9. Special-Occasion Hair

You now know everything you need for getting Great Hair every day. But what about those special days when you truly want to feel extraordinary? It’s time to learn how to change the natural shape and style of your hair to create dos that “Wow!" Wouldn’t it be nice, if you have totally straight hair, to be able to create a romantic look with bountiful, flowing waves? Wouldn’t it be nice, if you have naturally curly hair, to be able to smooth it out into a softer, more polished look? And wouldn’t it be nice to have the skills, the know-how, and the confidence to create simple, classic updos? Well, that’s exactly what this chapter is going to teach you!

Making these kinds of changes to your natural shape and style is only slightly more difficult than your everyday hairstyling, and the final results are certainly worth the extra time and effort. Yes, these techniques are a bit more time-consuming and, for the first trial or two, a bit trickier, but my purpose is still the same: to offer you simple styling techniques that empower you to make big changes in the way you look. For special occasions, or even if you just like to change things up from time to time (and I’m all for that), you want something different from your normal, everyday style. The techniques I detail in this chapter are the easiest ones to give the kind of dramatic change in your look that will turn heads. I’ll give you the lowdown on the quickest and most effective ways to alter or enhance your hair’s natural tendencies, so that, with just a touch of practice, you have the freedom to create looks that blow you—and your friends—away.

The trick to pulling off big transformations is the age-old art of setting hair. You can use rollers, pins, and hot tools to reset the natural shape of your hair to build a foundation that allows you to easily create a different look and a different you—perfect for any type of special occasion, perfect for any time you want to give yourself a revitalizing lift, and perfect to have a lot of fun with. As you’ll see, some of these techniques can be long-lasting, too, so if you discover a set and style you love, by doing it right you’ll be able to wear it like that all week long with just a five-minute blast of your blow-dryer each morning. Who doesn’t like the sound of that?

In this final chapter, I want you to take all your newfound hairstyling knowledge and use it to experiment with different ways to shape and style your look. Find out what you can create, and have fun doing it! Remember that change and reinvention are good and that your hair is a big part of achieving those things for yourself. Don’t think of your hair as a fixed part of your look that can never change. Sure, you want to look great quickly and easily from day to day, but you also want the ability to change your look and make yourself that much more striking. My message for this chapter is this: Learn how to set your hair in a variety of ways, understand that it’s your foundation to begin creating new looks, and then simply have fun creating!

Because some of these techniques can be a bit tricky, I encourage you to test them before going out on the town. If fact, if you are having a night in with the girls, why not turn it into a hair party? Styling each other’s hair over a bottle or two of bubbly is a great way to practice the techniques. And it’s sure to capture the imagination of all your friends!

Why Set Your Hair

Practically anyone can benefit from setting her hair. The critical factor in changing your normal hairstyle into something special is getting the preparation right. The reason: On average, you have around 100,000 hairs on your head, so when you want to change your hair’s natural look, you have to get all those individual hair strands together and unified for the cause. Do that and your hair instantly becomes easier to manipulate into different shapes and styles, curls and waves. Even though you are changing the natural shape of your hair, your aim is still to work with your hair rather than against it.

The best way to get your hair ready for a new look is to set it. And the easiest, most effective way to set your hair is the same way my mom has been setting her own hair for the past forty years—with rollers. A breeze to work with, rollers get all your hairs working together so you can shape and style in a new way without your hair falling back into its natural state as soon as you walk out the door. Because rollers come in different forms, shapes, and sizes, you can change your style radically or make a small, subtle change. It all depends on how you want to look.

SIZES OF ROLLERS

A trip to your local beauty supply shop may leave you feeling confused. What should you buy? That depends. The first thing to consider is which size rollers are right for you.

Rollers generally come in several sizes, from petite (usually about 5/8" diameter) to jumbo (usually about 1½" diameter). The size you should buy depends on two things: the length of your hair and the type of effect you’re going for.

The size of the rollers you choose has a direct impact on the sort of shape you create. Whether your hair comes out smooth, wavy, or curly depends on how many times your hair can be wrapped around the roller. Generally speaking, the more times your hair can be wound around the roller, the curlier it will be in the end. Of course, the length of your hair plays a big part in this (as is the type of roller set you go for, but I’ll talk more about this as we move forward). If you have extralong hair, you can wrap your hair around even big rollers multiple times, which results in some distinctive curls. Small rollers usually make long hair way too curly because the hair wraps around the roller too many times. On the other hand, if you have shorter hair, you may not even be able to get your hair around a big roller, making small rollers the perfect (and only) option for you. Even if your hair can make only one complete turn around a small roller, you still get noticeably more wave and fullness.

