Finding it hard to keep your locks sleek in the late-summer humidity? Let Holly take you from the shower to style in this step-by-step crash course to perfectly sleek hair.
Smooth hair: keeping your locks frizz-free
I should start by saying my hair is quick thick, highlighted blonde, and naturally pretty wavy. Now and then I suffer from frizzy hair, so I have decided to share my top styling tips to make sure you look like a superstar, and not the outside of a coconut.
First lesson – all smooth hairstyles start in the shower…
Step one: Shampoo and Condition
Selecting the perfect “sleek shampoo” is so tricky. Choose the wrong one and you end up with a heavy, tacky coating on your hair that will make it look oily within a day (I have even had it look greasy as I’m blow-drying before… shampoo = in the bin).
If you know you are prone to oily hair, then opt for a cleansing shampoo and a moisture conditioner (only using it on the mid-lengths and ends). I know there are ladies reading this who will slam their laptops in horror, but you really don’t have to get the matching shampoos and conditioners anymore. Rarely do I have a matching set, and I love trying to find a combination that works well for me.
An Average Jane fave at the moment is Aveda Chamomile Shampoo (£33 for a whole litre), which is soft and soothing, and will also bring out those gorgeous summer highlights. A nice conditioner which goes well with it to smooth hair (but not leave it feeling heavy) is this one from Redken (£10.85). The Argan oil infused through the conditioner will really help smooth that unwanted summer frizz and turn it to lovely beachy waves.
If you have particularly dry ends, add a few spritzes of leave-in conditioner once you have towel dried. I love this Milk_shake leave in treatment (£15.79), not just because of the amazing smell, but the way it feels on your hair is beautiful.
Step two: Pre-Style treatment
I can’t stress enough how important it is to prep your hair for styling. Going in, all guns (or hairdryers) blazing will not end well. To beat the humidity demons, make sure you get your hair as naturally dry as possible before you go near a hairdryer, or even leave it to dry naturally.
If you can hold out, don’t blow dry straight away – make sure to get all the moisture out of your hair first. Possibly my most prized hair gadget is my hair turban for when my hair is wet. It is so light and practical and way easier than trying to balance a huge towel on your head. Soap & Glory do a good one for £7.50.
Once your hair is no longer dripping wet, it’s time to bring out the big guns, and by big guns I mean – the paddle brush. I’m not kidding when I say every Jane should own one of these. It’s mainly used for detangling and the way it minimizes static while blow-drying makes it one of my favourite brushes. The Vogetti ‘Smooth Operator’ paddle is gorgeous – big, padded, lightweight and doesn’t pull the hair. It’s also only £8.95.
Step Three: Styling
Whether leaving your hair to dry on it’s own or using the hairdryer, always make sure to use something on your hair to give it that extra sleek edge.
Going curly?
I can’t praise Tigi’s Curls Rock Amplifier (£16.95) enough. It is great for defining curls and waves and is such a low maintenance style for those days where your alarm fails to wake you on time… The gel smells great and doesn’t dry crispy – every girl’s worst nightmare. This creates lovely, defined curls which last all day.
Going straight?
Make sure to use a heat protection spray if you are using your hairdryer or straightening irons. It’s always preached to us girls, but honestly, they do work. GHD have come a long way with their styling products (I used to find them too chemically-smelling), but these days they smell better than ever. Their Heat Protect Spray (£12.95) is great and as well as protecting against the heat, it protects against the frizz. #winning
If you are going on to style your hair with straighteners, firstly make sure that it’s 100% dry. This really matters, not only for the health of your hair, but to stop it looking frizzy. These Lee Stafford Coco Loco Irons (£49.99) are pretty amazing as they are infused with coconut oil to smooth your hair, and coat it in a tiny amount of the oil as you are straightening. The result is sleek, gorgeous, straight hair with that salon soft-touch finish. We also love the Coco Loco hair milk/oil in this range too. Basically anything coconut-related at the moment is going to be a fave.
So, there you go. Hopefully these steps and products will help you beat frizz during this warm, muggy weather and you can look gorgeously sleek all the way in to autumn!
Got a tip for creating your signature look? Let us know @tweetjanes.