How to get Cover Girl Sexy Hair

Taken straight from Cosmopolitan, here's how to get fab hair as told by the stylist who knows what he's talking about:

~ For the first time ever, we're revealing all the behind-the-scenes tips and tricks required to create our signature temptress tresses. ~

A Cosmo cover wouldn't be a Cosmo cover without the hair. You know what we mean by that - big, gorgeous, sexy tresses. The signature strand style that's practically a trademark of our covers is a key factor in the ultraseductive quality of the women who grace them. "It's the kind of hair every woman wants to have because every man wants to touch it," says NYC and Miami salon owner Oribe, the man behind the look on these pages. The crucial elements that make these manes so irresistible: softness, shine, voluminous body and, most of all, a tousled quality that gives them a touch of between-the-sheets sultriness. Read on for the step-by-step instructions for creating these luscious locks, so you can score them yourself.

Step 1

The ultimate goal is to create hair that has a ton of body and texture but is still soft and shiny. That said, your first step is to use a styler that will pump up your strands without dulling or shellacking them. Oribe recommends applying a volumizing mousse to freshly washed, still-damp hair and working it through from roots to ends. "Using this product on damp hair will build body and help it hold the style, and it never makes hair look gunky, so use even more than you think you need," he says. In fact, he used three to four palmsful on this style. Other good options: Physique Volume Boosting Foam, $7, or Frédéric Fekkai Full Volume Mousse, $19.50. After saturating all of your strands, use a wide-tooth comb to distribute the mousse evenly and nix any tangles gently.

Step 2

To get the required vixenish volume, begin blow-drying haphazardly, using just your hands to shake out your strands. Another key body-boosting tip: Direct the nozzle of your blow-dryer in the opposite direction of where you want your locks to fall, says Oribe. For example, switch your part to the opposite side while you dry the top of your head. And flip your head upside down (or tilt your head forward like our model does) when you blow-dry your underlying sections. This way, when you style your strands back into the proper place, they'll be set bending toward the other direction, so you'll wind up with lift at the roots. Once dry, rub a dollop of leave-in conditioner or a moisturizing styling cream between your palms and run it over the length of your mane, paying special attention to your ends. This will keep your hair hydrated despite blow-drying it and using hot rollers (the next step). We like Pantene Pro-V Anti-Frizz Creme, $7.49. "The conditioner replaces lost moisture without making your hair greasy," Oribe says.

Step 3

You may think hot rollers create only old-school poodle curls, but they're actually the secret weapon behind the incredible body and shine of Cosmo cover hairstyles. "Since you'll be rolling large sections, you'll get lots of body, plus a little curve and finish on the ends, and the heat creates brilliant shine all the things that make for the tremendous tress sex appeal on the front of every issue," says Oribe. And the rollers work their magic on curly and straight hair alike (unless your hair is supercurly, in which case you'll need to blow-dry your strands straight before you begin). Don't have a set? They're surprisingly affordable and available at any drugstore or beauty-supply store. We like Conair Instant Heat Hairsetter, $34.99. How to use them:# Separate the center section of your mane, as if you were creating a 2-inch wide mohawk starting at your forehead and going back to your nape, then create a loose ponytail on each side of your head. Pull a 2-inch-deep section from the front of the mohawk, hold it taut, place a roller on top of the ends, and roll it away from your face, all the way to your scalp. Repeat until the whole center section is in rollers. # Next, take one ponytail out of the elastic and work on rolling up that side. Take a 2-inch section of hair from your temple and pull it up and across your forehead, then hold a roller diagonally on top of the ends, roll it to your scalp, and secure it. This will give that area major lift. Tip: Keep some tissues nearby to prop under any rollers that feel too hot on your skin. # Now take the section of hair directly below that roller and roll it halfway up so face-framing pieces will be sleek with a slight bend. # Finish rolling under any remaining hair from that side, securing rollers at the scalp. Repeat on the other side of your head. "Your hair needs to cool for about 10 minutes before you take out the rollers, so this is a great time to do your makeup," suggests Oribe. Cosmo cover hair, by the way, doesn't have to be long. So don't worry if your strands are too short for rollers — just follow the same rolling instructions, but instead use a 1-inch barrel curling iron to get Cosmo-fied volume at the roots and curve at the ends.

Step 4

Once your locks have cooled, remove the rollers, but don't touch your tresses for a few minutes. Since the hair that was closest to the roller may still be a little warm, give it some extra time to release any heat; otherwise you could foil your volume. If you need to make your face-framing pieces look more shapely, use a large-barrel curling iron on 2-inch-thick sections, rolling them to just halfway up the length of your hair. Roll some sections outward and some inward for a natural effect.

Step 5

Run your hands through your curls to separate them and get rid of any roller or curling-iron marks. Also, use your fingertips to massage your scalp and boost volume at roots. "If you end up with too much curl, you can soften the effect by brushing your hair with a flat paddle brush while blow-drying it on a low setting for just a minute or two," says Oribe. Finish with a misting of light-hold aerosol hair spray to give your style staying power. We like Paul Mitchell Super Clean Light, $8.95.

source: Cosmo; story by David Stesner