So to determine the right roller size for you, first decide which shape you’re going for and then take a clump of your hair and see how many times it wraps around a roller. If you want wavy hair and your hair wraps one and a half times around a medium-sized roller, then you know that’s the right size for you. If you want your hair to be supercurly but you have only chin-length locks, then you likely need to go for petite or small rollers. Take some time to wind rollers through your hair (if the salesperson will let you) or even measure the length of your hair if you need to. As I said, the size of the rollers you choose has a big impact on the type of shapes you can create, so you don’t want to end up with the wrong ones!

As a good guide, salon professionals look at roller-setting in the following way:

• One complete turn of your hair around the roller creates soft, C-shaped movements.

• One to two turns around the roller create awesome waviness and fullness.

• More than two turns around the roller create definitive, shapely curls.

TYPES OF ROLLERS

Now that you have an idea which size rollers you want, the next thing you need to think about is what kind of rollers make the most sense for you. There are three basic kinds, and each has its own tale to tell. Let’s take a look.

Sponge rollers are soft and comfortable. This makes them the best choice when you plan to leave the rollers in your hair for an extended period of time, for a wet set. You put the rollers into wet hair and allow it to dry, either naturally or, if you’re short on time, with the aid of a blow-dryer and/or diffuser. This results in long-lasting and—if you wish—more radical changes in your style. You truly can get awesome, style-defining curliness in even the straightest natural hair types. Because sponge rollers are soft and supple, you need to fasten them onto your hair with hair clips.

Velcro rollers are generally used only on dry hair because the Velcro tends to snag on wet hair and pull it out of place. On the upside, the Velcro grips dry hair well so no clipping is necessary to secure the roller into place. These rollers let you make quick changes to your shape and style, with two typical uses: Put them in dry hair for five to fifteen minutes to get a wonderful extra kick of body and bounce, or place them in dry hair that you’ve misted liberally with a blow-dry setting spray or similar setting product and then blast with hot air using the diffuser attachment on your dryer, for a beautiful soft and wavy set to your hair.

Hot rollers are also used only on dry hair. They’re heated electrically and are a great time-saver if you want similar effects to a sponge-roller wet set but don’t have the time. The results don’t last quite as long as a wet set, and you can’t create radical changes, but you still get a great change to the way you look. All you have to do is heat the rollers, apply a thermal protector product to protect your hair from the direct heat, and then put them in until they cool, around twenty minutes. These rollers also need clips, but normally you get the clips as part of the package when you buy the set of hot rollers.

Choose Your Set: Wet, Dry, or Hot

These three types of hair setting all offer you great opportunities to temporarily change the natural tendencies of your hair and, more significantly, they let you change and adapt your style, and make any occasion special. All three techniques can be used on any size rollers. The thing to remember is that the type of set you choose influences how soft or firm, and how long-lasting, your set is.

The wet set. Anything you do to your hair when it’s still wet and allowed to dry naturally gives you a firmer shape that lasts longer. With the wet set, you place unheated sponge rollers into your wet hair and then let your hair dry naturally—even overnight if you have the time. This gives you your firmest, most lasting set, with a strong and sexy curl or wave (depending on the size of your rollers) that lasts a minimum of three days, probably more, especially if you’ve let it dry overnight.

You can also blow-dry your hair instead of waiting for it to dry naturally. For the strongest possible set you can get with a blow-dryer, after you put all the rollers in place, simply use the diffuser attachment on your blow-dryer to dry your hair through. You still get great curls or waves with prominent body and bounce, but it’s a softer, move movable set that lasts you all day and night, and maybe even the next day, too.

To make sure any set lasts longer, don’t pull your hair back into a pony or twist, because that definitely flattens it out. Instead, wear it down, and each morning just go for a quick five-minute blow out with a brush, blow-dryer, and a small amount of a setting or holding product. This revitalizes your waves and curls for a superstylish changed-up do that works for you from day to day.

