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Style Your Hair in 30 Minutes

Tips for lovely locks.

By Elizabeth Flahive

Aug 1, 2008

Ben Goldstein

Take your time with these tips for lovely locks.

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

Get long, cascading curls with high shine. First, wash and deep condition so you get a healthy, glossy shine.

Dry hair with a round brush. Then use a large curling iron and, alternating two-inch sections, roll hair around the barrel in one direction and then again in the other direction to create a ripple effect.

Once you're done, spritz everything with an aerosol shine spray.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

DEEP CONDITIONER like Burt's Bees Hair Repair, $7.99.

CURLING IRON like Remington Digital Curling Iron, $25.00.

SHINE SPRAY like Biosilk Shine On, $15.50.

woman with long wavy dark reddish brown hair

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

First, give your hair a good helping of deep treatment and then, hop out for a moment and add a little heat with your blow-dryer.

Get back in the shower and rinse. The heat amps up the benefits of the conditioner considerably.

Then, dry hair on a low heat to maintain the shine. Don't use a brush, expect when you get to the pieces in the front to help shape the waves.

Clip hair back and then loosen by pulling hair out toward the front so you get that loose, '40s pinup look.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
DEEP TREATMENT like John Frieda Frizz Ease Moisture Binding Deep Conditioner, $5.99.

HAIR CLIP like Goody Hair Clips, $1.99-$4.99.

BLOWDRYER like Conair Full Size Dryer, $15.99.

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

Start with a shine-boosting shampoo so hair looks glossy.

Blow-dry hair straight, concentrating mostly on the roots to mid-shaft.

Use large hot rollers on your ends, leaving them in for two to three minutes for the slightest wave.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

SHINE BOOSTING SHAMPOO like Pantene Pro-V Ice Shine Shampoo, $4.99.

CURLERS like BaByliss Ceramic 20 Roller Hair Setter, $39.95.

SHINE SPRAY like Garnier Fructis Glossing Spray, $3.99.

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

For a modern-looking bob, keep hair well-moisturized and massage your scalp gently even when you don't wash your hair.

Place small sections of hair into large rollers and sit under a drying hood.

When your hair is nearly dry, remove the rollers and blow-dry on a very low heat.

Flat iron your bangs for the finishing touch.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

CONDITIONER like Carol's Daughter Leave-In Conditioner, $11.50.

MOISTURIZING SHAMPOO like Pantene Pro-V Relaxed and Natural Shampoo, $4.99.

DEEP CONDITIONER like Pantene Pro-V Brunette Expressions Intense Hydrating Conditioner, $5.99.

woman with curly shoulder length dark brown hair

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

Use a small curling iron (holding it parallel to your head) and wrap small sections (about an inch) around the barrel for a glam, '40s look.

Do your entire head, curling all the way up on one side of the part. Vary how much curl you get on the other side so you leave a bit of super-smooth roots on one side.

Spray your whole head with a setting spray and a bit of shine spray when you're done.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

SMALL CURLING IRON like Revlon Studio 35 Professional Styling Iron, $6.99.

SHINE SPRAY like Sunsilk ThermaShine Detangling Shine Spray, $4.49.

SHINE SERUM like Motions At-Home Salon Smoothing Shine Serum, $5.99.

woman with long blond hair blunt bangs and little black vintage inspired hat

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

Before styling, treat just the ends of your hair with deep conditioner and leave on for five to 10 minutes in the shower. (Long hair shows damage mostly at the ends.)

Run a straightening balm through your hair. Using a natural boar-bristle round brush, dry hair on medium heat.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
DEEP CONDITIONER like Burt's Bees Hair Repair, $7.99.

HYDRATING SHAMPOOO like Biolage by Matrix Hydrating Shampoo, $14.99.

STRAIGHTENING CREAM like Marc Anthony True Professional Straightening Cream, $7.99.

woman with wavy shoulder length red hair

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

Wash hair with a shine-boosting shampoo and conditioner to get a little extra gloss in the shower.

Spray a volumizer all over and then blow-dry hair with a round brush.

Set two-inch sections of hair with large Velcro rollers, allowing them to sit for at least 20 minutes. Remove rollers and mist entire head with hairspray.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
SHINE SHAMPOOO like Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Shampoo, $4, leaves hair 10 times silkier.

VOLUMIZER like Alberto VO5 Root Blast, $4, gives you a natural-looking lift at the root.

ROLLERS for a vavavavoomy style. Velcro rollers, $5.

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

Use a deep conditioner once a week if your hair is on the coarse side.

Run a leave-in conditioner and a little mousse through your hair and rough dry it without a brush.

