We all know that the rush to get ready and out the door in the morning can be a big stress, not only on us, but also our hair. So I'm hoping to answer some of your questions and give you tips on how to take some of the stress out of getting ready in the morning. For me, keeping it simple and multitasking are key.
Hot rollers can be a girl's best friend to give some lift and bounce to hair, and the great thing is you only need about eight jumbo rollers. Heat them up, take large sections that have been spritzed with a little hairspray (such as Vidal Sassoon Pro Series Flexible Hold Hairspray), roll them up in your hair and pin them in place. Once all the hair is rolled and pinned, let them cool down. This can be the perfect time to work on breakfast, put on makeup or get the kids off to school. Once your hair has cooled, take the rollers out and give your hair a good brush. And just like that, you'll have bouncy, full hair.
Now, I know many of you are in a real hurry and tend to run out the door with damp hair. If this is the case, try rough drying your hair until it's 40 percent dry. Then part your hair all the way down the middle of the head and run a little bit of mousse through each side. Twist each side into a spiral and keep twisting until it becomes a bun. You might look in the mirror and see Princess Leia from "Star Wars," but hopefully the buns won't be that big. If you create four sections instead of two, the wave will be tighter. Pin the buns into place and by the time you get to work, they should be dry. When you unpin the buns, either brush out with your fingers or a brush -- either way, you should have beautiful, loose waves. I would do this in the car before hitting the office as you may get a few stares with your buns on show. (Or throw on a hat if you commute by bus or train.) Another quick way to get waves is to part the hair down the middle as before and create two braids. Do this the night before, and presto, you will wake up with wonderful waves! You may be channeling Pippi Longstocking or Princess Leia with these two techniques, but either way, your hair will be just as iconic as theirs was.
My other quick fix is a ponytail or a messy bun since they both hide all manner of sins -- greasy roots, dry scalp or maybe you slept funny and have a kink. Ponytails and buns can be worn in many ways: high, low, side or pulled straight back. It all depends on how glam or low key you want to be. For me, pulling hair back in a low, straight ponytail is the more low key, everyday option. To glam things up, try a deep side part or a high pony (I love the way they swing when you walk!). Now if you find your ponytail is a bit limp, spray some dry shampoo (something like Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray is perfect) and give a little back comb. You can also twist it in a loose, chic bun. The bun's placement can change your overall look -- a low bun is more every day, whereas a bun on the crown is more SJP and great for a night out on the town.
If you have a little more time in the morning and can blow dry your hair, there are some great products that help add volume and shine. If you need more lift and volume to your hair, something like Vidal Sassoon Pro Series Boost & Lift Foaming Air Mousse is great to apply to wet hair. Apply about a tennis ball size amount of mousse and comb it through hair evenly. Then tip your head upside down and blow dry until hair is 75 percent dry as this will help add more root lift. Then blow dry with a medium size round brush to smooth the hair out.
I hope these tips will be useful to getting you out the door less stressed and with better tresses.
Meanwhile, click through the slideshow below for some bad hair day solutions.
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