Patricia
02-29-2004, 05:15 PM
Tips for Fast, Fabulous Hair
By Lisa Kovalovich
More magazine
If you want your hair to look absolutely gorgeous, but don't have the time or inclination to spend hours styling it every morning, you're in luck: With these 10 ideas, you can get great style in practically no time!
1. Don't wash daily. Believe it or not, most hair types (except the most thin and fine) look better when given a day or two in between washings. What's more, styling dry hair in the morning is much quicker than blowdrying plus styling!
2. Touch up with dry shampoo. Several companies, including Sebastian and Bumble and Bumble, make powder-based dry shampoos (and baby powder will do in a pinch). Simply sprinkle onto roots of hair and rub in with fingers. Voila! Any beginning traces of greasiness are gone.
3. Blot, don't rub. Most of us give our just-washed hair a good rub with the towel before beginning to blow-dry, and while this does remove excess water, it also makes hair frizzy and difficult to manage (and makes your whole morning routine take longer as you try to wrestle frizz into submission). Instead, use your towel to gently blot away drips. Tip: Super-absorbent towels, like the Aquis, make light works of removing water from hair.
4. Let your fingers do the curling. If your hair has natural waves or curls, nix the extra step of curling with an iron and shape ringlets with your fingers. When hair is damp, twirl sections around your index finger to shape curls. Allow to air-dry (or use a diffuser), then gently tousle when hair is all dry.
5. Use multipurpose products. Instead of layering leave-in conditioner plus gel plus de-frizzing cream, go for one product that does it all. The classic do-it-all product: Rusk Wired ($10.99), a combination of cream, paste and gel that works on wet and dry hair, no matter what the texture.
6. Blow-dry smart. If you straighten your hair in the morning, don't start with a brush. Instead, flip your head over and as you tousle your hair with your fingers, blast strands with a blo- dryer. This takes out the extra wetness and makes it easier -- and faster-- to blow-dry straight. When hair is damp, flip head back and begin the brush + blowdryer routine. It’ll cut your work time by at least half.
7. Consider slicking back short hair. It makes a short cut look chic and professional, plus takes no time. But forget mega-hold gels, which give hair a wet look; instead, go for a hair paste or pomade. Apply to hair, then hit with a blow=dryer for a few seconds for a soft look.
8. Don't underestimate the ponytail. It works for all hair textures, and when worn low on the nape of the neck, looks great for everything from work to a wedding. Choose an elastic that either blends into hair or is tastefully decorative.
9. Build body while blow-drying. If your hair is very fine, and you usually have to go to great curling lengths to add body, try this trick: Spray roots thoroughly with a volumizing product. Then flip your head over and blow the roots until they're completely dry. When you flip your head back up, your hair will have locked-in volume without the need for much more styling.
10. Use the right brush. It's true: A quality brush made of natural boar bristles (or a mix of plastic and boar bristles) shortens styling time because it grips hair better, making for easy blow-drying; is gentle on hair, reducing the need for extra smoothing after you blo-wdry; and distributes your scalp's natural oils, making hair look shiny without shine spray.
By Lisa Kovalovich
More magazine
If you want your hair to look absolutely gorgeous, but don't have the time or inclination to spend hours styling it every morning, you're in luck: With these 10 ideas, you can get great style in practically no time!
1. Don't wash daily. Believe it or not, most hair types (except the most thin and fine) look better when given a day or two in between washings. What's more, styling dry hair in the morning is much quicker than blowdrying plus styling!
2. Touch up with dry shampoo. Several companies, including Sebastian and Bumble and Bumble, make powder-based dry shampoos (and baby powder will do in a pinch). Simply sprinkle onto roots of hair and rub in with fingers. Voila! Any beginning traces of greasiness are gone.
3. Blot, don't rub. Most of us give our just-washed hair a good rub with the towel before beginning to blow-dry, and while this does remove excess water, it also makes hair frizzy and difficult to manage (and makes your whole morning routine take longer as you try to wrestle frizz into submission). Instead, use your towel to gently blot away drips. Tip: Super-absorbent towels, like the Aquis, make light works of removing water from hair.
4. Let your fingers do the curling. If your hair has natural waves or curls, nix the extra step of curling with an iron and shape ringlets with your fingers. When hair is damp, twirl sections around your index finger to shape curls. Allow to air-dry (or use a diffuser), then gently tousle when hair is all dry.
5. Use multipurpose products. Instead of layering leave-in conditioner plus gel plus de-frizzing cream, go for one product that does it all. The classic do-it-all product: Rusk Wired ($10.99), a combination of cream, paste and gel that works on wet and dry hair, no matter what the texture.
6. Blow-dry smart. If you straighten your hair in the morning, don't start with a brush. Instead, flip your head over and as you tousle your hair with your fingers, blast strands with a blo- dryer. This takes out the extra wetness and makes it easier -- and faster-- to blow-dry straight. When hair is damp, flip head back and begin the brush + blowdryer routine. It’ll cut your work time by at least half.
7. Consider slicking back short hair. It makes a short cut look chic and professional, plus takes no time. But forget mega-hold gels, which give hair a wet look; instead, go for a hair paste or pomade. Apply to hair, then hit with a blow=dryer for a few seconds for a soft look.
8. Don't underestimate the ponytail. It works for all hair textures, and when worn low on the nape of the neck, looks great for everything from work to a wedding. Choose an elastic that either blends into hair or is tastefully decorative.
9. Build body while blow-drying. If your hair is very fine, and you usually have to go to great curling lengths to add body, try this trick: Spray roots thoroughly with a volumizing product. Then flip your head over and blow the roots until they're completely dry. When you flip your head back up, your hair will have locked-in volume without the need for much more styling.
10. Use the right brush. It's true: A quality brush made of natural boar bristles (or a mix of plastic and boar bristles) shortens styling time because it grips hair better, making for easy blow-drying; is gentle on hair, reducing the need for extra smoothing after you blo-wdry; and distributes your scalp's natural oils, making hair look shiny without shine spray.