Then, use a large-barrel curling iron and randomly wrap a few sections. Rake your fingers through the curls immediately so they loosen up and look soft.

Flip your hair over and spritz with aerosol hair spray.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
LARGE CURLING IRON like Conair Hype Hair Instant Ultra-Hot Curling Iron, $15.

HAIRSPRAY like Got2B 2 Sexy Voluptuous Volume Hairspray, $5.99.

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Africa's Best Organics Olive Oil Leave-In Conditioner, $3.99.

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

Work a texture cream through the ends of your hair. Take a flat iron and use a little heat at the roots so everything is straight and shiny.

Use a small curling iron on the ends to make them flip up a bit so you get a different sort of texture.

Run a shine serum through your hair for a more polished look.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

TEXTURE CREAM like Sexy Hair Concepts Short Sexy Hair Slept-In Texture Cream, $15.99.

CURLING IRON like Revlon Studio 35 Professional Styling Iron, $6.99.

SHINE SERUM like Citré Shine Shine Miracle Anti-Frizz Serum, $7.99.

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

Blow-dry hair straight so you get a smooth, silky finish.

Using various-sized hot rollers, roll up your entire head of hair (some all the way up, some only half way so you get a variety of textures and curls. Spritz with setting spray and let sit until cool, about 10 minutes.

Undo rollers and flip hair upside-down. Then, take a few front pieces and pull up and off to the side, fastening with a small bobby pin for a loose, sideswept effect.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
HOT ROLLERS like Conair Instant Head Hair Setters, $29.99.

SETTING SPRAY like Biolage by Matrix Thermal-Active Setting Spray, $15.49.

BOBBY PINS like Vidal Sassoon Bobby Pins, $1.29.

laughing woman with wavy blond shoulder length hair

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

Spritz hair with styling spray and blow-dry with a round brush for volume and so ends are smooth and polished.

Take medium-sized Velcro rollers and wrap hair down around them in one-inch sections. Leave rollers in your hair for at least 20 minutes. Spray with a fine-mist, strong-hold hairspray before removing the rollers.

With a natural boar bristle paddle brush, brush out the front/top section of your hair so you get that swooshy, sexy hair-falling-over-one-eye effect. Leave the rest of the curls more solidly in tact. Just shake them out a little bit so hair looks soft.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
STYLING SPRAY like Ojon Plump and Hold Spray, $22.

HAIRSPRAY like Ted Gibson Beautiful Hold Hairspray, $11.

CONDITIONER like Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Conditioner, $6.99.

girl with reddish brown hair flipped up at the ends and retro curled bangs

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

Use a smoothing shampoo with proteins and amino acid, which help to seal the cuticle for a sleeker style. "A cool rinse after your conditioner is a great way to add a quick hit of shine in the shower," says NYC/Sally Hershberger Salon stylist Tommy Bucket.

Blow-dry hair with a vent brush and then run a flat iron over one-inch sections, flipping the ends up slightly.

Grab two or three large bobby pins. Take a section of hair a few inches back from your hairline. Spray it with a setting spray and roll the section forward over a round brush to make a clean loop of hair. Tuck the ends under and fasten very securely with the bobby pins. Mist the rest of your hair with a shine spray.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
SMOOTHING SHAMPOOS like Clairol Herbal Essences Smoothing Shampoo, $3.99, work wonders.

SHINE SPRAY like TIGI Bedhead Headrush Shine Spray, $15.29.

BOBBY PINS like Vidal Sassoon Bobby Pins, $1.29.

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

Run a styling cream through hair before blow drying. If your hair is super straight veering towards flat, dry hair without a brush and then smooth with a styling cream when everything's dry.

Flip hair over and mist with shine spray for extra gleam.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

STYLING CREAM like Pureology Nanocream Styling Glaze, $33.

HAIR DRYER like Conair Infiniti Nano Silver Tourmaline Ceramic Styler, $39.99.

SHINE SPRAY like Sunsilk ThermaShine Detangling Shine Spray, $4.49.

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

Deep-condition hair at least once a week and stick to minimal shampooing. If your scalp or skin is oily, use a gentle shampoo just on your roots and leave your ends out of it.

Use a wide-tooth comb to detangle hair while still in the shower.

Cocktail some leave-in conditioner and anti-frizz and run through wet hair. Allow it to air-dry so you get smooth, well-behaved curls.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
DEEP CONDITIONER like Ouidad Deep Treatment, $33.

WIDE TOOTH COMB like CurlMart Cricket Ultraclean Big Time Comb, $3.49.

