Celebrity stylist Matt Benns reveals red carpet’s most stressful challenge

Matt Benns, the new year doesn’t bring quiet reflection, it brings chaos. With clients like Charli XCX, Kim Kardashian, Pamela Anderson, and Elliot Page, Benns dives headfirst into awards season, which ramps up from November through March.

Speaking to People, Benns calls the weather the biggest red carpet adversary. “Generally, the red carpet is outdoors, so we are thinking of ways to combat humidity and rain—we know that moisture is generally a hairstylist’s worst enemy,” he said. Last-minute adjustments to pre-set plans are often necessary, but the stylist calls the process “so rewarding.”

Benns draws inspiration from a wide array of sources, from street style and photo books to art, films, and even flowers. For Charli XCX’s Golden Globes look, he referenced an old Cher music video, creating a bouncy, modernized wave. 

“From the inception of ideas to the moment she steps onto the carpet…watching the reactions, hearing the gasps, and knowing that she feels confident and beautiful,” Benns said, “there’s something ritualistic about it.”

Current hair trends, he notes, favor healthy shine, movement, bounce, and long lengths, with the classic blowout making a strong comeback. 

At home, he stresses investing in treatments, smoothing creams, and heat protectants. “In damp hair, I comb through the Tresemme A-List Collection Smoothing Cream and a pump of bonding oil, then blow-dry for perfected smoothness and an easy blowout,” he explained.

Despite the high stakes and humidity hurdles, Benns said awards season remains “a ceremonial, deeply satisfying process,” where creativity meets glamour under the spotlight.