DIY: Hair Tips & Tricks

Celebrities are always under the scrutinizing lens of the paparazzi — even when they're on a boat off the coast of Sardinia. Some of my best tricks come from giving myself fashion advice on what to do when I'm far from the salon. A few of these may sound insane (and will feel even more so when you're standing in front of the mirror), but I swear they work. You'll probably find out that when you use the right tools and techniques, you can be a pretty decent stylist yourself.


Do the Wave.
Rumpled, tousled waves are incredibly sexy, easy, and appropriate for a formal or casual event. Think of Gisele's hair, but messier. I've been doing it a lot on myself and my sister, so I know that it works on just about any hair texture. If your hair is wavy or curly, scrunch in two handfuls of Paul Mitchell Extra-Body Sculpting Foam (I don't know whether it's available in Malaysia, I got 'em from my aunt in New York) while it's still damp and let it air-dry. Then coat your palms with Bumble and Bumble Styling Wax and run your hands through your hair. If your hair is straight, you can blow it dry with a large paddle brush and wrap random one-inch sections around a large-barrel curling iron. Once all the hair is curled, mist it with a light finishing spray and scrunch with your hands to loosen the curls. If you don't have any of Paul Mitchell products, L'Oreal, Redken, Schawrzkopf, and Keratase works just the same.



Cut the Slack!
This is a trick for trimming shaggy, face-framing bangs, which is what most of my sister has. Instead of scissors, which can slip and cut hair unevenly, use a new, disposable single-blade razor (double and triple blades can split the hair). When hair is completely dry, brush bangs forward, and gather them in the middle of your face (between your eyes). Pull it taut with your index and middle fingers. Slide your fingers all the way to the ends of the hair, then gently run the razor above your fingers. When you're finished, make sure the length is even by pulling a piece of hair from either side toward the center of the face; they should be equidistant from the bridge of the nose.




Soften Up.
Every time I see a head of fried hay-hair in the mirror, I have the same recipe: Mix two tablespoons each of a rinse-out conditioner, a leave-in conditioner, a deep conditioner, and a hair mask in a bowl. Wet two large towels, wring them out, and put one in the microwave for a minute. Comb the mixture through clean, damp hair, and wrap it all up in the hot towel. Heat the second towel and alternate, repeating two or three more times. Do this once a week—it makes hair much softer. If you want, honey or olive oil works too. Just don't leave them too long in your hair, if you don't want your hair to become extra oily. Don't forget: Comb your hair regularly. Don't be afraid of falling hairs. It's natural for a girl's hair to fall more than sixty strands of hair. But if big clumps of hairballs, whoa, I'll have the remedy to post later.


Here are some of the greatest hair products ever made:
PAUL MITCHELL, REDKEN 5TH AVENUE NYC, ANZA HEALING HAIRCARE, MURAD, MIZANI, LOGICS, KMS CALIFORNIA, TIGI, FAROUK, FRAMESI, ALTERNA, PLATINUM EFFECT, GOLDWELL, MATRIX, SCRUPLES, CHI, PUREOLOGY, SEBASTIAN PROFESSIONAL, INTAGLIA, REDKEN, L'OREAL PARIS, KERATASE.