The dry Velcro roller set. Velcro rollers are put into the hair after you blow-dry. Put a light foam or setting spray into your hair when you come out of the shower and blast it through with a dryer until it is almost, or completely, dry. Now put in a few Velcro rollers for ten to fifteen minutes, hitting them with high heat from the dryer for a minute or so, before letting it cool. This gives you wavy movements, bounce, and volume, which make your hair easier to work with than if you’d done a wet set (remember, a wet set creates quite firm hold and the hair isn’t quite so malleable, at least for the first day or two).

If you haven’t got time to wash, blow-dry, and set your hair, a swift fix is to simply mist your dry hair liberally with a setting spray or lotion before putting in Velcro rollers, and blast them all over with heat from your dryer. This gives you a similar, if slightly softer, effect to the traditional way of using Velcro rollers.

The hot roller set. This is my mom’s favorite set. Place hot electric rollers into dry hair and then leave them in until they cool, usually around twenty to twenty-five minutes. This type of set is never as firm or long-lasting as the wet set, but the heat still gives your hair lots of marvelous added movement with all the good stuff like waves and curls, body and bounce completely achievable. And again, because your hair is more malleable, you can better manipulate it to create your own hot new style.

How to Set

Whether you choose rollers that are large or small; sponge, Velcro, or electric; or whether you choose a wet, hot, or dry set, the technique for fixing the rollers onto your head is the same—it’s called base roller setting. I’ll take you through it step by step, and I’ll include small amendments for each type of set, which will enable you to get the most out of your roller setting, no matter which method you choose.

1. Depending on the type of set you’re going for, your hair will be wet or dry, but either way, begin by gently combing your hair from scalp to ends, preferably with a wide-tooth-comb, to make sure your hair is tangle free and won’t snag in the rollers.

2. Next, you need product to make sure your set stays set. The best products for this kind of work include blow-dry setting sprays and lotions, volume-building foams, or anything that works to set your hair long into the night. Now that your hair is tangle-free, apply the product liberally all over your hair. If it’s a spray, just mist it all over, making sure to get in at the roots. If it’s a foam or créme, work it through from roots to ends. And if you’ll be using heat later on, don’t forget your thermal protector.

3. It’s now time to grab your rollers, and you should certainly sit yourself down in front of a mirror so you can see exactly what you’re doing. Don’t worry too much about the exact placement of your rollers; just be careful that, whether you’re putting in six big rollers or sixteen small ones, you get a nice even spread across the front, top, sides, and back. Do this and your hot new look is sure to be well balanced.

4. Start at the front because that’s the easiest place to do it yourself. Part a section of hair that is the same width as the roller, no wider, and give that section another quick comb through to make sure there are no snags. Again, I double-stress that the width of the section of hair you’re holding should be the same width as your roller. Why? Because this is the best way to get the consistent curl or wave action that is sure to get you noticed. Pulling hair from outside the width of the roller creates what’s called drag. This stops the roller from sitting securely on your head and you end up with less consistent, floppy waves and curls that fail to last.

5. Now that your hair is parted correctly, take that section and pull it up and away from the scalp with your thumb and fingertips. Make sure the hair is taut with no creases or loose bits and hold it in position as close to the tips as you can get without the hair falling free.

6. While holding the section of hair in place, use your free hand to place the roller on the hair as close to the tips of the hair shaft as you can. Wrap the roller around the hair gently and smoothly, making sure that it catches and holds on to the hair. Now you can place both of your thumbs over the ends of the roller and roll your hair firmly down to the scalp.

7. Once that section is all rolled up, sponge and hot rollers need to be clipped into place. Velcro rollers should hold by themselves, but if you feel more comfortable putting a clip in, that’s fine, too.

8. Repeat steps 4--6 with sections all over your head.

9. After all your hair is rolled, apply another liberal amount of setting spray all over your hair, with particular emphasis on the roots of the rolled sections. Note: You need a spray product here because you can’t get a foam or créme to reach your roots while the rollers are in place.

