6 min read
As our schedules pick up steam, there’s little time to lounge with a latte at the salon. What we want is perfectly coiffed hair. What we need is a magic wand to get us there without hours in the chair. Busy days can sometimes turn our dos into don’ts, but that’s when the experts step in.
We caught up with Boston’s top hairstylists to find out their favorite versatile and on-trend looks that max out on style while keeping maintenance to a minimum.
Photo courtesy of Salon Mario Russo
What about bob? A fuss-free favorite for fall created by Salon Mario Russo
Best For: Fine hair
Products/Tools: Oribe Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse, Oribe Superfine Hair Spray, blow-dryer, medium round brush
How To: Apply mousse from roots to ends. Blow-dry bangs first if you have them, then dry the remainder of the hair upside down with your fingers for maximum body. When hair is 80 percent dry, go over ends with a medium round brush, pulling the hair straight as you dry. To tame flyaways, spray your fingers with Oribe Superfine Hair Spray and pat the hairs down. Fine hair dries fast, so don’t let too much time pass after washing before you start to style.
Pro Tip: “The bluntness of this cut and the light feeling of the hair create more volume,” Leah Sugrue, education director/stylist at Boston’s Salon Mario Russo, tells Exhale. “Vary the bob length and add bangs in various lengths and shapes to suit your features. With an old-fashioned blow-dryer and brush, this could easily be done in 15 minutes or less.”
Photo courtesy of Patrice Vinci Salon
Knots landing: Patrice Vinci Salon’s easy and sophisticated pulled-back look
Best For: Long hair
Products/Tools: Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Cream, Oribe Superfine Hair Spray, blow-dryer, bobby pins
How To: Run a drop of Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Cream through dry hair, creating a ponytail toward the back of the head. Twist the ponytail and wrap it into a bun, securing it with pins. Hold onto the bun with your hand while blow-drying hot and cold air on the bun for at least five minutes. Hold the bun with your hand and let cool, squeezing the bun to sculpt the curl. For an easy day-to-night switch up, release the bun and let the hair fall for a natural, bouncy wave that can be finished with a light spritz of Oribe Superfine Hair Spray.
Pro Tip: “You can also do this with wet hair. Put damp hair in a bun and, once it dries, take it down. It will look fresh, wavy, and youthful, and will make any busy girl look like a star,” Patrice Vinci, owner of Patrice Vinci Salon in Boston, tells Exhale.
Photo courtesy of SalonCapri
Lend a hand: A finger-drying lesson from SalonCapri means low maintenance and high style
Best For: Short-to-medium-length hair
Products/Tools: Shu Uemura Art of Hair Shape Paste Sculpting Pomade
How To: Finger-drying dries and styles your hair with heat released from your hands rather than a blow-dryer. Comb wet hair; run your fingers rapidly and repeatedly upward and forward from roots to ends. Lift up hair at the crown to get height at the roots. Continue lifting as the hair dries. Use your fingertips to flatten the hair at the sides. Rub a dab of the Shu Uemura Art of Hair Shape Paste Sculpting Pomade in your palm and work through mid-shaft to ends.
Pro Tip: “This style is the epitome of that ‘intentionally undone’ vibe that’s hot right now,” Nick Penna, owner of SalonCapri, with locations in Boston, Newton Highlands, and Dedham, tells Exhale. “Just a little pomade after a rough finger-dry gives it that effortlessly tousled look.”
Shu Uemura Art of Hair Shape Paste Sculpting Pomade, $39, shuuemura.com
Photo courtesy of Megan Graham Beauty
With a twist! Add some curl to your blowout without any extra tools à la Megan Graham Beauty
Best For: Coarse hair
Products/Tools: Kérastase L’incroyable Blowdry Hair Lotion, blow-dryer, 1½- to 2-inch round brush
How To: Apply an almond-size amount of Kérastase L’incroyable Blowdry Hair Lotion to towel-dried hair. Rough-dry hair by using your blow-dryer and lifting the hair at the root with your fingers to build volume. Once the hair is mostly dry, blow-dry in sections using the round brush. Pull the hair forward with the round brush and wrap it back to create volume and a curl at the end.
Pro Tip: “A round-brush blow-dry looks great on long, coarse hair, as it will hold a curl and have great body,” Bridget Kinney, stylist at Megan Graham Beauty in Boston, tells Exhale. “Wrap your hair in a loose topknot when you sleep to help this style last.”
Kérastase L’incroyable Blowdry Hair Lotion, $35, kerastase.com
Photo courtesy of Salon Eva Michelle
Pony up: Two times the style but not double the time thanks to Salon Eva Michelle
Best For: Straight hair
Products/Tools: Sebastian Shaper iD spray, Sebastian Dry Clean Only dry shampoo, ponytail holders
How To: Mist on Sebastian Dry Clean Only to create a little grit for a better hold. Tie half of the hair up in a ponytail, then back brush a little for fullness. Gather remaining hair into the first pony, using a second hair tie to combine the two. Take a little hair from underneath and either braid it or leave it straight as you wrap it around the pony to conceal the hair ties. Spray Shaper iD to finish.
Pro Tip: “Doing a double high helps the ponytail from drooping and it will last longer,” Jackie Wright, artistic director at Salon Eva Michelle in Boston, tells Exhale.
Sebastian Shaper iD spray, $22, at salons; Sebastian Dry Clean Only dry shampoo, $19, ulta.com
Photo courtesy of Pyara Aveda Spa and Salon
Plaits, please: Pyara Aveda Spa and Salon’s intricate-looking braid will have people thinking you spent hours on your hair
Best For: Curly hair
Products/Tools: Aveda Brilliant Damage Control spray, Aveda Be Curly Curl Enhancing Hair Spray, bobby pins
How To: Mist dry hair with Aveda Brilliant Damage Control until slightly damp. Separate hair into three low ponytails at the back of the head. Braid all three sections into separate braids. Once you’re done, gather them into the center of your head and begin twisting them together to form a low bun. Pin as you go to secure. Finish with a spritz of Aveda Be Curly Curl Enhancing Hair Spray.
Pro Tip: “A simple, quick ponytail braid tames curly hair for a smoother look while embracing your natural curl,” Christine Perkins, owner of Pyara Aveda Spa and Salon in Cambridge and Burlington, tells Exhale.
