We’re always looking to optimize our daily beauty routines. And after much trial (and definite error), we’ve come to discover specific tricks and products that make managing and styling our hair a whole lot easier. Here, ten TZR staffers reveal their not-so-obvious secrets to great tresses. We dare you to try them out for yourself.
Hair Hacks We Love
"In an attempt to stop second-day hair syndrome before it starts, I apply dry shampoo before going to bed. It's probably horrendous for my pillow, but I wake up with more natural bedhead volume and it cuts out a step in my morning routine."
—Nicky Deam, Editorial Director
"If I'm in a hurry, I'll only blow-dry the mohawk section of my hair. If I can manage flyaways in that zone, it will make my overall hair style look polished enough."
—Shannon Nash, Jewelry & Accessories Editor
"When I was younger, my mom hated curling my hair for cheerleading competitions because I have a lot of it and it is really thick. Curling irons took too long and rollers were too bulky to fit. Instead, she cut up an old T-shirt into strips of fabric, rolled chunks of hair around it and tied it in a knot at the roots. I slept on them all night (comfortably!) and woke up with bouncy ringlets in the morning. I'm going to start doing this again because it's easy, heatless and saves time in the morning! I'll just finish it off with my favorite holding spray."
—Stephanie Montes, Senior Beauty Editor
"I have extremely thick and coarse hair, so a lot of times I use the excess moisturizer or the Vaseline that I use on my lips and rub it into my hairline (to smooth flyaways) and ends (to add extra oil). It removes product residue from my hands and doesn't go to waste!"
—Laura Lajiness, New York Editor
"I have long, wavy hair that I love wearing natural—luckily, it doesn't take too much effort to style post-wash, but I'll mist on Lea Journo's Texturizing Salt Spray to give it that effortless just-got-out-of-the-ocean beachy wave for a little extra glam. That spray is magic."
—Rebeeca Iloulian, Marketing Coordinator
"This may be old school, but I use baby powder on my roots if my hair feels greasy."
—Erin Nicole, Red Carpet Editor
"I use my ghd flat iron for every hairstyle—it’s so much easier than having different wands and curling irons laying around, plus it makes traveling light that much easier. I use it to straighten, curl and—my new favorite—create waves by taking sections of hair and coaxing an S shape into them, then clamping with the iron to set. It gives your hair less defined waves—no ringlet-type curls here—and creates that covetable insouciant texture that works well for shorter lengths."
—Kristi Mikesky, Features Editor
"I straighten the ends of my hair before I add waves—it makes it look more beachy and undone, since the ends of my hair naturally have a slight curl. I also put in texturizing spray before I curl. It gives me more volume."
—Jessica Novak, Content Strategy Director
"I really struggle with baby hairs and little hairs at my part not lying down smoothly. Using a straighter on them only exacerbates the problem, but if you carefully use your curling iron as a wand and lightly smooth them down in the same direction as the hair, they will blend and lie flat."
—Claudia Graziano, Social Media Coordinator
"When I'm particularly lazy in the morning, to curl my hair I'll spritz on the Bumble and Bumble Surf Infusion spray from the mid to ends of my hair, twist into buns and let that work its magic while I drive to the office. I may or may not receive stares when I stop at red lights, but this is the quickest way for texturized, beachy waves."
—Amy Lee, Associate Fashion Editor
