Go with the flow this summer by embracing beachy hair.
Leave the styling irons and hairdryer in the drawer these holidays and instead accept hair with texture. Just aid mother nature a little by employing some frizz fighters so you look tousled, not tragically tearaway.
A moisturising shampoo and conditioner will help combat dryness, leave-in treatments or overnight masks will
add some sleekness and it's worth looking for daytime products with UV filters and colour protection. But your most valuable summer-time friend will be a smoothing spritz or serum. You can even pick up something from the supermarket to throw in your beach bag to rid your hair of the worst of its woes. Work a little through the lengths and ends of your hair and let it hang loose or resort to the pony tail or sunhat. If you're camping or travelling, consider taking a can of dry shampoo for when hair washing isn't convenient, but you want to avoid a flat, greasy mess. A quick spritz of this powdery spray worked through the roots will soak up any oil and refresh your style while adding a bit of volume.
If you want to get a bit more ambitious, then try a styling product that works with the season, not against it. As well as the aforementioned multi-purpose products, there's a batch of beachy options that - even if you're not planning to hit the sand - are meant to make you look like you've emerged, gracefully, on the crest of the wave.
We asked an appearance conscious urban bloke with fine, floppy hair and a stylish woman bedevilled with fine, straight hair to help out by putting their heads on the line for some beachy styling options.
1. Kerastase Aqua Seal Soleil $39
Kerastase was a pioneer of hair suncare, and explains the effect of intense or prolonged sun exposure as causing destructive effects, including chemical changes to the hair fibre. Water combined with sun also sees hair lose natural resistance, making it more sensitive and as a result colour fades faster and hair may become weaker.
I'm taking this new addition to the Kerastase Soleil range on holiday to add to the armoury alongside sunblock. My summer styling favourite from the range is Micro Voile Protecteur ($39), which is a UV-filtering, condition enhancing anti-humidity spritz with a barely-there feel.
The idea with Aqua Seal is to apply a good dollop before swimming and follow up with a matching shampoo. It is designed for sensitised hair so if yours isn't in dire straits then you could simply try combing through a little leave-in conditioner.
2. Kevin Murphy Sticky.Business $48
Described as "a matte finish, strong hold, texturiser to create a deliberately disheveled (sic) look". Holds well, but sets slightly crispy and takes some washing out, with the smell and colour of lemon icing. The package was annoying, said our tester: "It's a little box, like a cuff link box, instead of being a screw-top tub (like the Matrix stuff). It has a plastic latch on the front of it which clips over the lid. The lid also clips. This means that you have to undo two things to get into it: who wants to do that first thing in the morning!"
3. L'Oreal Professionnel Play Ball Beach Fizz $31.50
Tester said people noticed a slight lift in her flat hair, but it didn't feel like she was using any product. Salt-spray beach-effect delivers a tousled but soft effect, again with a coconut scent.
4. Wella High Hair Ocean Sprizz $26
A pleasant to use styling product, not too heavy and it gave some natural texture to our tester's very straight hair. This is a light control product to impart a beach-look spray. With UV filters, it helps protect from harsh sun rays and gives volume with a fashionable matte finish.
5. Paul Mitchell Moisture Awapuhi Moisture Mist $17.95
Awapuhi is a Hawaiian botanical extract added to this spritz which can also be used on the skin. It's a UV protectant, designed to revive and hydrate with a good spray and a subtle scent.
6. Fudge Salt Spray $25.50
Our tester found this salt-enhanced texture spray the most intense of the three products she tried, saying it was a little too much on her fine hair, though it delivered the bodifying medium-hold result it promised and has UV filters. Try it on stronger hair, provided you like coconut fragrance.
7. Matrix Design Pulse Beach Clay $23
Described as "strong destructing mud" and our tester said it had the consistency of very light grey thick paste or mud. He and another bloke pronounced the scent reasonably subtle, and thought it was vaguely like melon. The hold was firm enough and it was easy enough to work into damp hair, but it set with a slight crispy feel he didn't like.
Stockists: Selected salons and shampoo shops. For area specific details: Wella ph 0800 800 128, Fudge 0800 456 426, L'Oreal and Kerastase 0800 657 666, Kevin Murphy (09) 525 1075, Paul Mitchell 0800 742 676.
Easy does it
Tie your hair in knots is one of the more original suggestions from top stylist James Furness for an easy summer styling option.
The Kevin Murphy Style Master was in New Zealand recently schooling up local hairdressers on the Australian brand and running workshops on how to use the techniques he employs in the fashion editorial and red carpet looks he is known for. Crimping, teasing and sewing are among his tricks for shaping hair. He also held a client workshop at the Stephen Marr salon at The Department Store where he shared some of his unusual but effective tips to getting texturised looks, creating quick up-dos and controlling and creating volume.
Furness, favourite stylist of the Minogue sisters and a casting call of Australian actors and models, told Viva women wanted easy styles they could achieve at home, though right now, conversely, it is the controlled 1950s that is a big fashion influence.
One of his quick ideas for creating controlled texture is to take sections of damp hair and tie them in loose knots, several if the hair is long enough. If not, twist clumps of hair around and secure. When it dries, shake it free. Perfect for New Year at the beach. Another is to finger-wave hair in giant folds, back and forth, then clip them down to set. It takes a bit of getting the hang of but as our picture shows, the end result makes for very modern DIY.