Princess Diana’s iconic pixie cut of the ‘90s was held in place by a specially made hairspray, the late royal’s cosmetic chemist reveals in an exclusive interview with Page Six Style.
“I worked really closely with her and her hairdresser [Sam McKnight] at the time,” says Sheree Ladove Funsch, who was in her early 20s when she got the call to create a specific formula that would help Diana avoid “helicopter hair” throughout her travels across the globe.
“When she would get off the helicopter, the blades would just spin and spin and her hair [would blow],” she elaborates. “So her beautiful coiffed, cute little cut would go crazy.”
Ladove Funsch, 57 — now the CEO of LaDove Inc., a beauty empire founded by her family in 1977 — notes that Diana wanted a hairspray that had a firm hold that appeared soft, something that wouldn’t mar her youthful and elegant image.
Princess Diana worked with cosmetic chemist Sheree Ladove Funsch to create a specially made product to avoid “helicopter hair.” Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images
“She didn’t want anything that would make her hair look glued down because she was so young and so beautiful,” she says. “She didn’t want … a helmet-head kind of look.”
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So, Ladove Funsch set out to make what she, Diana and McKnight called “Helicopter Hairspray,” which was perfected after a series of “trials and tribulations,” she explains. Her quest included many international trips — exploring lush forests and exotic terrains — to source rare ingredients fit for a princess-approved product.
“Her beautiful coiffed, cute little cut would go crazy,” Ladove Funsch tells Page Six Style of how the strong gust from spinning chopper blades would impact the royal’s famous mane. Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images
“We found this gum resin from a tree and that’s how we were able to create this formula [for Diana],” Ladove Funsch tells us.
“I was literally in [the lab] formulating myself, figuring out what’s the melting point of this resin, how do we get it so that it’s not so sticky and tacky? How do we get it so that it doesn’t harden?” she says, detailing the painstaking process. “It’s just a whole creative recipe.”
Through phone calls with Diana and McKnight — who began styling the beloved royal’s mane after meeting her on a 1991 Vogue photo shoot — Ladove Funsch learned that a subsequent hairspray formula was needed to safely interact with the palace’s precious tiaras.
Ladove Funsch, pictured here with daughter Samantha Kent (right), was in her early 20s when she was tapped to create what she later called “Helicopter Hairspray.” Travis McCoy
“There were two versions. There was the helicopter and then there was the jewel version. Because when she would wear a tiara, you’re talking about millions and millions of dollars of jewels on her head,” she says of her decision to strip the “Tiara Hairspray” of ingredients that would leave a residue on diamonds.
“We had to create something that wasn’t as potent as a hairspray but that would still give her a bit of hold … without ruining the jewels.”
Ladove Funsch says that she and Diana didn’t engage in conversations about selling “Helicopter Hairspray” or its gemstone-friendly counterpart to the masses — though she surmises the idea could’ve materialized down the line.
The quest for a princess-approved product included many international trips, exploring lush forests and more exotic terrains to source rare ingredients. AFP via Getty Images
“She didn’t want … a helmet-head kind of look,” Ladove Funsch says of Diana’s preference for a firm hold that appeared soft. UK Press via Getty Images
“I’m not saying she wouldn’t have launched it eventually and [didn’t want] to do something like that, but that wasn’t the intention,” she tells Page Six Style. “It was just to [create] something amazing [for her].”
Ladove Funsch remembers her first and only in-person meeting with Diana at Kensington Palace like it was yesterday.
“It was in England and it was incredible. I got a big hug from her and it was just magical. And there was no press, so it was just a beautiful moment,” she recounts, visibly emotional at the memory of her world-famous client, who tragically died at age 36 in a 1997 car crash.
Ladove Funsch was also tasked with formulating a second hairspray for Diana that was tiara-safe.
She describes her first and only meeting with the late humanitarian — who died at age 36 in 1997 — as “magical.” Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images
“The first time, you feel so intimidated. Here’s this, like, American business girl … coming into [her career] and she was just so welcoming and so calming and loving and just very kind.”
These days, Ladove Funsch is championing her eldest daughter, Samantha Kent, as she establishes her own career in the beauty business. With her mother, 28-year-old Kent recently launched The Cleanest Lab, a line of toxin-free products inspired by her younger sister Ashley Brinton’s leukemia battle.
“Because our heritage is in the beauty business, we were able to transition it into a positive,” Ladove Funsch says, acknowledging that Brinton was diagnosed with an “incurable form” of the disease in February 2022.
Ladove Funsch’s daughter Kent has also joined the beauty business and they recently launched The Cleanest Lab.Travis McCoy
The toxin-free line of beauty and haircare products was inspired by the February 2022 leukemia diagnosis of Kent’s sister, Ashley Brinton (center).Travis McCoy
“Seeing her sister suffer so much, Sam took a personal interest in making this her passion project, developing products that will not just be for people with leukemia but for every type of cancer — and not just for people who have cancer but for everyone to start using cleaner, purer products that won’t lead them to dire straits of illnesses.”
The five-item range — which includes a pure hydration shampoo ($42), a daily hydrating hair mask and conditioner ($42), a leave-in conditioning spray ($36), a Miracle Balm facial moisturizer ($38) and a Notox daily cream ($142) that mimics the effects of Botox — is distinctly void of benzene, a substance used in countless products despite its known carcinogenic properties.
“I took a step back and I looked at what ‘clean beauty’ is. We’ve all heard it a million times. Every brand seems to have their version of ‘clean.’ But what really is clean?” Kent says.
“Seeing her sister suffer so much, Sam took a personal interest in making this her passion project,” Ladove Funsch says. Travis McCoy
“Because we could have an ingredient that’s ‘clean,’ but it might not be purely derived.”
She also prioritized product performance. “Because you want your hair to look good, you want to feel good, you want your skin to feel soft and moisturized,” Kent says, while Ladove Funsch adds, “You can still feel beautiful even when you’re going through a horrific period in your life.”
Kent and Ladove Funsch are happy to report that Brinton, 22, is currently in remission and pregnant, the latter milestone arguably more “miraculous” than the former, they rave.
Today, Brinton is in remission and pregnant with a baby girl. Travis McCoy
“She went into an experimental program to see if she could get pregnant because obviously she did chemotherapy, so that lessens your chances of getting pregnant,” the rapper-singer’s proud mom says.
“Now she is going to have a little baby girl Dec. 12. It is an all-around miracle, so we just need to keep her in remission and love on this little girl,” Ladove Funsch continues.
“We’ve experienced so much pain since last year, but there have been beautiful moments and big blessings, too. In a way, Ashley’s diagnosis has brought the family closer together.”
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