Through all of our handy beauty products, we enhance and improve upon our features that we were born with, and play up the ones that we wish had a bit more prominence. So that saying “fake it until you make it” can really ring true in the beauty world — if you want fuller lips, make them; bolder brows, create them; and a countered jawline, contour it!
In this column we’ll teach you the tips and tricks to tweaking your features and “faking it” until you “make it.”We’ve all had those frantic, late-start mornings where it’s a miracle if your shoes match and you remembered to unplug your curling iron, so for days like this, freshly washed and styled hair is simply out of the question. Especially if you’re rocking third (or dare we say, fourth!) day hair, chances are your roots are looking flat and oily. Thankfully there are a couple of quick tricks to help revamp lifeless locks. With these tips, the next time the chance of a shampoo and blowout is looking utterly bleak, no one will be the wiser.
Dry clean your hair: Some of the best ammo you can have in your beauty arsenal against dirty hair is dry shampoo and its newest sister, dry conditioner. All you need to do is shake the can, lift hair section by section, and spray short bursts of dry shampoo on your roots. Let it sit for a few minutes, then either tousle your hair with your fingers or brush it out. Don’t, however, brush your hair prior to dry shampooing, since this will only distribute the oil throughout the rest of your hair. For the dry conditioner, apply this from the mid-section of the hair down to make hair feel softer and hydrated.
Do a half-wash: The part of the hair that appears the dirtiest is usually the crown and the section right around the face. To help make your hair look as if it were freshly washed, section off the front section of your hair and clip the rest back. Next, wash this section in the sink by using a small, pea-sized amount of shampoo. Blow dry your hair and style as you normally would. This will take far less time than jumping in the shower and trying to dry and style an entire head of hair.
Rock beach waves: Effortless, fresh-from-the-beach hair is meant to look a little messy and grungy, so what better style to wear with dirty hair than beach waves? Spray a little dry shampoo on your roots to soak up excess oil and add texture, then spray some sea salt spray throughout your stands. Scrunch your hair, give it a little tousle with your fingers, and you’re good to go!
Try a chic chignon: Sleek, off-duty ballerina hair works perfectly with dirty hair, since it already has the components for a slicked-back look. Pull hair back into a tight ponytail, then wrap the hair around the base and pin in place for an easy, on-the-go style.
Grab a headband: Headbands are such a cute way to hide dirty hair, especially if you rock the headwrap trend that hides quite a bit of unruly hair.