Four Celebrity Hair Tricks

Celebrities are always under the scrutinizing lens of the paparazzi—even when they're on a boat off the coast of Sardinia. Some of my best tricks come from giving my clients advice on what to do when they're far from the salon. A few of these may sound insane (and will feel even more so when you're standing in front of the mirror), but I swear they work. You'll probably find out—as many of my clients have—that when you use the right tools and techniques, you are a pretty decent stylist.


DO THE WAVE

Rumpled, tousled waves are incredibly sexy, easy, and appropriate for a formal or casual event. Think of Gisele hair, but messier. I've been doing it a lot on Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, and Sarah Jessica Parker, so I know that it works on just about any hair texture. If your hair is wavy or curly, scrunch in two handfuls of Paul Mitchell Extra-Body Sculpting Foam while it's still damp and let it air-dry. Then coat your palms with Bumble and Bumble Styling Wax and run your hands through your hair. If your hair is straight, you can blow it dry with a large paddle brush and wrap random one-inch sections around a large-barrel curling iron. Once all the hair is curled, mist it with a light finishing spray and scrunch with your hands to loosen the curls.

CUT THE SLACK

This is a trick for trimming shaggy, face-framing bangs, which is what most of my clients have. Instead of scissors, which can slip and cut hair unevenly, use a new, disposable single-blade razor (double and triple blades can split the hair). When hair is completely dry, brush bangs forward, and gather them in the middle of your face (between your eyes). Hold the hair on one side of the part straight down, and pull it taut with your index and middle fingers. Slide your fingers all the way to the ends of the hair, then gently run the razor just above your fingers. When you're finished, make sure the length is even by pulling a piece of hair from either side toward the center of the face; they should be equidistant from the bridge of the nose.

SOFTEN UP

Every time I see a head of fried hay-hair walk into the salon, I have the same recipe: Mix two tablespoons each of a rinse-out conditioner, a leave-in conditioner, a deep conditioner, and a hair mask in a bowl. Wet two large towels, wring them out, and put one in the microwave for a minute. Comb the mixture through clean, damp hair, and wrap it all up in the hot towel. Heat the second towel and alternate, repeating two or three more times. Do this once a week—it makes hair much softer.

COVER UP

You really can cover up roots—whether they're brown, blonde, or gray—with a home hair-color kit. (Clairol has a great root touch-up kit, but regular dye is fine, too.) Even if the color doesn't match perfectly (and it probably won't), no one will be able to tell the difference. Just make sure to swap the clunky brush that comes in the regular kits for a really bushy, clean mascara wand. Part your hair as you normally wear it, and then brush the dye on both sides of the part and at your hairline. Don't try this if your roots are more than an inch long, though. Instead, cover them with a scarf or thick headband until you can get to a professional colorist.


SOURCE: Allure.com
(http://www.allure.com/magazine/2008/12/chris_mcmillan_hair_tips)
AUTHOR: Chris Mcmillan