It’s hard to take your eyes off the mirror whenever you’ve had yourself dolled up by a professional. And it has nothing to do with being vain. You don’t often get to look that good without spending a lot of money and hours in a salon. Now only if you could master how the pros do it. Fortunately for us mere mortals, stylists and makeup artists aren’t so stingy with their secrets, plus you can study makeup artistry as well.. We discovered 7 things that you can use to make yourself “salon-ready” at home and we’re sharing them with you:
#1: A Hair Moisturizer
We all know how important it is to moisturize your face. But did you know the importance of moisturizing your hair? To achieve a salon-style blowout, you need to prime your hair in preparation for a blow-dry. Some salon experts recommend Arrojo Hydro Mist which softens your hair enough for styling. If you have fine hair, then this product is enough to moisturize your hair. If, however, you have thicker or drier hair, then you might need to use additional products such as a light-hold cream gel. Just don’t forget to apply sparingly. It’s easier to add more gel if your hair still needs it. Unless you want to take a shower again and repeat the whole process, you won’t be able to take out the excess once you’ve already put it on your hair. Hair experts also recommend a hair mask to give your locks the moisture it needs to cope with changes in weather and all the other things you put it through – styling, heating, curling, etc.
#2: Professional-grade Hair Dryer
There’s a reason why your salon asks for a large amount of money in exchange for services and it’s not solely due to the incredible talents of their stylists that took years in training and study. The tools of their trade are top quality. If you want salon-level results, you’ll need salon-level tools, the most important of which is the hair dryer. A good quality hair dryer means lesser time drying your hair, lesser heat damage, lesser frizz, and longer durability.
#3: Brush
No hairbrush is created equal. According to hair experts, the hair you have and the style you want to achieve are dependent on the brush you use. For example, a paddle brush is perfect for long-haired ladies who are detangling wet hair. Brushes with synthetic bristles are perfect for individuals with super thick hair because they make detangling easier and create less static as natural bristles. Natural bristles like boar, on the other hand, are perfect for girls with fine, straight hair because they won’t damage your delicate locks. If you want more info on how to find the perfect brush for your hair, you can check out this article here.
#4: Ceramic Flat Irons
Blow drying your own hair is like elbow gymnastics. You’ll have to twist your arms this way and that just to get the right angle and direction you want to style your hair in. Unlike salon stylists who have the use of both their arms and can move freely around you, your arms can only move so much. And the lack of mobility can cause you to aim the nozzle of the dryer up the hair shaft which raises the hair cuticle causing your hair to look dry and frizzy. Since not all of us are successful at contorting our arms, experts recommend the use of a ceramic flat iron to quickly seal the cuticle to leave it smooth and silky.
#5: Hot Rollers
Curling irons are a thing of the past. While you may still be tiring your arms out trying to curl every strand of your hair to give it that extra bounce and volume, others are using hot rollers that result in lovely salon-styled hair with little effort and less time. Other benefits to using hot rollers include longer-lasting waves and curls and less heat damage to your hair. And as an added bonus, you can also use your hot rollers when your blowout is starting to droop and needs a small pick-me-up to get back that bounce. You can check out a list of the various hot rollers heating up women’s hair this 2017 here.
#6: Makeup Base
When it comes to DIY makeup, it’s always best to start with the basics. And before you can even get started on foundation (which most beginners think of as the starting point), you have to prep your skin. Just like a painter preps his canvas with primer, you need to apply makeup base to your face to prepare it for all the paint you’ll be applying. A makeup base’s primary purpose is to smoothen out any imperfections such as filling in large pores, covering any fine lines and wrinkles, and to ensure that foundation will apply better, ensuring an even and smoother finish. Some bases also help hydrate/moisturize your skin which creates natural, glowing skin. With a good base, you’re well on your way to ensuring a flawless makeup application.
#7: Foundation
In the world of DIY makeup, the next thing you’ll need to perfect is foundation. This will cover up any remaining imperfections that were not concealed by your makeup base such as sun spots, acne scars, and birthmarks. Since you already primed your face with makeup base, you only need a light application of foundation on the remaining areas that need to look flawless. If you do this right, your foundation can act as your concealer as well which means that your face will feel less caked up. The only difficult thing with foundations is choosing the right one. Make sure that you’re using a foundation that matches your skin tone. Once you have this down pat, everything else will fall slowly into place, giving you a professionally dolled up face without the high cost of a salon.
It’s a crying shame that we always have to shell out a lot of cash to get that beautifully styled hair and flawlessly made up face. If only getting “salon-ready” at home (at less cost, of course) was possible. Is it? Well, the experts say it is. And we’ve got 7 things that can help you get there.
