1)
Find a shampoo that lathers less. Sudsy doesn’t necessarily mean
clean—sometimes, it means the opposite. Shampoos that lather too much are often
overloaded with moisturizing products, which can leave build-up in your hair,
making it look and feel dirtier quicker. So opt for a sulfate-free formula.
2)
Give your locks a burst of cold. Before you hop out of the shower, turn the cold
water on for a second and quickly rinse it through your strands. It helps seal
the cuticle, adding a sleek finish to your locks.
3)
Play hot-and-cold as you dry. When using a round brush
to dry your hair in sections, start from the roots and dry all the way to the
ends, letting the brush linger at the tips of your strands. Let your hair cool
off like this on its own for five seconds, then repeat on another section.
Alternating between heat and cool-down time helps set your style, and your
blowout will have more body.
4)
Do an
at-home glaze between color appointments. Glazes
fill holes and rough spots in your hair cuticles, helping smooth your locks and
put moisture back into your hair. This keeps your color shiny and bright so it
lasts longer and look better. Plus, you can snag an at-home kit from your local
drugstore.
5)
Use
rollers for high-volume. For
sex-kitten lift, blow out your locks until they’re dry. Then, section off the
hair on top of your head—between your temples and all the way back to the crown
of your hair. Divide that section into three smaller sections vertically (as if
you were making a mohawk), and wrap each in a 2-inch velcro hair roller. Let
your hair sit like this for 30 minutes, and then unwrap your strands, lightly
comb them out, and spray for hold.
6)
Drop
the towel. Keeping
wet strands wrapped in a towel for a half-hour as you do your make-up will just
cause frizz! The roughness of the cotton forces your hair cuticles open, making
them more likely to go every-which-way. Instead, squeeze out excess water as
soon as you’re out of the shower, then let your hair air-dry for five or ten
minutes before blow-drying.
7)
Apply
products 10 minutes before you style. Whether
you’re curling, straightening, or whatevering, applying product 10 minutes in advance
helps it fully absorb into your strands so you get all of its benefits and more
bang for your buck.
8)
Wrap—don’t clamp—your hair for quick curls. When using a curling iron,
you don’t need to fasten your locks to the barrel. Wrap sections around the iron
and hold in place for about 10 seconds to score the same soft, sexy curls.
9)
Use
spray bottles as your new lazy-day BFF. If you wake up and your locks are totally
flat or grungy from the day before, just spray the top layer of your hair until
damp, and then use a big barrel round brush (2 inches or more) to blow your
locks dry. You’ll score high volume on that top layer, and since it’s freshly
blown out, you’ll create the illusion of all-over smooth hair.
10) Use dry shampoo a different way. Instead of waiting until your locks need an
dirt-fighting pick-me-up, apply a dab of dry shampoo to your roots immediately
after you wash and dry them. Though your hair’s already clean, the barrier will
stave off the debris and oil your strands will collect throughout the day
before it hits. Bonus: It also gives you killer volume.