LEAVE IN CONDITIONER like Charles Worthington Results Moisture Seal Hair Healer Leave-In Conditioner, $5.99.

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

Take advantage of your endless mane and go for loose, glossy waves. Start by blow-drying well-conditioned hair with a round brush so it looks silky.

Take the sides and back of your hair and roll them up using large hot rollers. Mist with setting spray and take out after only two to three minutes so hair doesn't look too done.

Spray top pieces (that are dried sleek and straight) with a shine spray and pull over and back, loosely. Fasten with a bobby pin and push forward to create some height in front.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

HOT ROLLERS like Conair Instant Heat Hair Setters, $21.99.

SHINE SPRAY like Biosilk Shine On, $13.

DEEP CONDITIONER like Neutrogena Triple Moisture Daily Deep Conditioner, $6.99.

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

Use a super-moisturizing shampoo-thick, textured hair needs more moisture than most. Wrapping your hair in a warm towel can make the conditioning more intensive without actually using twice as much product.

Run a curl cream through your damp and newly hydrated locks.

Use a diffuser on medium heat to kick-start the drying. Diffuse until hair is half-dry. Air-dry the rest of the way while you get ready.

Once hair is dry, go back in and use a large-barrel curling iron on three or four two-inch sections.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
CURL CREAM like MOP C Curl Curl Defining Cream, $14.95.

DIFFUSER like Infiniti by Conair Diffuser, $15.

CONDITIONER like Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Conditioner, $12.99.

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

Shorter layers give thick, coarse curls more volume. As long as you control the frizz, this style is the perfect way to work with your hair's natural height. Run a conditioner and moisturizing gel thorough wet hair.

Twirl two-inch pieces around your finger to give them a more pronounced shape.

Flip your head over and diffuse every curl-take breaks so you don't get light headed and fall over.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like KMS Moistrepair Leave-In Conditioner, $16.96.

MOISTURIZING GEL like Dove Define and Shine Control Gel, $8.95.

CURL CONDITIONER like Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Conditioner, $7.49.

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

Use a shampoo for straight hair which repairs and smoothes a color-damaged cuticle.

Use a wet-to-dry flat iron in order to combine two heat styling steps into one.

Backcomb the section of hair you're pulling up and back so you get a slightly more formal-looking lift in front. Fasten with a few light-colored bobby pins.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
WET-TO-DRY FLAT IRON like Chi Wet To Dry Flat Iron, $250.

STRAIGHT-HAIR SHAMPOO like Herbal Essences Dangerously Straight Shampoo, $3.99.

BOBBY PINS like Ricky's NYC Bobby Pins, $3.79.

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

Start with your bangs and spray them down with a little water mixed with leave-in conditioner.

Dry them using a small round brush so you get a little oomph right at the ends. Spritz with shine spray.

Dry the rest of your hair without using too much product. You want the rest of your hair to look a little more matte than your bangs.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

SMALL ROUND BRUSH like Goody Tufted Round Brush, $3.99.

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Alberto VO5 Detangle & Shine Restoring Daily Leave-in Conditioner, $3.99.

SHINE SPRAY like Matrix Color Smart Reflective Shine Spray, $14.99.

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

Rock your natural texture and go all '60s folk-rock goddess with a combination of middle part and glossy finish. For dark brunettes, a moisturizing, color-enhancing shampoo and conditioner is the first step to slippery shine.

Make a strong middle part while hair is damp and dry hair on a cool setting. Then, methodically flat iron one-inch sections from root to tip.

Run a shine serum through your hair, using your palms to really smooth down any flyaways at the roots.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
COLOR CONDITIONER like Pantene Pro-V Brunette Expressions Color Enchancing Conditioner for Brunettes, $6.38.

FLAT-IRON LOTION like Got2B Flat Iron and Blow Dry Lotion, $5.99.

FLAT IRON like Cortex Pink Flat Iron, $85,

Ben Goldstein

Hairstyle Handbook

This updated Veronica Lake-ish style gives you wave and shine without looking overworked. Run a styling cream through your hair and blow-dry straight. Take a tiny dab of product and smooth it over dry hair to fight frizz.

Then, take four medium Velcro rollers and set two one-inch sections on either side of your part (in front).

Spray with aerosol hairspray-a pump spray won't evenly distribute product-and allow to set for at least 10 minutes. Blast with a little hot air from a dryer before removing rollers.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
VELCRO ROLLERS like Roller 3" Super Size Plus, $3.49.

STYLING CREAM like Frèdèric Fekkai Coiff Anti Frizz Silkening Crème, $25.

HAIRSPRAY like Suave Volumizing Hair Spray, $2.99.