The New "Vampire Diaries" Makeup Collection Lets You Live Your Teen Drama Dreams

Monica Barbaro loved working with Timothée Chalamet on 'A Complete Unknown.'

Monica revealed in a Rolling Stone interview that she met Timothée Chalamet a week before filming — and that he was already more-or-less in character. "The first time we met was a music rehearsal," she tells Brit + Co exclusively. "So we just really launched right into it, which was nice because I admired his work so much from afar and any level of intimidation that I may have had, I could just sort of funnel into music prep, which was great."

"It was a beautiful experience of getting to hear our voices harmonize as these characters and hear the accompaniment of our guitars," she continues. "And we were able to kind of like anchor ourselves in the music and have sort of a meeting of minds that was maybe a little more similar to Joan and Bob because they met in the music scene as already very proficient musicians. So that was a beautiful magical day. And then we like launched right into filming."

Monica Barbaro (who you'll recognize from Top Gun2) stars as musician Joan Baez, and even though Monica had to learn how to play guitar for the role, you'd never guess just by watching the film. She carries herself with such confidence and ease that I'd have believed she'd been playing her whole life. And the fact her voice sounds like a Disney princess is just the cherry on top.

"I'm not a singer, I didn't play guitar," she says. "So there was sort of this introductory level thing going on where I just had to figure out how to form my hands and in some way, I thought about how she might have done that at like 14, I think, when she first picked up guitar. But that was just like an overhaul of everything — I mean, all my time just poured into that training."

She was doing her own research, but also worked with vocal coach Eric Vetro, who's also worked with Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, and Shawn Mendes. "He encouraged me to consider what the lyrics of songs meant to her," Monica says. "Because the best musicians are storytellers and that's one of the best things about he renditions of these folk songs is you feel the story of the song."

And because of that, focusing on the lyrics "was also a part of the character development. So there were sort of siloed things like voice, guitar research, and then her speaking voice," she says. "And then all of those things started to just kind of like meld, you know. You have to play and sing at the same time and tell a story and do it from the perspective of Joan. And so so they just sort of over time kind of like bridged."

But no matter how much prep Monica, Timothée, and Elle Fanning (who stars as Sylvie Russo) did for the film, they still had to film in the middle of New York City, which came with its own set of 2024-specific challenges. "It was interesting to be filming and have people sneaking videos and posting them on the internet," she says, admitting that she "really just tried to turn all of that off to the best of my ability."

The film highlights the tension between celebrity and fame, considering we meet Bob Dylan right before he becomes, well, Bob Dylan. "It's a privilege to have to have so much attention and excitement on a project and I appreciate the intent, but you kind of just sort of turn it off a little bit and disengage," Monica says, "especially when you're talking about just a very different kind of fame in the sixties."

A Chic Gray Bob 

Go for the classic style by asking for this exact cut at the salon. This shape makes everyone looks amazing and is probably one of the most versatile gray bobs that can inspire your next trip to the salon. To maintain it, you'll want to protect your hair with a scarf at night. During the day, make sure you use a heat protectant before curling it with one of your flat irons.

This blunt hairstyle looks SO good with glasses, too! Pair it with a statement lipstick, and you're really making some stylish moves!

A Gray Lob

Bobs can be as short or long as you want as evidenced by this longer 'lob.' This is for the person who doesn't want to have hair like Rapunzel, but still wants to maintain some of their length. If you ever want to go for a shorter look with this style, all you have to do is pin curl the ends of your hair.

I love how this cut cascades with naturally curly or wavy hair!

I mean, look how flattering this is!

Plus, this slightly shorter length can really add some body to the ends!

A Bob With Bangs

Listen, a bob and bangs are a match made in heaven. I don't make the rules — it just works beautifully! If you're looking to really frame your face, this is a really great option! And look at how it makes your gorgeous features stand out even more!

A Perfectly Curled Under Gray Bob 

Then again, you can keep it short and simple with this perfectly curled gray bob. Whether you consider yourself bold or not for rocking this style, it's one of those looks that'll stand out if you add a beautiful balayage to it.

