how to cut your BLOW-DRYING time in half

TWO INSIDER TRICKS TO CUT YOUR DRYING TIME IN HALF...

and prevent fluffy, flyaway, damaged hair...  

1. BLOT DRY: After washing your hair, never-ever rub your hair dry with a towel as it roughens up the cuticles which deprives your hair of shine – not to mention breakage which can occur as your hair is weaker when it’s wet. And forget that the towel-turban, it sneakily snaps hair around your hairline.

{Insider super-quick trick: Instead of using a towel, blot your hair with kitchen towel! Yep, you read right, it's majorly absorbent and will dry your hair much faster than your towel!}

2. SLEEK CHEAT: Try to let your hair to dry eighty percent naturally before blasting it with your dryer and always aim the dryer down the hair shaft. This nifty move helps the hair cuticle lie flat which is the trick to sleek hair. Then finish with a blast of cool air and a sleek of hair serum!

{Pic: Style.com}

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3 top styling tips for YOUR TOPKNOT

WANT TO PERFECT YOUR TOPKNOT OR BALLERINA BUN?

Try these  3 easy top tips...

Tip 1: Backcomb your ponytail to create a bigger, more secure bun. If your hair is slippery straight or on the fine side, this is especially helpful. A little bit of teasing not only creates the illusion of more hair, it gives it enough grip to stay up all day or night. 

Tip 2: Jackknife the bobby pins into your hair to keep it in place. If you're using bobby pins to create the bun, here's how to make it super secure: Push the feet of the bobby pin up through the edge of the bun and then jackknife the bobby pin back down, towards the centre of the bun. 

Tip 3: Wrap or tuck the bun tightly and then loosen it a bit with your fingers. Most of us want a little bit of fuzz or messiness in an updo, but if you start messy, your topknot {or whatever type of bun you're creating} will get really messy by the end of the night. Start with a tighter, more secure bun and then loosen strands lightly with your fingers to make it look less perfect.

{Source: Glamour / Pic: Pinterest}

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volume TRICK

TO GET VOLUPTUOUS HAIR... 

rub a thickening lotion into wet hair, twist between six and eight French braids... 

take them out when dry and brush through with your fingers.

Too easy!

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hair MOVEMENT

INSIDER INFO...

Hair that has movement, and doesn't fall flat, makes you look younger because it creates the illusion 

of high cheekbones and eyes that are awake.

 Here's how to get 'movement' in your hair at home...

When hair is damp, flip your head upside down, spray a texturiser on palms, and rake fingers through roots, lifting hair away from your scalp as you blow-dry. When only your roots are dry, flip upright and you'll see instant volume. Then, as you dry the rest of your hair, stretch out strands with a nylon-bristle brush—follow through from root to tip, flicking ends upward to add subtle curve. 

Extra tip: Blow-drying small sections of hair lets you extend strands more efficiently.

To get movement in your hair at the salon,

call Mana 8919 0146 to make an appointment

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hair love: STELLA MCCARTNEY S/S '12

LOVING THE HAIR @ STELLA MCCARTNEY S/S 2012, IT'S PERFECT FOR SUMMER!

Here's the insider info...

Hairstylist Eugene Souleiman looked no further than McCartney herself to get inspiration for the high and tight chignons. "What can I say? It's just Stella," he said of the bun that he swept up at the crown, coiled, and pinned to hold. Breaking out a blush brush to go over a layer of hair spray he had spritzed onto the sides to create sleekness without any harsh lines, Souleiman used his fingertips to rake hair back from the hairline, manipulating slight grooves along the surface. 

Simple as it all seemed, there was definitely a point of view to the style. "Get rid of that Alberta Ferretti stuff—it's way too romantic," Souleiman advised a member of his team to emphasize the "very chic, but slightly tougher and more masculine" message.

{Source: InStyle}

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hair TLC

BREAK BAD HAIR HABITS – before they break your hair... 

Here are the main offenders: 

1. THE TOWEL TURBAN: Wearing a towel turban to dry your hair can cause the hairs around your hairline to snap and break. Instead, wrap the length of your hair in a towel and twist it gently. If you have short hair, blot it dry. 

 2. TAKING LONG SHOWERS: Staying under hot water for five minutes or more makes your cuticles open, making your hair weak and more vulnerable. 

 3. SLEEPING ON A ROUGH PILLOWCASE: Coarse cotton pillowcases can cause friction which damages fragile hair. Sleeping on a satin or super-fine cotton pillowcase can help prevent damage.

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va va VOLUME

SLEEK AND CHIC IS GOOD but flat and limp is not!

Here's how to turn up your hair's volume...

1. LAYER IN MODERATION. Keep hair close to one length. When you overlayer it—which people mistakenly do in an attempt to create volume—you risk taking away too much bulk and actually decreasing the volume.

2. COLOUR SMART. Lightening your base colour one or two shades "gives the look of more volume. (Glazes and semipermanent dye "won't do the trick because they are stains, which actually smooth the hair even more.) For women who don't want to change their colour, consider using dye for texture—it ruffles the cuticle just enough to create body. In the hands of a skilled colorist, the ensuing damage is minimal—but it's still damage, so try this strategy only a few times a year to see how your hair responds.

3. REVERSE IT. Condition your hair before you shampoo. You'll still get the moisture and elasticity, but you'll wash out any residue that can weigh down fine hair. On days when hair is really dirty, he recommends shampooing, conditioning, and then shampooing again.

4. DRY WITH CARE. Creating volume in fine hair is like making a soufflé—overwork it and the whole thing falls flat. When blow-drying, work on large sections, holding the nozzle a few inches from the hair and keeping it moving.

5. PUT IT UP. To boost volume once the hair is dry, lift three-inch sections and allow them to drop through a mist of medium-hold hair spray, then spray your entire head with dry shampoo and scrunch; the result is hair with lift and a lovely, seemingly no-product finish. For those who hate hair spray, apply mousse to a vent brush and then to damp hair—it won't squeeze the air out of the mousse. Coat the brush with mousse and run it through one side of your hair, then refuel and do the other side.

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