really like to use the CHI Nourish Intense line and every now and then I use the new CHI Keratin line, which is great. Because after all that styling, coloring, blow drying your hair gets tired and the amount of keratin in your hair will reach a new low. Using the right products can definitely help to replenish your hair with that extra vitamins, extra keratin, extra hydration it needs at that moment.
Who's your favorite person to follow on Twitter?
Olivia: Oh my god, I like to follow FatAmy, which is Rebel Wilson's character from the movie Pitch Perfect. Really funny.
Nathalie: Doutzen Kroes. She is the most famous model from Netherlands that we have at this moment working for all the big names. She always gives a little peek into her lifestyle; not only working on set as a model but she also gives great nutrition tips.
Is it ever acceptable to leave the house with "bed head"?
Olivia: Yes, I think it is. I think you can make it look good. It's kind of the dirty, messy, sexy hair. It's prefect when you are going to the beach because you already have a tousled look. And then with a little bit of the sand and the salt water you can get some nice waves in there.
Nathalie: Personally I would rather leave the house without make up, than with for example oily hair. In the Netherlands we say: "as long as your hair looks good!" And I believe the saying is true; if you see someone from a distance and they have great hair; it's the first thing you will notice.
Who is your style icon?
Olivia: I have so many. I love classic Audrey Hepburn, Victoria Beckham, Kate Middleton.
Nathalie: If I would have to choose a style icon it would be Blake Lively. Style is a matter of taste, but her taste is definitely close to mine. She always looks stylish and trendy on every occasion. And: she always has great hair, which counts to me as 'the cherry on the pie'. It completes her image.
What's the longest you've gone without styling your hair?
Olivia: I went to an all girls school in high school so getting ready everyday was not a priority. I would literally role out of bed every day.
Nathalie: The longest I have gone without styling my hair was simply my life before my 16th! That was the period in my life in which I didn't even knew what hairstyling meant! Until I went to the hairdresser with a friend of mine to have our hair straightened for her 16th birthday party. From that day onwards I couldn't go without hair styling anymore!
What’s your favorite backstage beauty tip?
Olivia: I like to do this thing sometimes when my hair is dirty -- I go with a sleek ponytail, like tight, tight, tight. So if you don't have time to wash it and dry it it's perfect -- that's my dirty little secret.
Nathalie: I love the instruction I recently got backstage about how to use the Biosilk Volumizing Root Lift , because after using that spray and blowdrying your hair, your hair is full of volume! When you use clip in extensions and want to make sure they won't move, you can use a little bit of texture powder to make sure the clips stay in place all day/night long!
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