10. If you’re doing a wet set and want to let it dry naturally for the strongest set, fine. If your hair is long, this can take a couple of hours or more, especially if your hair is also thick. It’s a good idea to sleep with these sponge rollers left in, if you can. That way when you wake up you’re good to go. Alternatively, you can use a blow-dryer with a diffuser attachment to dry the hair more quickly, but bear in mind that this will affect the firmness and longevity of your set. If you’re doing a hot roller set, you need wait only until the rollers are cool before taking them out. For a Velcro dry set, remember that you have already blow-dried your hair before the roller application, so just leave the rollers in for ten to twenty minutes. The longer you leave them in, the more of that gorgeous modern swing and movement you get, but more than twenty minutes is superfluous.

11. When the rollers are ready to come out, unroll and unwind them the same way you put them in—gently and smoothly. Resist any temptation to speed up the process by dragging them out—this definitely destroys your style.

12. Remember, no hairstyle is truly set until it’s cool, so give your hair a quick blast of cool air with your dryer. If the style you created is curlier than you wished for, no problem. Just use a blow-dryer and a brush to brush out the curl until you’ve got the look you want.

13. With a wet set, the slower setting time can give you set lines, a darker band of color running across the line of your hair, at exactly the place where the rollers were placed. Not to worry. For a quick and simple quick fix, brush them out.

14. Now use your fingers or a brush to work your hair into the pattern of your desired style, and be sure to make yourself look stunning. Fix the look into place with a hair or holding spray.

15. If you wish, you can use a straightening or curling iron on the ends to create a custom-made finish to your look. Just curl or twist up any loose ends around the front and sides to add a touch of individual polished elegance. Refine the style with an iron once it’s set, rather than trying to create all the shape and texture at once.

The Toolbox

Getting a great change to your hairstyle requires using the right technique with the right products and tools. To make sure you’ve got the right gear, here’s your go-to-guide.

Rollers. You need sponge, Velcro, or hot rollers at your disposal. Think about the types of waves or curls you want to create, because this determines which rollers you want and which size they should be. If you have a few different sizes and types on hand, you significantly expand your styling options.

Clips. Clips are essential to pin sponge or hot rollers into place and can be helpful for Velcro rollers, too.

Product. If you use hot rollers, you need a thermal protector, and everybody needs a good blow-dry setting spray or lotion to set the new look. Hair spray or holding spray is another essential to hold your finished look in place.

Blow-dryer/diffuser. You can dry your wet-set hair with a dryer, but this increases the chance of the rollers getting blown out of position. It’s far better to use a diffuser attachment—you get the heat but without the airflow that knocks your rollers and your look out of place.

Hot irons. If you want to tousle up, twist out, or smooth through your finished look, use a straightening or curling iron to add the final touches.

Wide-tooth comb. It’s vital that your hair is tangle free so the rollers don’t snag. The best way to ensure smoothness is to comb it out gently with a wide-tooth comb.

Quick-Set Options

Now you know how to reset your hair into different wave and curl formations. But what about those days and nights when you’d like to add a bit more glitz and glamour but perhaps don’t have the time or inclination to go for a full roller set? Hot irons are your number one solution. Modern hot tools have the power to straighten and smooth, as well as to create curls and movement without the need for rollers. The change isn’t as big or dramatic, and it really lasts only through one full day and night before looking a bit limp, but it can still add a special change to your look.

THE CURLING IRON SET

Let’s go through it step by step.

1. If your hair is straight to wavy, this is your best bet for a quick transformation. You can use this tool on wet or dry hair, but always apply a thermal protector before you start.

2. Now apply a setting spray, lotion, or foam to aid the strength and longevity of the set.

3. The basics of using this tool are explained in Chapter 5, “Styling at Home,” so you should already be well versed in the fundamentals, but also keep in the forefront of your mind that where and how you use your curling iron has a big effect on the looks you can create.

4. If you’ve got straightish hair and want some nice soft curls and added volume, focus your curling iron application at the roots. This way you get the most volume and lift, enhanced with lovely luscious waves springing out through roots to ends. Repeat all across the front, sides, top, and back for full voluminous curls.

5. If you’d rather go for a tousled look with soft, romantic curly ends to add more femininity to your style, focus your curling iron on the last few inches of your hair shaft instead.

6. Depending on how much curl you desire, you can wrap the iron from the roots halfway up your hair shaft (step 4), or just curl the ends under (step 5). Both looks are easy to achieve—keep experimenting until you find the perfect curling iron set for you. You may even find that a combination of these techniques works great for your style. You can try the more volumized curls (step 4) through the top and back to give you body and bounce combined with some soft, tousled waves (step 5) in the bangs and around the front, adding a polished touch of vintage glamour.

