Beauty bible

Fake a fashion-set blow-dry – then make it last a week

The art of the front-row-worthy blow-dry

I WON’T PRETEND to understand fashion. I don’t get why fashion types refer to patently plural garments in the singular – ‘paired with a navy trouser and a mustard sock, those would be fab’ – or how a sleeve can be ‘witty’. I don’t get who buys the £9,000 crinolines with hand-sewn Swarovski crystal skull and crossbones you see on haute couture catwalks or why we all have to pretend they’re not absolutely, criminally grotesque. And having been sent to the odd fashion show over the years, I’m afraid I don’t get catwalk models, either.

There is, however, one thing I not only get but am blown away by: the reason I’m far more interested in looking at the people looking at the clothes than the clothes themselves – and that’s fashion-set hair. Those editors, vloggers and influencers have perfected the coveted ‘day two of your blow-dry’ barnet. Ungroomed but groomed, they can somehow make it last a whole week. And with the right tools – and the advice of top London stylist Ricky Walters, owner of Soho’s Salon 64 – so can you.

‘Creative catwalk hair is great if planning a stroll down the runway, but my clients crave natural polish that can last for days,’ he explains. ‘I always recommend starting day one with clean curls using a Cloud Nine Curling Wand [£109, cloudninehair.com]. Try to resist the urge to shake out those perfect ringlets too much, as this will help preserve them for the week ahead.’

At night Walters recommends tying hair up loosely – but, crucially, without a tie (secure it with grips instead). ‘And refresh day-old hair with Davines Dry Texturiser [£21, libertylondon.com] sprayed over yesterday’s blow-dry upside down, using your fingers to loosen the roots. Follow these rules and last night’s glam blow-dry will become the foundation of today’s rock’n’roll dishevelled look.’ And with any luck, it’ll rock and roll well into tomorrow.