Kimberly Guilfoyle's Dramatic Hair Makes So Much More Sense After Seeing Her Mom

In her current approach to hair and makeup, Kimberly Guilfoyle tends to be a maximalist. It's hard to imagine Guilfoyle without her signature hair extensions, since lots of long, flowing locks have been part of her go-to look for years. While some might assume that Guilfoyle's penchant for big hair came from her life with the Trumps, it's possible she had a much earlier influence: her mother. A couple of times on Instagram, the former Fox News host has shared a sweet family photo of her parents, Mercedes and Anthony Guilfoyle, holding her when she was a tiny baby. Mercedes' coif, although considerably shorter than Guilfoyle's hair, had volume to the max.

Guilfoyle was born in March 1969, and Mercedes' poofy bouffant hairdo looks emblematic of the era. Cut to just below her ears, a ton of layers along the top add even more height to the style.

Guilfoyle and Mercedes had a tight bond. Her mom died when Guilfoyle was a child, and she's been outspoken about the lasting impact of this loss. "I worshipped my mom, could never get enough of being around her," Guilfoyle informed Harper's Bazaar in 2004 (via Politico). "I'd cut my own life in half to have my mother back." Fifteen years later, Guilfoyle became emotional during an appearance on "The View" when she remarked on both the recent anniversary of her mother's death, and the fact that both her parents died due to cancer.

This isn't the only time Kimberly Guilfoyle's mom has defied gravity with her hair. In the same Instagram carousel of pic from Mother's day 2020, Guilfoyle shared a blurry black and white photo of Mercedes Guilfoyle. It's possible this look hails from the earlier 1960s, since Mercedes is sporting a classic beehive style. Here, the smooth, rounded top of her mom's hair is much more dramatic than any of the times Guilfoyle endeavored to boost her hair with cringey 2000s-era Bumpits.

Although the beehive style has surprisingly transcended time, it's probably for the best if Guilfoyle doesn't pile up her extensions and create her own version of this hairdo. However, time and again, Guilfoyle continues to reference the more subtle ways that her mother left a deep impression. "I loved how I saw people react to her," Guilfoyle informed Mediaite in 2015. After the death of her mom, Guilfoyle noted how her father helped build her confidence by motivating her to think persuasively. "I was a little shy and introverted, and he wanted me to be the woman who would stand on her own two feet and have the self-esteem and stand for myself, no matter what," she explained.

This confidence has likely benefitted Guilfoyle as she navigates life in the public eye, with all its attendant comments on her hair, makeup, and fashion. Guilfoyle's demonstrated she's determined to staying true to her own style decisions, even when Donald Trump Jr. criticized her.