Vladimir Labissiere/Splash NewsWhenever Taylor Swift is caught stepping out of the gym (as seen above), she looks so suspiciously put together that the rest of us gym rats—the ones that emerge all sweaty faced and flat-haired—are left to question, "What is she REALLY doing in there?"
Maybe her ballet studio is actually used for afternoon tea? Or could her gym house a private makeup studio and blowdry bar? Perhaps we'll never know, but in the meantime, all we're nothing if not inspired to step up our post-gym game so we, too, can step out with every hair in place.
So we enlisted the help of Laini Reeves, a celebrity hairstylist who has styled Kate Bosworth and Michelle Williams, to learn a few new styling tricks when retreating to the gym locker room, post workout.
Pack dry shampoo: If you can fit just one styling product in your gym bag, make it dry shampoo, Reeves instructed. "It can work wonders to get rid of build up from sweating," she says. Spray it at least a three-to-four-inch distance throughout the hair and use a blow-dryer to style as usual.
Style quickly: Once dry shampoo is applied, style your hair right away. "The key is to not allow the dry shampoo to sit on the head for too long, since excess amounts can cling to the scalp and weigh hair down," the stylist said. "You can use a blow-dryer to shake excess product loose or flip your head upside down and use your fingers to shake the hair so excess product falls out." Applying quick force will result in lighter and more voluminous hair.
Leave oil-based products at home: Shine serums and styling creams may be lifesavers when coiffing clean hair, but these types of products can only make slick hair look more greasy post-workout. Instead, reach for hairspray to help tame flyaways.
Create a custom styling spray: If you've already styled your hair with product earlier in the day then hitting it with the same routine will only create product overload. "Product that has been applied in the morning is still in the hair after you've completed your workout," the hair pro said. "So you'll need to add a lot less when refreshing the hair." Reeves suggested creating a homemade blend of water and styling spray to give hair "some type of hold without adding loads of product in the hair."
Erase ponytail indentations: Tying your hair into a messy pony is a workout must. But the end result—a seemingly perma-dent that mars otherwise straight-hanging hair—can become a styling nightmare. To smooth strands, Reeves suggested spraying water (or your custom-made blend) along shafts, then quick-blasting strands with the blowdryer. This will release the dent without requiring a total blowout.