7. Your options don’t end there. You can turn your iron under (in toward you and your scalp) or over (out and away from you and your scalp). Turning the curling iron under brings your curls in toward your head for a polished and feminine finish, while turning the iron out makes your curls roll outward in a more playful, flirty, 1970s look. Both are great, and I encourage you to try them both.

8. Finish by misting hair or holding spray all over to hold and set your look. And if you fancy a touch of dazzle, a few drops of a shine-enhancing product add glamour and glitz.

THE STRAIGHTENING IRON SET

If your hair is naturally curly, but you would like your curls to be set into softer flowing waves but without roller-setting, the tool for you is a straightening iron.

1. Straightening can be done only on dry hair with product being your first port of call. A thermal protector and a setting spray, lotion, or créme should top your list. Apply the thermal protector first, followed by the setting product, which you should apply liberally from roots to ends.

2. The actual styling is oh so easy. Work the iron through sections of your hair nice and straight. Once your hair is straight enough in the front, top, sides, and back, you can play with different styles by gently twisting, rolling, and turning the iron through the final few inches of your hair shaft to create tousled-out midsections and ends.

3. Now. just as with the curling iron set (step 7), if you want to use a straightening iron to curl your ends inward and under, make that motion with your iron, and if you want your curls to swing outward, just twist your iron outward. Easy.

4. Smaller 1" to 1½" straightening irons are better for this kind of manipulation because you can work on smaller sections, which gives you more control.

5. Finish by misting hair or holding spray all over to hold and set your look. If you fancy a touch of dazzle, add a few drops of a shine-enhancing product.

Updo Styling

An updo is defined as any style that involves putting up all or most of your hair. There are two basic ways to do this: the ponytail and the twist. You may remember that it is easier to put curly hair up. When you grab a section and pull it back into a pony, a lot of hair comes with it. That’s because, as you pull the hair back, curls lock and grab on to their neighbors, pulling together much more efficiently than straight hair, which isn’t rounded and doesn’t naturally lock together.

When you pull straight hair back, a lot of hair tends to fall by the wayside. But if you’ve got straight hair and first make it curly with rollers or an iron, then you get the same benefits as natural curly heads. Another benefit: It’s easier to put pins in curly hair because they hook and grab around that textured hair, holding it perfectly in place. In straight hair, pins are more prone to falling out. Not only that, but it’s easier to hide the pins in curls. And come on, ladies, what’s sexier than a pulled-back pony or twist that has shapely curls or movement to it—so feminine, so foxy?

So anytime you’re planning to put your hair up, think about first using a few rollers, or working an iron to create some movement. Then you have a stable foundation for your updo. As you already know from Chapter 5 how to shape ponytails and twists, use this added texture to make your updo styling easier, more creative, successful and, most important, sexy!

The best way to be ready for your special occasion updo is to practice, practice, practice. Put your foundation in, then use a few bands, big pins, grips, or clips to pull your hair up into the sort of shapes you want. Look in the mirror to see how it works for you. You can experiment with different types of dramatic high ponytails, sophisticated low ponytails, and fashion-forward ponytails that sit off center. Try your own versions of the classic twist, too: For a trial run, just take a couple of big pins to hold your hair in place, see if you like the shape, and if and when you do, secure it with a few more big pins to hold the structure. Finally, use smaller pins to hold in the fine details of your newfound special occasion twist.

PONY VARIATIONS

The ponytail is a simple way for any woman to change her day-to day style. You can use a simple loose and low ponytail when you want to look casual, and you can use a high, more dramatic ponytail when you want to look dressy or dramatic. And once you’re comfortable with your basic ponytail (as demonstrated here), there are a whole host of options to give you more variety.

Pin Perfect

The best updos use the fewest pins, so keep it simple, efficient, and direct. Practice getting to grips with the basics—one main anchor and no more than three or four detailing clips, and don’t worry about hiding all grips and clips. If the shape is nice, just allow it to look natural and organic.

The quality of grips and clips is important. If a bobby pin doesn’t return to its aligned position after use, it’s soft and weak, which makes it harder for you to achieve success. Instead, look for professional pins that have a matte or textured finish; these enable greater grip for your styling. Finally, make sure that all pins retain their covered tip edges so they don’t snap your hair strands. Holding pins in your mouth is a classic mistake, causing the tip to fail.

