Sexy hair - a genius quick trick

by ZOE FOSTER

If you’re anything like me (unicyclist with a heart of gold and a deep passion for sponge cake) you will have gone to have your hair cut/coloured/styled, excited for days ahead filled with perfect, filmclip hair… and then walked out of the salon with hair more suited to presenting the news in 1994 than your outfit and life in general.

It can happen to any hair length or shape, but hair of a certain length – not long, and not short, somewhere frustratingly in the middle and often extremely unreasonable when mixed with blow-drying – is particularly liable to this kind of outcome due to it’s inbetweenyness. It’s not long enough to fall glamorously, and not short enough to scruff up or pat down cutely. I have this exact length currently, and aside of looking boxy and heavy most of the time, it is horrible when blow-dried. (So I generally tong it and mess it up.)

As expected, after my cut and blow-dry on Friday, I looked in the mirror and saw a woman who seemed to have misplaced her peach silk blouse and news desk.

Luckily, since I was in the silky hands of A Guy Who Gets It (Chris Sweeney, who’s worked on a zillion fashion campaigns, shoots and runway shows), it did not stay that way for long. That was only Phase One, the base, which means that whatever you do next will hold and last. (Base usually means mousse in wet hair, and a blow-dry with a large round barrel brush for a smooth finish.)

Phase Two incorporated a simple little trick to get some natural body and texture in the hair, without all the damage/time of tongs/stylers and using 56 prodz. And here it is:

All you need is your faithful sea salt spray (my picks are O&M Surf Bomb or Bumble & Bumble surf spray), 10 minutes and some sectioning clips or combs.

Another cheat that is particularly good for shoulder-length hair and longer: Perform Phase One as normal, (being sure to use an oil or smoothing fluid for a soft, smooth finish) then, once dry, mist a bit of water onto the section of hair between your eyebrows and chin, just on the front pieces that frame the face. Tuck these wet bits behind your ears and do your makeup, or groom your stoat, then untuck them after 10 minutes. You will have some lovely little waves that perfectly flatter the face and make you look deliciously fresh. It’s all very Chloe/Celine/Stella McCartney, really.

If you’re cool, you will try one of these tricks, then upload a pic. That’s what a cool person would do.

Zoe is an author, columnist and porridge fan. Her books include the beauty bible Amazing Face, dating and relationship guide Textbook Romance, and three novels, Air Kisses, Playing The Field and The Younger Man. Find more info on her here, or supervise on her daily procrastination here and here.

Please understand that Zoë cannot respond to ALL your questions – but never fear, there are readers that are bound to know the answers, so don’t be afraid to ask.

What hair tricks do you use? Go ahead and upload a pic if you try one of these tricks!