Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagicDo you ever wonder how low-key beauties like Chrissy Teigen and Riley Keough manage to achieve that "I woke up like this" head of perfectly tousled hair, even on their days off?
Believe it or not, a big part of what celebs are doing actually has a lot to do with what they're not doing. When it comes to healthy hair, the less heat you use, the better. If your heat-free attempts at air-dried hair tend to turn heads for all the wrong reasons, listen up.
"[Slept-in] waves are the ideal because it looks like you've put in more effort than you have," said celeb stylist Nicole Leal of Nine Zero One Salon. If beauty sleep and low-maintenance mornings in front of the mirror go hand-in-hand for you, these minimal effort tips will give you the hair of your dreams while you snooze.
Start With a Moisturizing Cleanser: "Most people think [air-dried hair] is unmanageable but all you need is the right combination of products," revealed Nicole. For shampoo and conditioner, pick a moisturizing duo like Moroccanoil Moisture Repair, which maintains the pH of hair, controls frizz and calms down the unwanted fluff- factor. "If you tend to have fine hair and if you wash it daily, I would recommend [using leave-in conditioner spray instead of regular conditioner] to maintain as much volume as possible," shared the stylist.
Styling Products Depend on Texture: Once you are out of the shower, it's product time. What you put in your wet hair will very much depend on the type of hair that you have. Using volumizing products like Bumble and bumble Thickening Full Form Mousse is key for fine hair, while curly hair will require more poof-canceling products like Living Proof 5-in-1 styling treatment. "Straight hair will need texture products like Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray and Oribe Maximista Thickening Spray," advised Nicole.
Enlist a Leave-in Conditioner: There is one product that is one-size-fits-all, and that's leave-in conditioner. "Unite 7seconds Leave-in Conditioner is a staple whether you air-dry or blow dry," said Nicole. The celeb stylist likes to let hair air-dry for about ten minutes, wrap hair in a towel for another ten and then finally spritz in the leave-in conditioner after hair has almost dried fully.
Braiding Is the Way to Go: Once damp hair is primed with the appropriate products, start in on a basic French braid or a loose, traditional braid. "Braiding after hair is at least 60 percent dry…will create a tousled wave without heat," shared Nicole. The trick to avoiding an outdated, crimped hair look is to braid bigger sections instead of smaller ones.
Sleep on It: "You will have a longer lasting effect if you sleep in [your braid]," said the pro. Letting hair dry overnight ensures that the wave will hold in place until your next shampoo. When you wake up, simply unravel you braid and top off with a finishing product like Rene Furterer Glossy Spray for all-day control and shine.
Now you can sleep sound knowing that you did, in fact, wake up like this.