Consider bangs. There are two great options that work well with a ponytail. First, you can slick your bangs back so it looks like you don’t have any bangs at all. Just use some hairspray (as much as you need) to push and slick your bangs back, making them a part of your ponytail. This gives you a very dramatic and sleeked-back style.

Second, for a softer shape that frames your eyes, simply comb your bangs into a side part, pushing your bangs to the side of your face. It’s a modern and sexy way to complement any ponytail.

Next, I recommend trying something even simpler: Drape a few pieces of your ponytail loosely around your neck. Once your ponytail is in place, gently drag out a few pieces of tied-back hair and let them fall naturally. Don’t make them look too perfect; let them appear loose, casual, and messy. Loosely draped and free hair strands are all at once playful, sensual, and refined, and it’s so easy you have to try it.

The emboldened at-home hairdoer can try the side ponytail, placing it at the side of your head rather than in the back. When you look in the mirror, you see your pony draped over one side of your face, hanging over your ear. It’s exactly the same technique as with the basic ponytail; just make sure to create a side part on the opposite side of your pony, as this gives the look a better overall balance. This is great if your hair has natural curl and movement; the side pony appears much gentler and more forgiving, that way. This is a bold high-fashion statement, so be sure that’s the statement you want to make before you wear it out.

Finally, here’s something every woman should try. Put some curl and movement into your hair and then place it into a sophisticated high ponytail. This is a beautiful look that creates lots of looseness, lots of free texture, and it’s soft and feminine. Simply create some curly textural waves in the back of your hair by following the techniques in either sections on the creating curl or curling irons, (of course, if you’re lucky enough to have naturally curly hair you don’t have to worry about this!), then place those curly waves into the top of your high ponytail. Again, you are creating your ponytail by using the basic ponytail technique, but now your hair has curl and movement. Once your pony is set in place, you can use fine hairpins to pin the curls to the back of your head, helping them sit flat and hold their shape all day, all night.

Special Days

Now that you’ve mastered roller-setting and have some classic updos in your style locker, you can tailor your styling to all kinds of special occasions.

One big piece of advice before you embark on all this change: Try out your do first. The last thing you want is to spend the money and the time to look fabulous but not feel fabulous. One client came to me the morning of her daughter’s wedding. Sheila had already had the makeup artist come to her house and do a full “wedding" face, appropriate for a mother of the bride. She looked quite glamorous, but it was more than I was used to seeing on her.

We had discussed her wedding hair. She had decided on a low, elegant chignon. After seeing that full face of makeup, I asked if she was sure. I thought perhaps she would feel too stark and severe. But this was what she had had in her mind for the last year, so chignon it was. She looked beautiful, very glamorous and elegant, but very done, like an old-time movie star.

Sheila was due back for her usual cut about a month later. The minute she planted herself in my chair, I asked about the wedding and how she felt about her look.

I was devastated by the woeful expression on her face.

“It was awful,” she said.

“It was your daughter’s wedding. How could that be awful?”

“I just didn’t feel like myself.” Sheila explained that although everyone told her how beautiful she looked, she just didn’t feel like herself. After the pictures were taken, she went into the bathroom, took off half her makeup, and loosened the chignon into a more casual style. “It wasn’t perfect,” she said, “but it felt more me. Then I had a great time.”

Lesson learned. Try out the whole look—hair, makeup, everything—at least once before your big occasion.

I’m all for change and don’t think people should always just stick with what feels comfortable, but you need to revel in that change and not want to hide. If Sheila had known before how she would feel, she probably would have done less makeup or softer hair.

Here are my top picks for six special occasions.

NIGHT OUT WITH THE GIRLS

What a great time to have fun with your hair! For this type of occasion I love styles that look natural and casual—nothing too forced. Think about making your hair look flirty and fashionable because, for me, that’s always a winner, especially when you can talk about how you created such a wonderful yet casual do with all your friends! Anything that bounces with kicks and flicks is an awesome head turner. And make sure you get a few pieces of hair to fall and drape around your face, especially if you can use an iron to put some understated wave movements into it—utterly fabulous. Set your hair so it has movement and softness. Go for a style that is cute and sexy. As I said before, I get a big kick out of seeing cascading waves that have been pulled back into a sophisticated low-slung or off-to-the-side pony. So why not try roller-setting with big rollers to give you that gushing, tumbling, waterfall effect? Then, all you have to do is create that low pony and you, and your look, will be the envy of all your friends.

