One hair straightener, four styles

It’s the swiss army knife of hair-styling tools.Why not put it to good use! Here are some of our favourite celebrity styles to copy.

SMOOTH & SLEEK

If your hair is bobbed, channel sophistication with a polished look like US Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna.

1 To add body, dry hair off using a medium-sized round brush. Pay special attention to your fringe.

2 Using a clip, section off the hair on the top of your head from the rest.

3 With the heated straightener, take an unclipped section and smooth from roots to ends, slightly rounding the bottom.

4 Keep repeating the smoothing and rounding action until you have finished all sections. Finally, smooth through with a vent brush and lightly spray with a soft-hold hairspray.

TOUSLED & TEXTURED

Add sexiness to shorter hairstyles, à la sultry Melrose Place star Lisa.

1 Apply volumising mousse and texturising spray to wet hair. Flip your head over and blast with a hairdryer.

2 When dry, take a 2.5cm section at the nape. Slide the hair through the straightener, gently flicking the ends up. Repeat until you reach just below the crown.

3 From here, in a horseshoe-shaped section from the left to right temple, slide the straightener along the lengths, gently turning the ends under.

4 Smooth your fringe down, bending the ends under. For sections above your ears, turn ends up with the straightener.

THE NEW STRAIGHT

Take a leaf out of Julia’s book and give shoulder-length hair a straight-but-bouncy feel.

1 This look is best achieved if you have a soft layer cut into shoulder-length hair.

2 Start with clean, dry hair and place your part where it best suits your face shape. Grab a section at the nape and, using the straightener, smooth from roots to ends, turning up hair at the ends.

3 Repeat Step 2, using 2.5cm sections, working your way towards the part.

4 Brush through with a vent brush, letting the ends flick and bounce. Tease the crown slightly to create a little extra lift. If needed, spray with a light hairspray.

SOFT WAVES

Pull off gentle waves with ease for a timelessly romantic hairstyle like stunning actress Patricia.

1 Section clean, dry hair from ear to ear, then take sections about 2.5cm thick as you work through.

2 Slide the straightener along each section slowly, turning it 360° to create a curl.

3 Keep repeating the above technique until you reach your part.

4 Use a paddle brush to create polished waves, or an extra-large tooth comb for textured waves.

5 For the finishing touch, use a small amount of a wax or smoothing cream to control fly-aways.

Equip yourself with these products to enjoy beautiful, stunning hair.

Cool It

Before applying a heat tool, stop hair frying by spritzing it with a heat- protectant spray. Try De Lorenzo Defence Extinguish, $29.50.

Pump it up

Add all-over volume, particularly to the roots, with a dollop of a volumising mousse such as Lee Stafford My Big Fat Root Boost Mousse, $17.

Hot stuff

A ceramic brush retains heat for more control. Give it a go with the ghd ceramic vented radial brush, $35.

Polish it off

To capture those extra-fine wispy hairs, spritz a toothbrush with hairspray and smooth over. Try L’Oréal Paris Elnett Satin Very Volume Hairspray, $13.

Smooth it over

A pea-sized amount of smoothing cream on damp hair before drying will improve manageability and hydration. We like TONI&GUY Prep Leave In Conditioner, $18.

Go full volume

For more movement, go for a vent brush such as Mita Deluxe Styling Vent, $20. It allows the air to circulate, enabling you to achieve a bouncier ‘do.

Words: Tracy Davis

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