There’s nothing like being pampered at the salon to make even the most ragged of us feel exceptionally beautiful. Sipping wine and sharing our latest escapades with our stylist as our color is in process, we can relax and enjoy the luxury of “me” time.
Of course, very few of us have time to indulge in that on a daily basis.
Thankfully, rather than spending hours at home trying to re-create that look you left the salon with, today’s fashion trend is all about the effortless look. And yes, that includes effortless hairstyles!
The effortless trend embraces a natural look. Think loose wisps and fluid movement, loose color that looks naturally grown out, and best of all, imperfection! Yep, it’s okay to have that bed-head look, or your bobby pins showing, or even some hair that didn’t quite make it into your ponytail.
Here are three of my favorite effortless hairstyles for the season that are super easy to achieve at home:
Three Effortless Hairstyles You Can Rock On Your Own:
Air Dried
Toss your hairdryer and styling tools in the drawer, letting your hair air dry to achieve the most effortless hairstyle of all. A good leave-in conditioner (my fav as of now is L’Oreal Professional 10 in 1) is key to this look . After you’ve washed and conditioned, simply thoroughly towel-dry, use a detangling brush such as the Wet Brush which detangles effortlessly, and then finish with a weightless styling gel or spray that will keep everything in place while still allow for some natural bounce once your hair dries.
Of course, there are many ways you can also style the air-dried look. If the hair down, au naturale look isn’t for you, try a simple messy bun, or even just a headband.
The Wet Look
While you don’t necessarily need your hairdryer, your hair does actually need to be dry first in order to create the wet look. Once your hair is dry, swap your styling gel or spray for pomade. Yep, no gel! You literally want a good ol’ fashioned pomade such as L’Oréal Professionnel Tecni.Art Architexture or Tecni.ART Lumi Controle, even mixing them together works really well. A perfect mix of hold and shine.
For the full slicked-back wet ponytail look: using a fine-tooth comb, pull your hair into a tight ponytail. Then use a brush (or even a new toothbrush) to paint the pomade onto your hair until your hair is completely saturated. Voilà. No need to add hairspray, shine sprays, or anything else.
For that ‘partially dry’ wet look: rather than covering all your hair with pomade, start at your roots and apply just enough pomade to cover them. Then, using a fine-tooth comb or brush, work the pomade down, letting it naturally taper off towards the middle of your head. This allows for some natural movement in your hair. If your hair is prone to frizz or a bit unruly, finish the ends with a shine spray or shiny pomade.
Beach Waves
Regardless of whether you live on the coast or not, the beach wave look is all the rage right now. And it’s super easy! Start by sectioning your hair into layers. Then, grab a good-sized section (about a third of the layer), and starting about midway down the hair section, twist around your large barrel curling iron, leaving the ends out. Release and let cool. Repeat with the other sections for both layers. Once your curls are in place, apply a little pomade to the roots for some volume and texture. Ta da!
Watch my Beach Wave Tutorial video for the step by step and finished look.
Enlist Your Hairstylist’s Help:
DIY hairstyles are great, but there are definitely some styles that are best left to a professional. Sure, you can easily color your own hair (*gasp*), but can you really give yourself that exquisite balayage color treatment? Be sure to keep regular appointments with your hairstylist to keep your hair healthy and looking it’s best. Even if you’re just in need of gloss and trim between your balayage services, it helps to keep your color fresh and in top shape. In the meantime though, enjoy experimenting with these and other effortless hairstyle trends.
Oh, and I LOVE helping my clients learn how to style their own hair to maintain that “just left the salon” look in between appointments. Please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions, or for assistance with home styling tips at your next appointment.
See you at the salon!
