A contemporary hairstyle is often defined by its departure from perfect uniformity, embracing instead the dynamic interplay of texture, volume, and subtle imbalances. This approach creates a look that is both sophisticated and effortlessly chic, reflecting a modern aesthetic. Achieving this 'perfectly imperfect' style at home is entirely possible with the right techniques and an understanding of how to build shape and movement. This guide will walk you through the process of creating a hairstyle with an edge, focusing on building texture, introducing asymmetry, and boosting volume from root to tip.
Foundation for Success: Prepping for Volume and Texture
The journey to a voluminous, textured style begins in the shower and with the initial preparation of your hair. The products you use and how you dry your hair create the essential base upon which you will build your look.
- Washing and Conditioning: Start with a volumising shampoo. When conditioning, apply it primarily to the mid-lengths and ends of your hair, avoiding the roots. Heavy conditioners at the root can weigh hair down, counteracting your efforts to create lift.
- Towel Drying: Gently squeeze excess water from your hair with a microfibre towel or an old cotton t-shirt. Rubbing vigorously with a traditional towel can cause frizz and damage the hair cuticle.
- Applying Foundational Products: While your hair is still damp, it's time to apply products that provide lift and hold. A golf-ball-sized amount of volumising mousse, worked through from roots to ends, is an excellent starting point. For extra lift, you can spritz a root-lifting spray directly onto the scalp area.
- The Rough Dry: Begin by blow-drying your hair upside down, focusing the heat at the roots to encourage them to lift away from the scalp. Use your fingers to tousle your hair as it dries. Aim to get it about 80% dry this way before moving on to more precise styling.
Building Blocks: How to Create Enviable Texture
Texture is what gives a hairstyle personality and movement. It breaks up solid shapes and adds visual interest. There are several ways to introduce texture, both with and without heat.
Heat-Styling for Movement
Using heat tools is a quick way to create lasting texture. The key is to avoid creating uniform, perfect curls. Instead, aim for variation.
- Imperfect Waves: Using a straightener or curling wand, take random sections of hair of varying sizes. As you curl a section, alternate the direction (some towards the face, some away). Leave the last inch or two of the hair straight for a more modern, undone feel. Don't be too precise; the goal is a natural-looking wave pattern.
- Straightener Bends: For a subtler texture, you can use a flat iron to create 'bends' in the hair. Clamp a section of hair and, as you glide the iron down, flick your wrist back and forth to create a gentle 'S' shape.
Product-Based Texturising
If you prefer to avoid heat or want to enhance your heat-styled look, the right products are your best friends.
- Sea Salt and Texturising Sprays: These are staples for creating a gritty, piecey look. Lightly mist the spray over dry hair and use your fingers to scrunch and tousle it. This helps to separate the strands and add body.
- Dry Shampoo: More than just a tool for second-day hair, dry shampoo is fantastic for adding grip and a matte texture at the roots, which also helps to boost volume.
- Waxes and Pomades: Use a tiny amount of a lightweight wax or pomade, warmed between your fingertips, to define the ends of your hair and tame any unwanted flyaways. This adds separation and a polished finish to your textured look.
The Art of Asymmetry: Styling for an Edgy Look
Asymmetry adds an element of surprise and sophistication. While a haircut can create permanent asymmetry, you can easily achieve a similar effect through styling alone. This avoids any commitment and allows you to change your look daily.
- The Deep Side Parting: The simplest way to create asymmetry is with a dramatic side parting. Use the arch of your eyebrow as a guide for where to part the hair. This instantly creates an imbalance, with more volume and weight on one side.
- The Hair Tuck: Once you have your deep side parting, neatly tuck the hair on the 'lighter' side behind your ear. You can secure it with a discreet pin if needed. This creates a sleek contrast to the voluminous, free-flowing hair on the other side.
- Strategic Pinning: For a more deliberate look, you can create a small, tight twist or braid on the slimmer side of the parting and pin it back. This not only secures the hair but also adds another textural element to your style.
Finishing Touches: Locking in Your Style
The final step is to ensure your carefully crafted texture, volume, and asymmetry last throughout the day. A few finishing products will set your style without making it feel stiff or unnatural.
Lightly mist a flexible-hold hairspray all over your hair to provide hold while still allowing for natural movement. To break up the style and add a final piecey quality, you can gently shake your hair out at the roots with your fingertips. A final look in the mirror allows you to make any small adjustments, pulling out a few face-framing pieces or defining a wave here and there. The result is a dynamic, modern hairstyle that is uniquely yours.
