From The Straits Times    |

Let’s be realistic: As much as we would like, there’s hardly any time to curl iron your hair every morning for naturally full and wavy locks worthy of a VS bombshell.

Most of us just end up running out of the house, sometimes with our hair half-wet – not a good thing though – hopefully making it in time before the boss comes in.

But, there are a few tricks you can do to have your hair looking fuller and more voluminous than the wispy “curtain” that it usually is. Here are three ways:

#1 LAYER YOUR HAIR
The easiest way to add volume to your hair is to layer it, says Urbanhair stylist Chew Yew Yee, or better known as YY. And you don’t have to sacrifice your current hair length for it either.

YY says to ask your hairstylist for forward layers. That means, hair that’s shorter in the front, and gets increasingly longer at the back. (Think of the U-shaped haircut.)

Of course, there are many horror stories of overly layered hair that actually do worse for volume instead. So always ask for a subtle effect and avoid thinning out your hair too much, you don’t want to end up with stringy hair. (Remember those horrible helmet hairstyles from the early 2000s and tiny ponytails that weren’t any longer than a pinky? Yes, it isn’t cool anymore.)

#2 HIGHLIGHTS HELP
If you’ve got long hair, highlights – one or two shades lighter than your crown – at the bottom half of your hair can give the appearance of fuller hair, says YY.

Rather than ombre hair, which usually has a more obvious demarcation of colour – think dark brown at the crown to golden blonde at the ends – try combining a balayage colouring technique for something more natural instead. Blow+Bar’s The Undone Colour service is worth looking at for this. You can also ask your hairstylist for more recommendations on what colour works best for your skintone.

#3 BLOW-DRY IT THIS WAY
Instead of taking your hairdryer and randomly blowing hot air into your hair until it dries, YY said to try this: When it’s 80 per cent dry, take a paddle brush and blow your hair in the opposite direction.

Take sections of hair from the left side of your head, flip it over to the right, and blow-dry it in that position. Let the hair cool for three to five seconds, depending on the heat level you’re using on your hairdryer, then flip it back to the left. Do that for both sides, five times. If you want extra volume, you can spritz on a volumising spray like Aveda’s Pure Abundance Style-Prep ($50, at all Aveda experience centres and salons.)

For the ends, part your hair into two parts by drawing a line down the centre of your head. Then, dry your hair by repeatedly rolling it inwards with your finger.

If you want even fuller waves, Shunji Matsuo’s Creative Director Lai says to twirl your hair inwards and rolling it into a “rose” in the palm of your hand. Blow dry this portion and hold it in place. Let it cool for awhile, then scrunch your hair and apply a frizz-control cream like L’Oreal Professionnel’s Techni.art Spiral Splendour ($32, at all L’Oreal Professionnel salons). It will help to de-frizz the hair and define the curls you’ve just created.

For those who don’t wash their hair in the morning, you’re in luck. Try this for even fuller hair without the blow-drying.

Photography: Vernon Wong; Art direction: Michelle Tham; Styling: Hong Xinying; Hair and makeup: Dollei Seah, Lydia Thong and Vicky Lee of Makeup Entourage (9111 1919), using Burberry; Model: Lee Soon Young/Nu Models; Dress: COS

Coach ID Lanyard
Now $75
Original price: $168
Shop Now
Jabra Elite 4 Wireless Earbuds
Now $88
Original price: $162
Shop Now
BaByliss Air Pro 2300
Now $63
Original price: $144
Shop Now
Abib Collagen Eye Patch
Now $19
Original price: $35
Shop Now