Once you first notice DJ-girl hair, you’ll start to see its dazzling effect everywhere. In a random warehouse in Bushwick, Laurence Matte’s hair shines as the sun sets on Brooklyn. At Coachella, LP Giobbi whips a high ponytail around, seemingly unaffected by the desert heat. At Cercle’s show in Geneva, Nahomi’s bangs stay perfectly quaffed during her set on the steps of an Ancient Cathedral. DJ-girl hair is not just good hair—it's hair that ups the ante of a performance. Hair that sways to the beat, hair that is never overdone, always shiny, the epitome of party girl cool.
While we can all occasionally nail a night-out look, no one is doing beauty-that-lasts-all-night quite like a female DJ. Their sets are liable to run until 4 a.m., so how can their glam stay in place through all the jumping, dancing, and sweating? We spoke to a few of the most well-known female DJs for their secrets to long-lasting looks.
Sky Jetta
Based in: Chicago, IL
Before Sky Jetta gets behind the DJ booth, she needs quiet. Her pre-set vibe is one that prioritizes peace over partying. “I like to get ready for the show without any distractions,” says Jetta, who has toured with the likes of Charli XCX and Ravyn Lenae. One look into the green room and you’ll find Jetta meditating quietly before she zhuzhs her mane of curls and touches up her signature brown lip liner. From there, she is ready to bring her old-school mixes (a medley of jazz, hip hop, and reggaeton) to the masses.
What is your signature look?
“I typically always finish off my look with a dark brown lip liner and a lip gloss, and I usually do a cat eye. It's a signature look for me. Hair-wise, I always do a big, curly look.”
How does your look last through an entire night of dancing and sweating and jumping?
“I've used All Nighter by Urban Decay for years. It's my holy grail. But recently, I just started using the Patrick Starr One/Size Setting Spray, even before Beyoncé even wore it [during the Renaissance tour]. It definitely does what it's supposed to do and your face stays on forever.”
How do you take it all off at the end of the night?
“I make sure I use makeup wipes as my first step to get all those spots that are kind of harder to wash off with just a bar of soap. Then I use my bar soap and wash everything off. I use Dove Soap. It’s very good because it's like antibacterial so it helps with acne. A lot of people don't really know that you can just use a normal bar of soap and call it a day. Then I use a moisturizer and go to bed.”
What tips and tricks have you learned from your community of fellow-lady DJs?
“I've talked to a few friends about how as DJs, we do our makeup every single day and [because of that] it’s so important to take care of our skin underneath all of that. We need to make sure we’re washing our faces when we come home at 3 a.m. after a long set, even though we're super tired. Then there’s also just the aspect of getting rest. You know, you can't cover bags with everything.”
“Trust in yourself is more important than any product or beauty routine,” says DJ, producer, and songwriter Mia Moretti. “When I'm confident and prepared for my set, I am feeling my most beautiful. The biggest distraction during a set is if I’m worried about what's happening with my hair or makeup.” Moretti’s signature look (shiny, slicked-back hair and flawless skin) ensures she is always put together whether she is playing a runway show, a Barbie movie afterparty, or a set inside of the Louvre. With Sweet JuJu, her most recent disco-inspired release—you may have stumbled upon its celebrity-studded sidewalk dinner release party—Mia Moretti has proven herself to be quite an it girl in the DJ community.
What are some of your pre-set beauty rituals?
“Most of the time before a set I'm running to get to the venue for soundcheck, back to my hotel to change, to meet friends for dinner then back to the venue for my set, so my beauty routine is usually something quick and easy.
“I always start off by washing my face. I have to start clean, no matter what. I never take the day with me into the night. Then I part my hair down the middle and slick it back into a low pony or bun, so it’s set for the night. Next, I spritz rose water onto my face, apply a light moisturizer, then blend in foundation. Afterward, I’ll use a concealer stick on any spots I want to cover up.
“If I have time, I’ll do an eye look. I look straight in the mirror and scribble the eye pencil onto the outer corner of my eye. My makeup artist Yuui Vision taught me this technique and I’ve taken it on the road with me because it’s super easy and it looks better throughout the night as it smudges. Then I’ll use a nude eyeliner on my inner water line to brighten the eye before finishing off with a few coats of mascara.
“My go-to lip combo is pretty simple. I’ll line my lips with MAC’s Lip Pencil in Soar and apply By Terry Baume de Rose Lip Balm.”