DATE NIGHT

You want to look stunning but not over the top. More than anything, give your hairstyle sex appeal. If you’re a curly, go for a wet set and set your hair into smooth and sleek romantic waviness. If you have unruly flyaway hair, pull it away from your face into a classic pony or twist—that way you won’t be thinking about it throughout the night. Whenever I’m styling a woman’s hair for her date night, I definitely want to make her look classy and polished and pulled together; that should be your aim, too. But you don’t want hair that you—and your man!—can’t run your fingers through. That’s no good if you get a kiss and a cuddle, because men like to touch and caress hair. Go for something stylish, special, and different, but easy to wear and easy to touch. You don’t want anything too elaborate and nothing that needs a bagful of pins to hold it up. Maybe finish your look with a high shine product to give your hair a healthy, sexy glow. It’s worth taking the time to make yourself look great, and you’ll feel fabulous.

OFFICE PARTY

Office parties tend to begin at clocking-off time, so you want something that is a quick change from your day-to-day hair and adds a bit more drama to your look—sternly professional no more, ready to party for sure. Stick a hot iron (either a curling iron or straightening iron) and setting or holding spray in your bag so you can go for that swift fix. You can go through the hair section by section, lifting your hair up at the root, misting in the product, and then using the iron to create extra smoothness or some wave and curl movements—whatever works for you.

Even changing the position of your part gives you an instant change, or for more distinction, clip your hair off to the side. And don’t forget about the ponytail. Ponies are super easy to do and, for this occasion, I love the high pony. It says, “Hey, I’m modern and fun, and look at all the wonderful movement in my hair.” You get lift, drama, and not just a little polished elegance, thereby hitting your work colleagues with a sudden and striking surprise. If your office party is in the holiday season, you can think about adding more glitz to your look. Accessorize with a high-sparkle (fake!) diamond barrette, or if that’s too much for you, holiday-inspired clips and grips are a great option, making you look seasonal.

WEDDING

On your most special day, your hairstyle, simply has to last. Because of this, consider getting your hair styled professionally. You want to look absolutely sensational, timeless (you’ll be looking at your wedding photos for a long time!), and coordinated with your dress and the theme of your day, and the best way to piece all of those things together is to go to a professional.

So let’s talk about the professional wedding-day do. It’s imperative you go for a consultation first, as this gives you the chance to try out your ideas and see if you like the results. Before you go to your appointment, think about what you’d like to achieve. It’s a great idea to take inspiration from the theme of your day. Is your day simple or elaborate? Does it reflect a certain era—the 1920s or 1940s, for example? Is it a modern-day casual beach wedding? Remember, too, that the simplest wedding styles, the ones that are whimsical and flattering, are generally considered the best. If you do want something elaborate and ornamental, fine, but make it that way in the back, rather than in the front—just as wedding dresses are uncomplicated in the front and feature decoration in the back. There’s no need to overcomplicate the front because the focus should be on you and your natural beauty, not on your hair.

Consider these things when thinking about your hairdo, then find some pictures of hair that you like in bridal magazines. Go to your consultation armed with a good selection of pictures and a good selection of ideas. Take a digital camera with you to take pictures of the stylist’s work and then ask him or her to vary it a little. Wedding consultations aren’t cheap, so you may as well make your stylist earn his or her keep. Don’t worry, if you don’t like the first creation, that’s why you’ve gone in advance and not left it until your special day! Once you’ve worked with your hairdresser to find the right shape and style for you, don’t expect your wedding day do to be an exact match to the consultation version. It should be 90 or 95 percent the same, but always allow for little differences.

If you are doing your wedding hairdo at home, keep it supersimple. Practice it over and over again with your maid of honor. On the big day, give yourself plenty of time, make it easy to manage, and you definitely want hairspray to fix the hair away from your face. The simplest piece of decoration could really make your look; one well-placed flower adds rich ornate beauty to your style. Go for something simple, elegant, and timeless.

If you’re a bridesmaid, make sure that your style matches that of the bride, but don’t upstage her—that’s bad wedding etiquette. Check in with her to see what style she’s going for and style your hair to be a subtle variation on that theme, but nothing overpowering.

