Creating the sexy, messy hair look takes practice. You can try the road trip in an open convertible trick (remember that scene in Bridget Jone’s Diary?). Or the gelled-up crunchy look, which is so not touchable. My occasional good messy hair days happen totally by accident and usually after a manic house cleaning session. But that doesn’t do me much good because I have to shower it away. Enter the Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly collection from Clairol. The line-up perfects imperfection with Tousle Me Softly Shampoo, Conditioner, Flexible Style Hairspray, Mouse, Spray Gel and Finishing Touch Cream. In keeping with the Herbal Essences name, each of the new products are laced with an infusion of wild violet and pomegranate extracts. Here’s how to use them to created the tousled look:
1. Prep: Wash and moisturize with the shampoo and conditioner.
2. Set: Apply either the mouse (best for fine hair) or spray gel (best for medium to thick hair) and comb product through hair.
3. Style: Lean your to each side and blow dry with a diffuser to create volume in the middle and bottom sections of your hair. Once it’s dry, grab a 2-inch section of hair, squeeze a medium-barrel curling iron on it about midway down the section and wrap the rest of the hair around the barrel of the iron (use an oven mitt if you’re accident prone). Hold for a few seconds and release.
4. Finish: Use your fingers to break up the waves and make them look more natural. Once you’ve got the look you want, mist on a light layer of the hair spray and then use the finishing cream to soften the ends and any flyaways.
The upside of the Tousle Me Softly collection is that if used as directed, the products do work to create natural loose waves without being crunchy or stiff. The price is good at a starting point of $2.99, the packaging is pretty and has cute directions, and the scents are uplifting. The downside for me was that like many Phoenicians, my hair is extremely thirsty and the products left my tresses a bit on the dry side. But if dryness isn’t a problem for you, it’s an affordable way to give your tresses a tousle. To give it a whirl yourself, pick it up at most grocery, mass and drug retailers or find out more at herbalessences.com.
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