7 Expert Tips On How To Apply Mousse For Instagram Ready Hair
In the '80s, mousse created Madonna's blonde haystack, Princess Diana's fluffy, feathered blowout, George Michael's entire look, and was ubiquitous in everyone's bathroom. It disappeared like acid-washed jeans, but it's back - and more versatile than ever.
By FEMALE,
#1: Pick the right texture
Not all foams are created equal. Mousse to hold curls and tame waves will have a softer, airier foam, says Dawson Soh, art director of Next Salon. If you can pick up a ball of foam and it doesn’t lose its shape, it’s most likely a strong-hold one for volume and bounce. That way, you can tell which multi-tasking mousse is better for certain styles, even if it doesn’t say so on the can.
#2: Shake well
If you don’t, the mousse comes out watery and will clump hair together. “Get the foam as
thick as possible as it makes it easier to apply evenly,” says June Ng, founder of J's Salon.
#3: Apply on dry hair (or not)
“In general, it’s easier to spread the product on clean, damp hair,” says Soh. “If applied on very wet hair, the mousse will give a hard, crisp effect like gel when it dries. On damp hair, it creates volume, and it controls movement on already-dry hair,” says June.
#4: For bounce
Applying a strong-hold mousse like Joico Joiwhip Firm-hold Design Foam to damp hair before blowing it dry with a brush gives a full and bouncy straight look. “Although hair is straight, it’s a totally different effect from the typical super-sleek and limp look you get from flat ironing,” says June.
#5: For lift
Thin, flat hair? Toni & Guy Prep Volume Plumping Mousse comes with a long, thin nozzle that allows you to directly pump mousse to the roots for a natural-looking lift. Blow-dry upside down for more volume, says Issac Ng, salon director of Toni & Guy.
#6: Create texture
It’s generally agreed that it’s near impossible to create beachy waves on pin-straight Asian hair without a curling tong. Now you can: with mousse. “Mousse is almost like a setting agent in itself,” says Mark Hampton, global ambassador for Toni & Guy Hair Meet Wardrobe, the brand's at-home styling range. “It acts like a memory product.” Work mousse into damp hair, flip hair upside down and scrunch away in sections as you blow-dry, aiming the hairdryer nozzle at each section.
#7: Resuscitate dying perms
Work a moisturising mousse into mostly dry hair to restore shine and smooth frizz, before allowing hair to air dry completely, suggests June. Result: soft, controlled curls.
Image: Showbit.com
An adapted version first appeared in Female's May 2013 issue.
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