Understand: Effortless (or seemingly effortless) style somehow commands a Whole Notha Level of respect, making the wearer that much more gifted and skilled in our eyes. Read on for some tried-and-true looks we’ve relied on whenever we wanted to look effortlessly put-together, and the wünderkinds that helped get us there:
Texturizing Hair Products: Putting the Bae in Basic
Outfits are one thing, but hair that also never seems to fail is another thing entirely. That perennial #wcw of yours probably knows the value of a great haircut and, moreover, has factored in its sustainability against her lifestyle. To wit: What’s the value of a hyper-trendy bang (or an off-the-moment shag), if you end up sweeping it to the side 90 percent of the time? The key is to meld your dream aesthetic with your everyday personality; choosing anything outside of that, and you’ll end up feeling inauthentic—and the upkeep can and most likely will drive you crazy.
The power of the right formula
True #wokeuplikethis style, even if inaccurate by definition, is one that can elevate even the most basic of looks into something clever and fresh with minimal effort. The truly stylish have mastered the art of the high-low when it comes to the labels they wear. In hairspeak, high-low means high in concept and low in hassle. Go for things that nail that gritty/pretty balance or styles that don’t seem to stuffy or precious for daily wear—putting the “street” in street style, if you will. The key is choosing the right hair texturizer products for the look you’re going for (because not all hot messes are created equal!). We illustrate below:
1. The Look: Rumpled, second-day hair
The product: the balm
A fan of rich-girl bends? Yeah, we are too. And with good reason: This super cool look—apart from having a grungy, morning-after sex appeal that we aspire to—also has a refreshingly easy to recreate level, which adds to its popularity. A texturizing balm, like Bed Head by TIGI Joyride Texturizing Powder Balm, breaks to a dry powder feel that helps impart some lived-in texture and bedhead definition, without the frizz. Especially clutch for brunch, maaaybe running into your ex while grocery shopping, or all-around looking understatedly fly.
2. The Look: Blogger Waves
The product: the paste
You know what we’re talking about: those chunky, artfully sculpted waves that take a regular lob into Instagrammable territories. More than being able to wield a flat iron around chin-length hair in 10 minutes is the ability to zhuszh curls up, and then keep them that way, until you’re done hamming it up for the day. Texturizing hair products such as hair paste get you past that initial obligatory selfie and helps things look on-point, even as you wind down. We love Bed Head by TIGI Hard to Get Texturizing Paste, which offers a light matte, separated hold that gives short to medium lengths texture, separation and yes, softness as well.
3. The Look: Beachy
The product: the spray + the wax
Because it’s summer somewhere in the world at any given moment, amirite? And, oh yeah, let’s not forget that salty, texturized hair is also fun, casually sexy and is basically a poster child for an effortlessly cute look. (We also think it’s that caution-to-the-wind vibe we get while on actual vacay, but let’s not split hairs.). At any rate, this look—which first sprung to the forefront during the wash-and-wear ’90s—has evolved into a look that’s less, well, damaged and more deliberate. Evoke this surf-to-turf cool via products that mimic the actual source material. Suave Professionals Sea Mineral Infusion Texturizing Sea Salt Spray helps create the foundation for those loose waves and makes for a texturized air-dried result. Followed up with a matte-finish wax like Bed Head by TIGI Manipulator that separates, bodifies and oh, smells like coconut? What more is there in life? Which texturizing hair products help you ace your fave style? Sound off on @AllThingsHairUS.