Did we just give you an idea? We think so!

And with the round glasses to boot? Yeah, this woman screams, "I look good, and I cannot be stopped!"

This look can also add a lot of softness to your aura, too. Really love how it hugs her face here!

A Shorter Gray Bob With Side Bangs

The best thing about shorter hairstyles are their ability to highlight someone's features. If you have an oval face with high cheekbones, this style will amplify them. Not only that, but you'll have fun parting your hair to create side bangs.

Tip: Use a small flat iron to create depth without over-curling your hair.

Look at how this cut angles perfectly with her face! So sleek!

A Stacked Or Graduated Bob 

Another chic bob to wear is a stacked or graduated bob. Similar to the stylish woman in the picture, we imagine this hairstyle is for the woman who loves letting her personality shine through whatever she's wearing. We're jumping the gun, but this is one of those hairstyles you'll have fun planning outfits around.

I just love how this frames and elongates her face! The hairstyle makes her look refreshed and young, giving features like her eyes a chance to really shine!

A Gray Wavy Bob

This is the perfect length and shape to make your natural curls or waves shine. You won't even have to worry about curling your hair with this style because it doesn't require you to. If you're not sure what to use on your hair, we recommend using products from Sienna Naturals to help with the overall health of it.

This hairstyle adds so much movement to your look!

You don't have to have such exaggerated waves, either. Some subtle waviness to your gray bob hairstyle is just enough to add that beautiful movement!

A Fully Curly Bob

Curly hair don't care? A gray bob hairstyle is PERFECT for you. This look says you're fun, fabulous, and ready to have a good time. Plus, it's yet another look that goes oh-so well with your statement glasses — the perfect chic look, if I do say so myself!

Ingredients for Paleo Christmas Cookies

For the cookies:

• 1/2 cup grass-fed salted butter, softened
• 6 tablespoons raw honey
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 cups almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For the frosting:

• 6 tablespoons coconut butter or coconut manna
• 1/4 cup cacao butter
• 1-2 tablespoons honey
• Plant-based food coloring
• Vegetable-dyed sprinkles, for topping*

How to Make Paleo Christmas Cookies

1. Add the softened butter and honey to a large mixing bowl. Cream the mixture together using a handheld mixer until it is smooth. Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract and whisk until they are well combined. Pour in the almond flour, coconut flour, and baking soda, and continue mixing until the batter has come together smoothly.
2. Separate the dough into two, and place each one on top of a piece of plastic wrap. Roll each dough into a ball, then flatten to a thick disk, cover completely with the plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to firm up for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove one of the dough discs from the refrigerator, unwrap the plastic and place the dough on top of a piece of parchment paper, then top it with another piece of parchment paper. Use a roller to flatten out the dough to about 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch thick. Work quickly with your favorite Christmas cookie cutters, and use a thin spatula to lift the cut cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake the cookies in the oven for 10 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes, then place on a wire rack for further cooling. Gather the leftover scraps back into a ball in the plastic wrap or parchment paper and place it back in the refrigerator, while working with the other piece of dough. Do this in batches to keep the dough from getting too warm and so you don’t overcrowd the baking sheet.
5. While the batches of cookies are baking, use a small saucepan to lightly melt the coconut butter and cacao butter together over low heat on the stovetop. Remove the pan from the heat when the ingredients have just melted together. Stir in the desired amount of honey, then set aside to cool and thicken up slightly. If you are using food coloring, add in the desired amount into the frosting mixture (1-2 teaspoons of green or red should do the trick). If you plan on only using white frosting, only use a small amount of honey, as it can make the frosting an off-white or light brown color.
6. After the cookies have completely cooled, decorate them with the frosting and sprinkles as desired. If you don’t have any professional piping tools, an easy fix is to place the frosting in a plastic sandwich bag and remove all the air when sealing the top. Cut a tiny tip off one corner of the plastic bag, then gently squeeze and pipe over the cookies. Use one plastic bag or piping bag for each color of frosting. Top with corresponding sprinkles and enjoy!