styling assistants

Gel: fake the wet look du jour

Shine serum: add lustre to straight, polished looks

Volumizing spray: blow out your hair into stratospheric sexiness

Hairspray: style chic and smooth ponytails

Mousse: create groomed movie-star waves

Pomade: define and texturize your do

Styling Cream : tame wild locks into chic laissez-faire hair

Styling Assistant: Gel
Perfect for: faking the wet look du jour
Ideal candidate: curly or straight, but definitely medium-to-thick
Wearing it well: Choose a flexible-hold gel for a truly slick do. (Strong-hold gel may leave a powder deposit when you touch it, so the look loses shine.) Whether it’s pulled back into a french twist or simply slicked back away from your face, apply a dollop to wet hair and style your locks into shape.
FYI: To tame extra-thick or coarse hair, recruit the power and hold of a moulding paste.
Caution: Those with fine hair should avoid this look—it will make your locks appear even finer.
Photo: at Louis Vuitton

Styling Assistant: Shine serum
Perfect for: adding lustre to straight, polished looks
Ideal candidate: naturally straight hair or any texture that easily goes straight with a flatiron
Wearing it well: Working with one drop at a time, warm the product in the palms of your hands and smooth it onto dry flatironed hair. Add the serum section by section, moving in a circle around your head, then blow-dry again. (Got thin, limp hair? One or two drops will do for you.)
The right buy: Test the product at the store by rubbing a dollop on the back of your hand. If it evaporates quickly, you’ve found a winner that will wash out easily with shampooing.
Caution: Avoid your scalp and roots, otherwise your hair will look greasy.
Photo: at Costume National

Styling Assistant: Volumizing spray
Perfect for: blowing out your hair into stratospheric sexiness
Ideal candidate: medium-textured hair—not straight, not curly, just in between
Wearing it well: Liberally spritz your towel-dried hair, especially at the roots. Blow-dry at high heat using your fingers to lift the hair away from your scalp (or you can blow-dry with your head upside down). When it’s almost dry, use a round brush to tame your hair into a full-bodied shape, continuing to brush your locks up and away from your head.
FYI: Start with a volumizing shampoo to achieve the fullest effect possible.
Photo: at Bill Blass

Styling Assistant: Hairspray
Perfect for: styling chic and smooth ponytails
Ideal candidate: slightly wavy or naturally straight hair
Wearing it well: For evening, dry your hair thoroughly before flatironing (flatiron even if you already have straight hair). Next, comb your hair flat (take your time) and coat with a light- or medium-hold hairspray. Then, comb it carefully into a ponytail.
FYI: Plagued with flyaways? Try styling your hair while it’s towel-dried, using a bit of mousse or gel to mould your locks into place. Then, style and finish with hairspray.
Photo: at Prada

Styling Assistant: Mousse
Perfect for: creating groomed movie-star waves
Ideal candidate: straight, wavy and everything in between
Wearing it well: Don’t be shy. Apply a quarter-sized amount of mousse onto damp hair, then round-brush your hair dry. Next, put on your hot or Velcro rollers and let them sit while you’re doing your makeup. Then take ’em out and, voilà, you look gorgeous.
FYI: Cheat extra shine by using one drop of smoothing serum to coat the surface of your hair. Apply it lightly—no tugging or pulling.
Caution: Avoid using a setting or straightening lotion to mimic this look’s polish or your do will fall flat in an hour.
Photo: at Roberto Cavalli

Styling Assistant: Pomade
Perfect for: defining and texturizing your do
Ideal candidate: piece-y, razor-cut hair (think Keira Knightley’s Domino do)
Wearing it well: Start with a nickel-sized amount rubbed between your palms, then texturize and style with your fingers, adding more pomade only if necessary. If you have a long, layered shag, use pomade just at your ends to give your look oomph and definition.
Photo caption: at Anna Molinari

Styling Assistant: Styling cream
Perfect for: taming wild locks into chic laissez-faire hair
Ideal candidate: dry, naturally wavy hair
Wearing it well: Scrunch it into dry hair, always starting at the middle section, working through to the ends, and finishing at the top around your face. NB: Begin at the roots and your hair will look oily.
How much: Start with a quarter-sized dollop and add in increments depending on the length of your hair.
Caution: Fine-haired gals, this stuff will weigh down your thin mane. To get the same effect, try mousse instead.
Photo: at Gucci