Get picture-perfect hair

NEW YORK—Is spectacular, TV-commercial hair achievable in real life?

“If you’re looking for that shine, texture and color you see on print ads, the answer is yes,” says Oliver Sarabia, an advertising art director at the Redken offices in New York City [Redken is a subsidiary of the L’Oréal Group]. “But if it’s the Venus, fan-in-front effect you’re after, unfortunately, no.”

Sarabia explains that the illusion advertising tends to create is actually meant to encourage, rather than dishearten.

“You look into these ads for inspiration. You see a photo of a woman with great hair, looking confident and ready to conquer the world—that’s what we try to create at Redken,” he says.

So how does one go from reel to real life? Here are four all-time tress tips:

1. Find the right shampoo. Everyone has a different hair type—dry, oily, straight, coarse, and so on. “The best way to treat your hair is to get the formula that is right for you,” says Sarabia. He suggests going to a salon pro if you can’t pinpoint what category your mane falls under.

2. Create shine. At shoots, high-watt sheen is usually achieved by means of chemical glossing treatments and strategic strobe lighting. Outside the controlled environment of a pictorial, anti-frizz serums and leave-on conditioners can make hair look polished. “The new formulas go on soft and no longer feel oily or greasy,” notes Sarabia.

3. Enhance texture. Plenty of prep work goes into styling locks way before the cameras start rolling. In your own bathroom, allot a few minutes to applying thermal protectant or volumizing mousse, or smoothing milk on towel-dried strands before blow-drying. This should reap ad-worthy results.

4. Choose great color. “The best way a normal person can achieve ‘TV-hair’ is to get professional advice,” says Sarabia. Certified colorists are trained to spot the most flattering tint for your crown, thereby making the salon splurge worth it. “If you can’t [afford to] go every month, at least go for the advice. Let a pro steer you towards the right direction: from the best shade, down to the proper products to use.”

Mariel Chua is the former beauty editor of Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, and Ok! Magazine. She is now based in New York City. Visit NyMinuteNow.com.

(Original article link here.)