VACATION

When you’re on vacation, you don’t want to carry lots of tools with you. It’s too much hassle, and, besides, lots of heat tool work causes more damage to your hair when you combine it with the damage caused by the sun and ocean. Instead, take the casual, natural, and healthy approach. Look to give your hair a nice glow, and if you want a style that goes from day to night, then use product to create a nice, natural shape. This is a great time to accessorize: Go for simple low ponytails with a hat or a scarf, which make you look beach-savvy, with the added benefit of protecting your hair from the sun.

JOB INTERVIEW

The key element on a job interview is to look professional, polished, and well groomed. Make sure you’ve got a great haircut, and, if you’re into color, there should be no roots showing. You’ll most likely be sitting across a desk from your interviewer, so it’s the top half of you that he or she will be looking at and connecting with. Keep your hair out of your face so you don’t have to keep pushing it out of your eyes. Whenever I conduct an interview with a potential employee, I always look for him or her to be wearing a hair shape and a style befitting a modern pulled-together professional, and a similar approach is definitely your best bet. Don’t go for a style that you would never normally try to do. I’ve seen it myself—people come in for an interview looking great, and then on their first day they look totally different. Make sure to style your hair in a way that, if they ask you back, still looks like you when you return.

When You’re Out and About and Your Flashy Look Flops

You spent all that time creating a gorgeous and sexy special-occasion do. You shaped wonderful waves or cascading curls and now, when you’re out and about, and you’re catching the eye for such a fabulous style-enhancing change, your hair begins to droop. The curls are falling flat, the waves have wilted. What can you do?

First of all, don’t panic. This happens to everyone at one time or another—I’ve even seen some of my very own stylists dashing off to the ladies’ room to fix a drooping hairdo during a big night out in the city. Realizing your hair has gone bad is more than half the battle. You know it’s happened if the fullness and volume, so apparent in roller setting, have gone. Your waves or curls are no longer bouncy and voluptuous, more deflated and dull. Being able to pick up the pieces from a special style gone wrong in the middle of an occasion is a requirement for the modern style-conscious woman.

As I say, this can happen to anyone. The humidity or, if you’re inside, the air-conditioning or proximity of bodies (and consequently hot air) may well have caused the droop, so don’t beat yourself up. Preparation is the key—have tools on hand that can fix your flopping do. Always carry in your bag a mid- to firm-hold hair or holding spray and a few pins, grips, and clips. Whisk yourself off to powder your nose and now you can use your holding spray. Mist it in all over and then use your fingers to gently push your hair up into its former style. Holding sprays are designed to build structure and defeat droopiness, helping you revitalize your look with lift, shine, and polish. But don’t stop there—if it’s fallen once, it can fall again. Take your pins, grips, or clips and pull your hair back or set it to the side, pin it in place, give it a final mist of holding spray, and you’re good to go. You might even take this chance to pull out a few loose strands of hair around the front and let them drape and frame your face. And if your friends or date ask you what happened, just say, “What, oh my hair? Nothing. I just fancied a change!”

Summing It All Up

My final chapter of Great Hair encourages you to take all your newfound knowledge about hair care and hair styling and go one step further by creating magical special-occasion hair.

The trick is to build a foundation for your new special style by setting your hair into waves and curls that are full of body and bounce. There are a couple of ways to do this. First, you can set your hair with rollers. Remember that different sizes and different types do different things. Use a bigger roller for smooth and wavy looks; use a smaller roller for curlier hair. Sponge rollers can be left in the hair the longest and consequently have the biggest potential to create the most radical and lasting changes in your hairstyle. Velcro rollers should be left in the hair for only fifteen or twenty minutes and create soft waves with lots of body and bounce. Hot rollers should be left in the hair until it is cool (around twenty minutes) and also create lots of movement and bounce with waves and soft curls completely achievable.

For a quicker solution, use my quick-set options that utilize the curling iron and straightening iron for quicker, if less lasting, changes. They’re a great option for a speedy, fantastic change.

When you want to put your hair up into a foxy and feminine style, use my updo styling section and guidelines on pony variations and pins to create the look you want.

I finish the chapter with some ideas for styles that will suit the special days in your life. Have fun creating them and have even more fun wearing them!