SOLID SHAMPOO BARS
Getting your hair right can feel like a lifetime’s work. Here, our beauty team share the tips and techniques that turned their DIY efforts around
THE FRIZZ FIGHTER
‘I didn’t understand why the hair around my forehead and ears was so frizzy, until a hairdresser told me that drying my hair from underneath, with my head flipped forward, was forcing the cuticles up. I now use a round bristle brush to smooth areas down while I dry, and a nozzle to control air flow.’ Gillian Davies, beauty editor
THE TOP TOOL
‘My secret is a Wetbrush (5), from £6.99. I’ve stayed away from brushes most of my adult life, partly because I bought into the “French women don’t brush their hair” thing and partly because I thought my fine hair didn’t need it, but it looked knotty, not nonchalant. A good, gentle brush makes it look shiny and sleek.’ Medina Azaldin, beauty assistant
THE KEY TO CLEANSING
‘Leaving shampoo on for a few minutes before washing it out balances my scalp; it doesn’t get as flaky and feels cleaner. You can do this with any shampoo, but I like Chāmpo Kapha Balancing Shampoo
(1), £18.50. It’s formulated for thick, oily hair, which is exactly what I have.’ Tanyel Mustafa, beauty intern THE BEST BLOW-DRY ‘A hairdresser told me that most people don’t dry their hair long enough for their blow-dries to last. To hold volume and stay frizz-free, hair has to be bone dry. To tell whether you’ve missed damp bits, give your hair a final going-over with cold air, then run your fingers through it… areas that aren’t dry will feel much cooler.’ Alexandra Friend, senior beauty editor
THE TAMING TIP
‘I have fine hair that can’t take much styling product, so instead of using my hands to apply mousses, oils and serums, I squirt a bit on to a brush (Tangle Teezer (4), £14) and distribute it that way. I use a tiny Larry King brush to tame baby hairs with smoothing cream (from Larry
King Flyaway With Me Set (2), £17). It’s perfect, as it’s easy to clean afterwards.’ Alice Manning, senior beauty editor THE ONE FOR WAVES ‘When I don’t have time to blow-dry my wavy hair, I let it dry naturally, but it often looks ungroomed (okay for dog-walking; human company, not so much). Scrunched into wet hair, Redken No Blow
Dry Airy Cream For Fine Hair (3), £18.50, creates defined wavy curls as it dries, with plenty of body and zero stickiness and frizz.’ Eve Cameron, beauty director