Confession: We’ve written—and read—enough beauty articles to know how to give ourselves a darn good blowout. But some mornings, even we’re guilty of phoning it in. Here are the quick tricks we use to get gorgeous hair on the fly.
#1 Don’t feel like doing a complete blowout?
Just do the top layers; nobody will know what lies beneath.
#2 Style while you sleep
Before bed, twist your hair into three high buns and secure each with a scrunchie. (Yes, they’re totally passé, but trust us here: they won’t leave behind dents.) In the morning, unravel for Victoria’s Secret model-like waves, says Michael Shaun Corby, creative director of Alterna Haircare.
#3 Reactivate yesterday’s styling products today
Mist dry hair with water and blast roots with your blow dryer. Done!
#4 Freshen up limp hair with your fragrance
No joke. “Perfume is like the original dry shampoo,” says Australian-based stylist Kevin Murphy. Its heavy alcohol content dries up oily roots—and will make your hair smell pretty, too.
#5 Put a cap on frizz
To get smooth curls without piling on the products, slip on a hair net and scrunch the hair inside of net as you blow dry, says Murphy. The net helps to activate your natural curl while preventing flyaways and frizz.
#6 For a ponytail that has lots of sexy volume, create two separate ponys
Stack one on top of the other. It’s that easy.
#7 Get vintage-glam waves in minutes
Create a side part. Then use a curling iron just to curl the face-framing sections of your hair. Brush through and go!
#8 No time to shampoo?
Just wash and blow-dry your greasy bangs. This two-minute trick gives the impression of an all-over clean.
#9 Give your layers a little bounce
Without all the fancy brushwork: Pull hair into a high ponytail, and then wind around two or three hot rollers. After a few minutes, let it all down and finger comb, says San-Diego-based stylist Jet Rhys.