Summer Wavy Hair Minus the Blowdrier!

The New England summer humidity has just so many charming traits. Let's begin counting the ways:

1. By the time you get to work you need another shower to get that "disgusting" feel off
2. You can save on spa treatments because the misty feel is exactly like a steam room
3. Your hair permanently resembles a "hot mess" despite the sweaty hours you spent trying to blow it out

I realized there wasn't much I could do about one and two unless I somehow wanted to trade my eco-conscious subway rides for the pricey air-conditioning taxis and hire a personal assistant who's sole responsibility would be to constantly fan me (could you even imagine?! - sadly I do know some narcissistic people who would/have tried to that). BUT I could do something about point 3! 1 out of 3 is not bad...it beats most pitchers batting averages (disclaimer: I really don't care for baseball so I'm not sure if that last statements is even accurate). On another random Target shopping trip where I bought more things that I needed or even wanted, but then again that's just the beauty of Target, I discovered the Conair Flexi Sticks.

These bendy rollers were like discovering the most rare jewel possible...I swear I heard the heavens call out hallelujah! Just think what sort of magic tool can you give you that incredible, tousled wave look without needing any heat appliances or time spent sweating in the bathroom? Available in various diameters, you simply wrap 1-2" sections of your hair around each stick to achieve the desired curl length, and then bend the ends of the stick in to keep it in place. Depending on how damp/long your hair is, leave the sticks in for 30-45min while you catch up on the laundry, emails or indulge in an Entourage episode. Then poof! You're done!

A couple of things to note: when sectioning off hair, I recommend rolling similar length strands together so that you can get a more choppy, textured finish. I also like to apply hair spray just before I remove the sticks to really help set the curls. If you like a more defined finish leave the curls intact once the sticks have been removed. I like more impressionist-inspired look so I use my fingers to gently break up each curl. The first time I did my hair this way this summer season, not only did savor the extra hour and stress-free styling routine vs my normal blow outs but next day at work my very handsomely gay coworker took one look at me and said "Umm what did you do last night? You have that devilishly seductive tousled look only achievable by spending hours rolling around the bed!" Enough said!

Usage tip: Towel/air-dry hair to the point of light dampness before applying the curlers. If hair is soaking wet it will only take triple the amount of time for the curl to set. Keep the sticks vertical to your head during wrapping to get that soft, tousled wave you crave. Short on time? Quickly blowdry each section to speed up the drying and setting process.

The results: Beach-inspired, sexy waves for that amazing slept in look (no hot curling irons or blow dryers necessary!).