DIY Hair Essentials
Kelly Atterton's must-have tools for effortless haircare.
For most people, a meal created by a professional chef tastes a lot better than what they can whip up on their own. The same often goes for stylists. When you strut out of the salon wearing their work, you look (and feel) like a hot model. But the next day, when you're wrestling with a blow dryer and a round brush? Well, sometimes you turn into a hot mess.
As we saw on this week's episode (especially with Meredith, whose model's complicated cut ended up looking like a mushroom cloud when the poor girl styled it on her own), hairstylists absolutely have to keep this in mind. At home, it should take three or four steps max and a matter of minutes to do your hair. (That's what was so genius about Nicole's cut. Can you BELIEVE it took her client eight minutes to style and go?) Anything more, and it's not only an ordeal -- the odds are just not in your favor.
THE ALLURE ADVANTAGE If you're low-maintenance, make that known before you sit in the salon chair. Don't assume your stylist knows you have two left thumbs with a round brush, don't own a flatiron, or that you're still hitting snooze 20 minutes before work. But everyone -- wash-and-wear types and aspiring Kim Vos -- needs a few essentials. These tools and products come to everyone's rescue.
Bobby pins: Create an easygoing look by simply pinning the front section of your hair back at the crown. For a quick-yet-elegant look, use a bunch to secure a bun into an impromptu messy updo.
A Mason Pearson Brush: There's a reason this hand-made brush is a cult product. It smoothes your hair's cuticles, enhancing its shine, like no other. (Do you know ANYONE who doesn't want shinier hair?)
Lightweight mousse: When your hair is damp a dollop on your roots will boost volume and add luster. Plus, if you use it before you pull your hair back in a ponytail or chignon, it will keep your style in control without looking stiff or crunchy.
Rattail comb: When it comes to teasing hair, there isn't a product on earth that adds body the way a rattail comb can. Seriously.
