From the runways to the red carpets, we see models and movie stars toss their full, wavy hair around (think: Victoria’s Secret Angels’ waves). There’s just something so sexy about a full, shiny head of hair: Strong, flowing locks signify youthfulness and good health and make up an important part of our female identity. On the contrary, fragile and thinning hair can be a sign of aging or a nutritional deficiency. Stress can cause hair loss, too. Of course, the most important way to get straight up healthy hair is to focus on your overall health and make sure you’re getting all of the right beauty nutrients. (You can even try adding one of these strengthening supplements for hair into your daily routine.)
But even when it’s at its healthiest, we’re not all born with naturally big and wavy hair. Luckily, with a few expert styling tips and the right products on hand, you can get that bombshell supermodel hair at home.
Step 1: Build a Strong Foundation
Celebrity hairstylist Richard Marin—who just so happens to style the hair of our No. 1 sexy hair role model, Cindy Crawford—says that a great blow-dry is the most important foundation to create your bombshell look. “Begin by spraying a thermo-active heat protecting spray to protect hair from heat damage,” Marin says. This will also add extra shine, especially if you then dry with an ion drier, like T3 Featherweight 2.
While drying, Marin suggests a few ways to make it even bigger and better: “Remember for that great volume, dry your hair against the way your roots grow,” he says. Also, try drying with hair flipped upside down and adding a volumizer (we like Kérastase Lift Vertige) to the roots to help lift the base. When it’s dry, “flip hair back into place and work your round brush on the end of your hair with an ion dryer to get a little bend in the ends of hair.”
If your hair is extremely fine and slippery-soft, you can try adding some mousse pre-blow-dry, too. Apply to damp strands from roots to ends and blow dry with a roundbrush, lifting at the roots (and employ Marin’s upside-down trick, sans volumizer). Or, to cut down on product use, try a volumizing spray that also works as a heat-protectant. An extremely lightweight option, like this Sally Hershberger Plump Up Thickening Mist uses collagen to plump up strands.
Step 2: Get Waving
To get those supermodel-esque waves, after drying use a large barrel curling iron or a styling wand, like this one from Remington. “You want to achieve a soft bend in the hair (not a curl but a very relaxed wave),” Marin says, which a wand is perfect for, since it gives a variety of patterns and loose bends instead of tight, ringlet curls. As you curl, set each one while it’s still hot to increase volume. Here’s how: “Spray a mist of hairspray on your ironed hair & take 3- to 4-inch sections of your hair and wrap them around your forefinger and middle finger to create a large curl and pin in place.” After about 20 minutes, or whenever the curls have cooled off, remove the pins and brush out hair.
Step 3: Make It Last
To lock in volume and maintain your style, dry shampoo is your best friend, Marin says. Just be sure to spray only on the roots, and then comb through hair. “A common mistake is to spray the outer section as you would using hairspray but that method will weigh down your blowdry and depending on the outside humidity, that can just deflate the volume you just created,” Marin warns. Try AG Color Cosmetics High & Dry, a mattifying dry texturizing spray that will revive volume if hair starts to fall flat. Then, top hair with a glossy finishing spray such as Bumble & Bumble Let It Shine Finishing Spray to add an extra touch of shine.
MORE: Watch Our Fine-Haired Model Transform Into Cindy
