They say blondes have more fun, but every
bombshell-esque Gisele Bundchen, Gwyneth Paltrow or Scarlett Jahansson, I give
you a smouldering Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba or Sofia Vergara. Long hair
qualifies as alluring, yet I challenge you to mention anyone more seductive
than a bobbed Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
So, what is the Holy Grail of sexiness? It
seems that size matters. “Volumious hair is perennially appealing,” says top
stylist Kerry Warn, who created the looks on these pages. “It looks sensual and
playful.” Backstage king Guido Palau agrees: “Even when big hair isn’t a show
trend, it’s always desirable. A bouncy blow-dry has that feel-good factor.”
While it’s a resounding Yes to big hair,
it’s a No to excessive products. Sexy hair has to be able to move, so styling
needs to be undetectable,” adds Kerry. The right technique + good tools +
minimal products = va-va voom hair that works in many variations. Volume can
be…
What makes this look (right) so sexy is the
uneven, loose and kind of unkempt-textured waves. The irony is that the undone
look requires a bit more work than rolling out of bed and shaking your hair into
place. Start by curling hair with a large-barrelled curling iron and then
deconstructing it with your hairdryer to give it that relaxed messiness. “Set
your dryer on cool and rough up hair with your fingers,” recommends Kerry. “I
like to warm up a teeny bit of wax between my palms and rake it through the
ends,” he adds. “It makes it look even raunchier and bed-heady.”
… All-over
For this super-bouncy ’do, spray Pure
Abundance Style Prep $ 30 aveda.co.uk into the root area and blow-dry hair
completely. “This is crucial,” says Kerry, as “volume won’t hold if there is
any residual dampness.” Once hair is dry, you have two curling options. Use
tongs if your hair is straight, as it will guarantee longevity. If your hair
has natural body, opt for Velcro rollers.
Pure
Abundance Style Prep
… Soft
Set hair from mid-length in heated rollers
it’s the best way to achieve these voluptuous curled ends. Pull hair back from
your forehead in a triangle shape, so the strands fall around your face.
Back-comb from the clipping point backwards to get height at the crown, “If
your hair is fine, you can create height easily by putting a hairpiece in,”
says Kerry. To keep the look tactile, spray just the top part (hairline and
crown) with Frizz-Ease Moisture Barrier Firm Hold Hairspray $ 9 John Frieda.
Frizz-Ease
Moisture Barrier Firm Hold Hairspray
… Short
“Turning up the volume on shorter hair is
all about root lift,” says Kerry. Soaking-wet hair dilutes styling products, so
rough-dry hair first, then apply Meta Lush Volumizer $ 34 Serge Normant on
roots only, before drying with a vent brush. “Always use a vent brush to create
root volume, as air flows through easily and really enables you to get volume
and lift,” explains Kerry. For this nod to the ’50s, set hair in rollers and to
get that end flick, make sure you roll hair upwards rather than under. Once you
take the rollers out, back-comb all over and smooth the top with a natural
bristle brush, “so you don’t get any static”. Tease ends underneath to feather
out your sweep and lock in place with generous amounts of hairspray.
Meta
Lush Volumizer
… Sleek
This starts off as a classic blow-dry. For
weightless movement, drench hair with a light blow-drying lotion. Kerry swears
by Full Repair Style Creator Heat-Activated Styling Spray $ 9 John Frieda as a
base for a glossy blow-out. Work with a round natural-bristle brush to get
smooth body, but “don’t over-straighten hair,” advises Kerry. The stand-out
feature of this look is the gutsy ends. Blow-dry under to retain body in the ends
and intensify it by popping them in rollers. “But don’t leave them in too long,
as you don’t want a curl, just movement,” he explains.
Full
Repair Style Creator Heat-Activated Styling Spray
