Brunette Ambition (21 page)

MARK TOWNSEND’S BEAUTY SECRETS

1.
“I ask all my clients to wash their hair only every three days. When you wash your hair every day, you’re stripping the strands of their natural oils, so your scalp overproduces oil to compensate. You can still take a shower and get your head wet, just don’t use shampoo: Instead massage your scalp with your hands so the water moves the oil down the strands. If you have bangs, go ahead and separate them from the rest of your hair and wash daily. Eventually, your scalp will produce less oil so you won’t feel so greasy.”

2.
“Everyone should own some dry shampoo, which either has powder or starch in it. This absorbs oil, so you can spray dry shampoo on your roots, massage it in, and then brush it through. It’s also amazing for adding texture and building volume that lasts. If you just need a touch-up after a long day of work or school, flip your head over, spray, and then scrunch it up. Dry shampoo gives your style that coveted second-day texture but will still keep your hair looking clean.”

3.
“I ask all of my clients to do my restorative hair masque (see
this page
for recipe) weekly, ideally for an hour at a time (they throw it on while they take a bath or put a shower cap over their head and do other things around the house). The reason I use coconut oil is that its molecules are tiny and can penetrate the hair shaft; most other oils can’t get into the hair shaft and just sit on top. They’re sealing the cuticle, which is great, but they’re not giving you the benefits of tons of moisture.”

4.
“There’s nothing sadder than hair that can’t move: It should be soft and very touchable. So instead of spraying your entire head with hair spray, spot-treat flyaways by spritzing a natural-bristle toothbrush (it cannot be plastic) with a flexible-hold hair spray and touching up out-of-control strands.”

5.
“I cut my clients’ hair every twelve weeks—no more, unless they have a short haircut or a bob that has a very specific shape that needs maintenance (in which case, every six weeks). By stretching it out between cuts, you can preserve your length. Invest in a really great quarterly cut rather than more frequent trims—it’s definitely worth the money to style from a good base.”

6.
“A lot of the blow-dryers on the market get too hot, so when you’re blowing out your hair, be careful to protect it. Rough-dry your hair until it’s 90 percent dry (i.e., don’t focus the nozzle directly on the strands) before you start pulling on it with a brush—and never, ever flat-iron wet or damp hair.”

BLOWING OUT YOUR HAIR

Mark prefers it when I go a few days before washing my hair so that it has plenty of texture for him to work with, but I hate skipping a shampoo, so he’ll use some dry shampoo to add texture (see
this page
). Here’s how he gets my hair prepped for more intensive styling.

1.
“I always blow out bangs while they’re wet before I do anything else—and I never apply product to them. Because bangs are touched constantly, they can get greasy fast. Hold the blow-dryer from above so that the air is pushing them down, as you don’t want any volume in the front.”

2.
“I divide hair into two sections, top and bottom, and then pin the top half up.”

3.
“Taking a dime-size amount of anti-frizz product, I rub it in my hands and then apply it to damp hair, working it evenly and thoroughly through the strands. It’s key that you divide the hair into sections (top and bottom each get a dime-size amount) so that you don’t overdistribute product to the top section, weighing it down. Ultimately, frizz starts underneath, on areas of the hair that are often neglected.”

4.
“Start by blowing out the top section first. This is by far the most exhausting for your arms, and they’ll get tired fast, so save your strength to use here as this hair is also the most visible. Use a round brush as you blow to smooth it out, and then clip it back up. You can rough-dry the bottom section since it’s not as important—once it’s nearly dry, take a round brush and smooth it out as you finish it off.”

MY FIVE FAVORITE MAJOR BEAUTY LOOKS

DATE NIGHT

SMOKY EYE + NUDE LIP

1.
Rim the entire eye with a soft kohl pencil. Kohl is a little messy, so it doesn’t have to be perfect (you can tidy it up after with a Q-tip that’s been dipped in makeup remover). Use your finger or a pointed brush to smudge the line—you can also find a kohl pencil that has a sponge on the end.

2.
Finish the eye by taking a cream eye shadow in the shade you prefer (taupe, bronze, gray) and working it into the crease with a pointy crease brush. Don’t get too high or too far out with the color. Next, curl your lashes. And then take your mascara wand and wiggle it a bit at the base of the lashes as you move up. This ensures that you separate and coat the lashes for optimal coverage. On the bottom lashes, hold the mascara wand vertically and apply like a windshield wiper.

3.
Using a cream blush, smile, and pat the color on the apple of the cheek to add freshness. You’ll want to tap and then blend, adding color gradually until it looks just right.

4.
Because the eyes are dramatic, you’ll want to keep your lips nude. Take a matte cream lip stain or lipstick and using your finger, pat it on.

DATE NIGHT

BEACHY WAVE

1.
Taking sections of hair that are four inches wide, roll hair under with a one-and-three-quarter-inch curling iron, and then set with a clip. Make sure to leave the bottom two inches of hair uncurled to make the wave a bit cooler and messier. If you’re not great with a curling iron or need a shortcut, you can use one-and-three-quarter-inch hot rollers instead. Leave the curls clipped until they’re no longer hot (hair “sets” as it cools).

2.
Spray a paddle brush with flexible- or working-hold hair spray, remove the clips, and brush hair out.

3.
Modern shapes are all about volume at the crown and ends of the hair, not at the front, so leave the front sections of hair alone. Take a teasing comb, lift a one-inch section of hair straight up, and then back-comb from halfway up the shaft all the way down to the root, about four times. Once you’ve applied enough volume, smooth it out with the comb.