When it comes to handling a hair brush and a hair dryer together, I am all thumbs. I just can't manage to give myself that professional (or even semi-professional) looking blow dry.
Everyday though I see women who obvioulsy manage it at home, without a stylist, and it makes me slightly depressed :)
However, although handling a blow dryer and other hair related tools is important, I don't believe that it's the only way to achieve Kate's "Chelsea Blow-Dry". In fact, I challenge the time and what I see as the complexity of getting this look.
I don't want to wake up an hour earlier to spend 30 minutes in front of the bathroom mirror, with a bunch of curlers, bobby pins, hair dryer and various kinds of brushes.
The first key to getting Kate's beautiful hair, as I've mentioned in other posts, is first and foremost her basic and foundational style. Your hair needs to be at least past shoulder length, and then ask the hairdresser for longer layers and be sure to keep the bangs around chin-length, no shorter. Otherwise, it will be hard to style the front of the hair without the bangs looking too short when styled.
Next, make sure that your longer hair is well looked after. I made this mistake recently (again - what a dummy). I started to notice that my long hair was looking shapeless - even on the days I washed it. It hung limp and lifeless and flat around my face and it just didn't look, or feel, good.
I don't know what snapped me out of this brain fog, but I suddenly realized - my hair must be really dry, no wonder it has no shape and it looks so flat!
Thankfully Shopper's Drug Mart had a sale on, so I managed to get:
1) a volumizing and conditioning mousse. It also claims to add shine - and it definitely did! It may have also claimed to protect hair from heat styling... but maybe that's just wishful thinking :)
2) a better hair spray - my other one was too heavy and weighed my hair down too much. It also made my hair crunchy when I touched it. Gross. That can't look natural.
3) I bought a hair mask - to be applied at least once a week. This helps to restore moisture to the hair, which will make it healthy and it will look bouncy and shiny and be easier to style and in general manage.
4) I made sure to purchase some volumizing shampoo and conditioner. I think that you need to use these kinds of shampoos and conditioners - even if you have thicker hair - to make sure that you really do have volume in your hair. Sometimes thicker hair can get weighed down.
5) I also have argan oil, which I started to use when I had my epiphany. I'm not a huge fan of the brand that I have, but it will do for the occassional use.
So, find products that will help you achieve healthy, volumous hair. And to maintain it as well (hairspray)
What I do when I come to dry and style my hair is simple. I really just dry my hair until it's dry. I use my fingers only - lifting hair at the roots and shooting the heat at the root.
When the hair is dry I fix fly-aways with the straightening iron. I don't tend to take the iron to the end of the strands of hair - because I don't want to flatten it. I just want to flatten problem areas - usually baby hairs around my face.
Next, heat up your curling iron. What I do next is as complex and technical as I get with hair tools.
Curl the ends of your hair - either back from or towards your face. I have been doing it back from my face - as I think that's what it looks like Kate does.
I don't care for her tighter curls, so I opt for looser waves. I find tighter curls have the potential to look over-done and juvinile. I like Kate's hair much better when her hair is styled more loosely.
And then you should be done - after a spritz of hair spray for every curl. I also like to flip my hair over my head (upside down) and spritz too. It sounds like a lot of hair spray, but it's really not.
I think that I am going to look into a conair spin brush. I read some reviews and it sounds like it could help refine the process of getting Kate's "Chelsea Blow-Out".
More later!
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