Anatomy of a great hairstyle

There are certain elements to attaining really great hair. The first — and perhaps most important — is the cut. Celebrity hairstylist Steven Lake, who has planted his shears in the tresses of such red-carpet staples as Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie (circa The Simple Life, seasons one to three) and A-list stars like Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones, has got his job cut out for him (no pun intended). His first task of the day is to shape my lank and lifeless hair into something flirty and fun.

At a very early 11 a.m., with my hair not-so-neatly tucked into a ponytail, I meet Steven — the man making girls beautiful in that Creamsilk ad. Better looking and way more charming in person than his ad would have you believe, he begins the makeover by asking questions any decent stylist should ask before embarking on any form of mane landscaping: How do I wear my hair? Do I style it? Is it easy to maintain?

I wear my hair in a ponytail most days. My hair can count itself lucky if it manages to meet a hairbrush at some point during the day.

Steven’s suggestion? Removing thick layers of hair weighing down my natural curls and opening up my face with sideswept bangs. The result was kicky flipped hair with lots of body and movement.

A Cut Apart

"Knowing the kind of hairstyle that fits your face shape should be your first priority when getting a cut," Steven advises. For my face, layers that cut mid-cheekbone and under make for a more flattering ‘do which makes my face look a little slimmer.

For a round face, he suggests layers (like mine) under the cheekbones to break up the face and add more texture instead of one heavy, single-length cut. Flat-ironed, stick-straight hair might be pretty to look at in commercials, but the same might not be applicable in real life.

"That kind of hairstyle isn’t flattering to most faces," says Steven. "If you’re super skinny and you want to work it like that then by all means, go ahead. But I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone."

The kind of stick-straight hair so popular in hair commercials isn’t so forgiving in real life. Steven’s idea of a great haircut is something modern and easy. Clean, natural and flowing are his keywords for cuts. Instead of a super sharp bob like Vogue’s Anna Wintour’s, go for something with soft, razored edges. "You want something soft and touchable," he says, "something you can run your fingers through."

Girls with oblong-shaped faces should opt for bangs to break up the length of the face and add dimension. Oval shapes can sport short, twee cuts like Audrey Hepburn’s or bobs like Sienna Miller’s. People with square-shaped faces should avoid those kinds of cuts as they can make a face look wider than normal.

Think Lifestyle

While stylists generally recommend showing a photo of your ideal hairdo — taking a pair of scissors to your copy of People magazine and snipping out the best-tressed celeb is one tack — so that they can incorporate that into a style that best suits your face, it’s also best to check if that hairstyle suits your lifestyle.

If, like me, you spend less than 10 minutes on primping at the start of the day, then maybe the long, curly locks of Brooke Burke (one of Steven’s favorite clients) isn’t for you. Lots of blow drying shouldn’t be on the menu.

Also if your job requires a neater or shorter do — think chef or surgeon — wispy, come-hither bangs might not be your destiny.

"You have to come to an agreement with your stylist that the hairstyle you want is something you can maintain," he says reasonably. "You should also look for a cut that has some versatility to it."

"You can get a lot with a shoulder-length layered look — dress it up at night with an updo or do something low-key and sexy for day," he adds. "But make sure you can get lots of looks with minimal effort."

Finishing Touch

To maintain your ‘do, he suggests using the right products to keep hair in its best shape. "Filipinas should shampoo every day because of the climate and pollution." But since shampoos have strong cleansing agents, he advises a rinse-out conditioner, like Creamsilk’s, to return moisture to hair. "Particularly if you blow dry regularly," he adds.

To keep your locks luscious, he says to keep away from anything sticky like wax or hair spray as they tend to weigh hair down. For body and movement, a leave-in conditioner works wonders without giving tresses that synthetic, shellacked look.

For kinky hair, opt for Creamsilk’s Instant Straight Serum. Apply a peso-sized drop all over hair while damp. It’ll air dry and result in straighter, frizz-free locks. You can blow dry it, but finish it with a small dollop after for extra control. Women who use flat irons can give it a rest and try out the serum but for those who just can’t give up their flattening tools, Steven recommends ceramic flat irons. He warns against using them every day as its direct heat can do major damage to hair.

Minor hair mishaps like messy ends can be solved with the Smooth Defense Crème. For sleeker ‘dos, and to shield locks from the sun’s harsh rays, distribute the crème over the ends for a clean finish. The formula has aloe, which gives hair a healthy sheen.

If out-of-control waves are the problem (or you have that tikwas layered look), then apply the Extra Control Gel Crème to tame locks. To smoothen ends, simply take a small drop of the solution, emulsify it with both hands and apply mid-length in a downward movement (so as not to weigh hair down or make roots greasy) for straighter hair. Flyaway curls and unmanageable layers are easily controlled with this instant hair fixer.

Finish everything with the Lite Fix Spritzer, which boosts volume and revitalizes hair. "It smells fantastic, too," says Steven. "This little bottle is a great help. Keep one at home, at your office and in your car." With a few squirts the handy spritzer adds life to dull lifeless hair.

"Spray it when damp so it functions as a conditioner with a little hold or add it to dry hair as a volume booster," he explains. The application is simple. Spray it about a foot away from your head and then scrunch up hair from the middle to the ends for more body.

"When you come home from work only to head out for dinner or drinks after, you don’t have to do your hair from scratch," he says. One trick of the trade is to spritz hair and then twist it into a bun (or several buns for more curls) and leave it for half an hour or more. Release the buns and you’ll get great, natural-looking waves. "For added hold, just give it one more hit of the Lite Fix Spritzer," he adds.

"The great trick about these products is that they give a lot of look with really minimal effort," says Steven. "At the end of the day the hairstyle that works best is one that you can maintain easily."

With these nifty tools in hand, bad hair days should be a thing of the past.