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50 Hairstyle DON'Ts and DOs

Real women show you how to turn celebrity hair disasters into smash-hit styles.

By Diana Vilibert

Sep 13, 2010

James Devaney

Real women turn celebrity hair disasters into smash-hit styles.

James Devaney

CELEBRITY MISS

Don't go too dark. We usually love Cameron's casual blonde bob, but her light skin and blue eyes look washed out with this too-harsh dark dye.

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Ben Goldstein

REAL HIT

Find a darker hue that flatters. If you have lighter features and want to go darker, go for a medium or dark brown instead of black. To get this style, roughly dry hair on a medium heat without applying any product beforehand. After hair is dry, add a dry spray wax and work through hair until you get that perfect unwashed look, and add a teensy bit of shine just to your bangs.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
DRY SPRAY WAX like Short Sexy Hair Play Dirty Dry Wax, $18.95.

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Forget trying to pull off hair accessories the size of your head. Paris Hilton's Christmas wreath is a big don't, no matter what time of year.

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Ben Goldstein

REAL HIT

Add some flavor with a whimsical accessory pinned right over your part — but keep it small and subtle. To get this look, use a straightening iron to get hair to lie flat against your head. Make a deep side part and pull hair back into a low ponytail at the nape of the neck. Fasten in a loop so the ends stick out and mist the entire style with shine spray.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
FLAT IRON like Hot Tools Flat Iron, $39.99.

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Avoid overdoing the volume. Pamela Anderson channels Amy Winehouse with her over-the-top teased tresses.

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Focus on your bangs for volume and height that's chic, not cheesy. Run a styling cream through bangs and dry immediately, pulling the brush down and to the side as you go. Comb an anti-frizz through your hair. Blow-dry sections in back with a round brush to smooth out the look. Then, dry the front pieces by combing them through with your fingers so you get that great, sexy wave.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
STYLING CREAM like Rusk Str8 Lotion, $10.95.

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Never have two completely different textures compete with each other on top of your head, like Vanessa Williams' identity crisis style.

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Play with texture in a natural way by not curling or straightening any distinct sections. To get this look, apply a hair mask in the shower for a strong dose of hydration. Detangle with a wide-tooth comb in the shower, and work a mixture of shine glaze and leave in conditioner through wet hair. Let it air dry.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
HAIR MASK like Alberto VO5 Hot Oil Treatment, $3.89.

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Don't fry hair into a helmet. Too much hair dye and not enough product makes for a frizzy, unflattering crop on Rumer Willis.

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Always make friends with a rich conditioner and styling products that add shine and moisture. Run a cocktail of styling cream and gel through damp hair. If you can stand it, let your hair air-dry. Otherwise, use a small round brush to smooth out the very front sections, then blow-dry brush-free on a very low setting.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
STYLING CREAM like Rusk Str8 Lotion, $10.95.

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Keep one-length hair from getting stiff. Tori Spelling's one-color bob lacks shine and movement, making it look unhealthy.

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Give hair some life with texture and shine. 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. Finish with a shine serum.

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

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Shawn Ehlers

CELEBRITY MISS

Don't forgo styling on your quest for hippie-casual waves. Leelee Sobieski's second-day hair is in desperate need of color maintenance and some TLC.

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Ben Goldstein

REAL HIT

Get the slept-in effect that's still soft and flattering with a little hairspray and heat. Flip your head over and spray with a fine-mist aerosol spray that boasts moveability. Still keeping your head upside down, grab your dryer and give already-dry hair a shot of heat to reactivate the leftover product from the day before. Use a tiny bit of styling wax to define a few pieces in front.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
STYLING WAX like Bumble & Bumble Sumo Wax, $28.

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Jamie McCarthy

CELEBRITY MISS

Why fight your curls? Keri Russell's signature look-at-me curls are pinned back here in a half-wavy, half-straight wallflower style.

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Ben Goldstein

REAL HIT

Remember to keep curls polished with a spray leave-in conditioner. For a pulled-back style, rake hair back with your fingers to create lift and fasten loosely with a small claw clip, not an elastic. Finger-twirl a few of the loose pieces for extra polish.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
SPRAY LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Alterna Hemp Spray Leave-In Conditioner, $20.

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Never follow in Nicolette Sheridan's footsteps with bangs that have grown out past your eyes.

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Grow out bangs in style by flat-ironing them so that they fall off to the side and stay that way. Dry hair with a round brush-use a big dollop of smoothing styling créme to tame frizzies without greasiness.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
FLAT-IRON SPRAY like FX Flat Iron Spray, $5.99.

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Don't wear an informal ponytail to a formal occasion. Sheryl Crow's casual style is more fitting for spin class than for the red carpet.

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Ben Goldstein

REAL HIT

Keep a slighty-messy updo looking chic with a low, textured ponytail. Spritz hair with spray gel and rake fingers through hair. Gather hair in a low ponytail at the nape of the neck, securing with a small elastic. Then twist the hair, secure the impromptu chignon with large bobby pins, allowing the ends to stick out. Pull a few pieces out in front if you want a slightly more undone appearance.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
SPRAY GEL like Matrix Biolage Bodifying Spray Gel, $16.99.

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Jeffrey Mayer

CELEBRITY MISS

Never slap on messy hair extensions like Britney Spears did after her infamous head shave if your hair is going through growing pains.

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Ben Goldstein

REAL HIT

Always grin and bear it if your short hair isn't long enough for natural-looking extensions. In the meantime, try this quick but polished updo for short hair. Grab a handful of bobby pins and take little sections of hair and twist them back leaving the ends sticking out so you get a messy chignon effect. Finish with a fine mist of hairspray to keep everything in place.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
VOLUMIZER like TREsemmé Volume Big Boost European Root Lift Spray, gives you instant oomph. $4.69.

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Jim Spellman

CELEBRITY MISS

Tan skin with white-blonde hair — like Brooke Hogan's — never looks natural and overdoing the bleach leaves hair dry and unhealthy.

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Ben Goldstein

REAL HIT

Rock a beach bum look by using a brightening shampoo to bring out your highlights, instead of dyeing hair a one-tone blonde. After towel-drying hair, spritz root to end with a salt spray to create natural, surfer-girl style. Dab a little leave-in conditioner on the ends if they start to look fried or dry/dull.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
BLONDE SHAMPOO like John Frieda Sheer Blonde Shampoo, $6.49

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Marc Grimwade

CELEBRITY MISS

Go easy on teasing when it comes to your mane. The extra volume can leave hair looking damaged and unhealthy, like Tara Reid's 'do.

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Reach for the mousse. Use a volume mousse right at the roots and dry hair with a nozzle attachment to focus air right at the roots. Drop the brush and shake out your hair as you dry so you get extra oomph all over.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
VOLUME MOUSSE like TIGI Catwalk Extra Strong Mousse, $12.

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Never let short hair hang lifelessly. A short cut can be sexy, but without proper styling and products, straight hair cropped short like Renee Zelwegger's won't do anything for you.

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Always pump up the volume. Start with a volumizing shampoo to get some life in your locks. Run a mousse through your roots and blow-dry while running your fingers through your hair. Use a nozzle attachment to focus air right at the roots for extra lift.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
VOLUMIZING SHAMPOO like Pureology Volume Shampoo, $26.

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Ben Goldstein

REAL HIT

Use a super-moisturizing shampoo — thick, textured hair needs more moisture than most. Run a curl cream through your damp and newly hydrated locks, and use a diffuser on medium heat to kick-start the drying. Diffuse until hair is half-dry. 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.

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