Few things are better than a fresh, bouncy blowout. We feel "brand new" every time our stylist wields the round brush, curling iron and hairspray to achieve just the right amount of body and shine. But keeping our hair from falling flat at home is easier said than done.
Desperately seeking new ways to breathe new life into an old blowout, we turned to Living Proof celebrity hairstylist Chris McMillan. According to this pro, it's all about having the right products and ridding your mind of the idea that your hair needs to be perfect.
Scroll down for McMillan's step-by-step instructions and GIFs for three stylish ways to refresh your blowout.
1. Fishtail Braid
Step 1: Prep hair with Instant Texture Mist to give it enough "grit" to set the braid. Then, gather locks over to one side. Pro tip: Duckbill hair clips or bobby pins will help hold hair in place.
Step 2: Begin your fishtail braid right below your ear and keep braiding until you're a few inches away from ends. Secure with a clear elastic ponytail band.
Step 3: Use your fingers to loosen up the fishtail braid, allowing a few wisps to stick out.
2. Beachy Waves
Step 1: Create a middle part and separate your hair into three sections: left, right and back. Pro tip: If your hair is naturally fine or straight, first roughly blow-dry hair upside to enhance fullness.
Step 2: Spritz Flex Shaping Hairspray throughout strands before wrapping small pieces of hair around a 1-inch clipless curling iron. Be sure to leave the ends straight. Curl for 10 seconds, release the curl and then stretch hair outwards for 2-3 seconds. It will spring back into a perfect beachy wave. Pro tip: If you have medium to long hair, begin curling from the eyebrow. If you have shorter hair, you can curl closer to the roots.
Step 3: To keep your waves casual and cool, try curling each piece of hair in opposite directions. Lightly comb your fingers through your beachy waves for a beautiful finish.
3. Bouncy Ponytail
Step 1: Use a nickel-sized amount of Prime Style Extender Cream to smooth hair back into a mid ponytail. Pro trick: For a sleek, but not too severe look, use a Japanese scalp brush.
Step 2: Spray Flex Shaping Hairspray onto t ponytail and tease with a brush to increase volume. Conceal ponytail holder by wrapping a small piece of hair around the elastic.
Step 3: To finish, gently smooth out ponytail length and add another blast of hairspray to set.