What goes into your hair prep before a set?
“I style my hair when it is wet, so it sets in place, usually with a light hairspray or gel. I like Oribe’s Gel Serum—it keeps my hair tame all night. I still have some shorter pieces—remnants of my bangs days—so I keep bobby pins or clips with me in case I need to tuck them in behind my ears. The pins are handy for the shorter pieces that fall out behind my ponytail, too.”
Have you ever felt pressure to tone down your look in order to be taken seriously?
“No. DJs are curators and we’re the ones setting the tone, whether it's on a record or in a room. You have to trust yourself, your style, and your instincts. I've never been anything but myself. The second you change yourself to fit in you lose your spark. When there’s no spark, no one will take you seriously, men or women.”
LP Giobbi
Based in: Austin, TX
The energy and joy LP Giobbi exudes on stage is electric. “I feel the most beautiful when I am playing music that is aligned with who I am,” says LP. She is spirited and smiling always, so much so that you’d never guess looking at her that over the course of the last year, she’s been living out of vans, hotels, and airplanes as she travels across the entire globe, playing sets almost every night. She’s done Coachella and Tomorrowland, brought down the house in the biggest night clubs in Ibiza and sold out venues across the U.S. A formally trained jazz pianist, LP brings discipline and dance music to all her sets (she’s collaborated with the likes of Sofi Tukker, Madeon, Jax Jones, and Hotel Garuda to name a few). Keeping up with the near-constant travel, her position as W Hotel’s Global Music Director, and a beauty routine has proven to be a balancing act.
How do you keep your hair in tact while you are jumping and dancing around on stage?
“The night before, I’ll take a shower, and before my hair dries, I twist it into a bun. Then right before I step on stage, I take the bun down and the volume and curls in my hair usually stay, for the most part.”
Female DJs and producers are still an underrepresented group. Have you ever felt pressure to tone down your femininity in order to be taken more seriously by men in the industry?
“Absolutely. I used to feel the need to dress like a boy to be taken seriously, so people would really think I made my music. I remember showing up to a photo shoot with a male DJ to take some press photos for our upcoming tour and we were dressed head-to-toe in the exact same thing. I definitely have had to work through some internalized sexism before I could express myself.”
SOHMI
Based in: Los Angeles, CA
Photo: Courtesy of Sohmi
SOHMI was the first Korean woman to be named a resident at LA’s premier underground house and techno club, Sound. Mind you, this was barely a year into her DJ career. A classically trained musician, SOHMI’s signature vibe is a mix of 90s UK pop and early 2000s R&B a la Aaliyah and Cassie. Behind the DJ booth, she is a flurry of bleach-blonde hair and fist pumps. “Sometimes it can be pure chaos backstage trying to get glam-ready,” says SOHMI. But in the end, she somehow always pulls it off.
What are some of your pre-set beauty rituals?
“One of the most recognizable parts of my overall look is my hair. I’ve had long, straight, bleached hair since the very beginning, so I always make sure I have my hair smooth and straight to best catch the light when I shake it and move around.
“I also always have my nails done–Japanese hard gel and nail art is my favorite. I’ll try to visit my aesthetician for a facial before I hit the road or I’ll do an at-home facial using Youth to the People’s Yerba Mate Resurfacing Energy Facial for glowy skin.”
Do you have a signature look that makes you feel confident and ready to stand in front of a huge crowd?
“I feel most beautiful in an oversized street tee, funky pants, Air Force 1’s with my hair freshly straightened, and Half Magic face crystals on my eyes. This is probably my most ‘signature’ look, and I just love the way it feels to mix feminine with masculine elements. Oversized clothes also make me feel like I can move and flow in a different way.”
How do you lock everything in so it lasts through an entire night of dancing?
“Thankfully, I actually don’t sweat that much or easily—it really takes me a lot to get super sweaty. But Half Magic has an amazing setting spray for your makeup called ‘Dew Lock’, and it helps everything stay in place so that I’m not a complete mess at the end of a long night.”
Your bleached hair is a signature part of your look. How do you keep it so sleek during a set?
“I’m not sure how my hair manages to stay as straight or in-tact as it does but I’m definitely always surprised when I look at pictures or videos of myself at the end of the night, like wow this is way better than I was expecting. I guess I have to credit the magic of my Chi hair straightener and FHI Heat Liquid Satin Treatment. I never go on stage without prepping my hair with both those things.”
