Exp-HAIR-imenting: One HC Intern's Attempt to Create a New Hairstyle Every Day of the Week Part-1

I have always envied girls who are naturally good at styling hair. You know, those friends who casually create an intricate up-do, or produce a mane of gorgeous curls with a simple twist of the iron. I envy those girls because I am definitely not one of them. In fact, I am completely inept when it comes to hair. I can't count how many times I have spotted a hairstyle in a magazine, bought the products the stylist recommends, followed the steps exactly as written and ended up with a complete mess of a hairdo that looks nothing like the picture. Over the years I have given up on my hairstyling abilities and resigned to using the easiest and most boring tool on the market: the hair straightener. Day after day, I straighten my hair the same way, turning my naturally voluminous locks into a simple, uniformed lump. Don't get me wrong—I don't hate my hair. I love the color and am pretty happy with the length. I just wish I knew how to mix up my look, adding style and pizzazz whenever I felt like it. Which brings me to my first official experiment.

For my first intern experiment, I am going to style my hair differently every day this week—without doing anything to the cut or color. Every day, I am going to reflect on the hairstyle I created and report on the degree of difficulty, how long it took to create, and which products I used. And since I believe hair is a key component to any ensemble, I am going to write and post pictures about what I wore with the hairstyle.

Day 1

Today I met with master stylist, Nikki Ruby, of the Pyara Aveda salon in Cambridge, MA. She showed me a variety of easy (or so she claims) ways I can change up the texture, style and overall look of my hair. She also shared some really useful styling tips for ways to add volume, combat frizz, and work with products that I always wanted to try, but never knew how. But I'll divulge Nikki's secrets later. Let's start with look one.

While this look might seem obvious and simple, I felt it was important to include it for several reasons. First of all, I know very few people who have mastered the perfect blowout. We all want to achieve that bouncy, just left the salon look, but don't know how to do it. The basic blowout is also the basis for many other looks, as it is much easier to create interesting up-dos and fun hairstyles when you start with a smooth, yet voluminous shape.

Nikki began the blowout by creating a very deep side part and waving the hair dryer back and forth in quick, jerky motions. She said the hair dryer should be in constant motion until the hair is almost completely dry and that my elbow should never be above my shoulder (I always thought I had to raise it above my head!). She also showed me how to add volume by leaning my head to the side and into the blow dryer. When most of my hair was dry, Nikki began creating a side-swept bang by brushing them from side to side with a flat brush. She finished the look using a big round brush, but said I could use a straightener to achieve the same effect if I was uncomfortable with the brush.

Look 1: Basic Blowout

Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Tools and Products:

• Hair dryer with attached nozzle
• Smoothing crème (work through hair before and after blow drying, if desired)
• Flexible hold hair spray (spray afterwards to solidify the shape)

What I wore: This patterned wrap dress mimics the relaxed, 60's-inspired shape of my hair. The hairstyle is fun, yet professional, and I wanted my ensemble to reflect that.

Trick of the Trade: Always make a deeper part than you think you want, because it will create more volume and it's much easier to minimize the part later, but nearly impossible to do the opposite. Also, always use a nozzle at the end of your blow dryer; it protects your hair and creates a smoother look.