HOME BLOWN
FORGET that smooth, sleek, polished business. Most of us are happy to get our hair dry before we leave the house. And even if we try to reproduce that fresh-from-the-salon bounce, well, good luck getting a stylist to explain how. We can still hear the laughter over the roar of the blow-dryer.
But now L.A. has a patron saint of the limp-haired masses: Steve Lococo, owner of the Borrelli Beverly Hills salon and blow-out master.
Lococo has taught dozens of women the secrets of smooth hair at home in monthly two-hour classes at the salon. They are convivial gatherings that include wine, cheese, free styling products and, often, a makeup consultation for a reasonable $25.
Lococo says most women fail by frantically, haphazardly blasting chunks of wet hair with hot air. The aim is to create a solid foundation that allows their hair to fall neatly into place.
That starts with gently towel-drying wet hair and anointing it with the appropriate product. Lococo suggests Borrelli Anti-Frizz Smoothing Glaze (sold at the salon) for medium-bodied or wavy hair; Kerastase Creme Oleo-Curl for thick, curly hair, and Paul Mitchell Volumizing Body Boost, applied at the roots, for limp hair.
Then, set out the tools: a dozen hair clips, a wide-toothed comb, a hand mirror and a round, ventilated, bristle styling brush. Place a towel on the counter to help anchor the dryer when your hands are busy. And don’t make any plans for the next 25 minutes.
1. Start drying hair without the brush: Using your hands, lift sections of the hair and dry, concentrating on the roots. (Lococo recommends medium heat.) Continue until hair is about 90% dry. Set dryer down, and comb the hair straight.
2. Section the hair by making a series of parts:
Beginning above one ear, part in a hair-band-shaped arch over your head to the other ear.
Starting at the top middle of this arch, part down the center, aiming toward your forehead.
Twist each front section into a rope; wind the rope into a coil and secure with a hair clip.
Part the back half of your hair horizontally into four sections, working from top to bottom. Each horizontal, ear-to-ear part is about the width of three fingers. Twist all but the bottom section into a rope, coil and clip to your head.
3. Finish drying your hair, beginning with the bottom section.
Pull the section taut at a 45-degree angle -- not perpendicular to the head -- and roll it around the brush. Aim the dryer downward at the section, keeping it about 3 inches away. (Aiming the dryer downward will give you a smoother surface.)
Keeping the hair taut, gradually unroll the hair as you move the dryer down the length of the hair.
Continue to uncoil and dry sections, working from bottom to top. Do the front portions last. To keep sections thin enough to dry quickly on the brush, you may need to separate them into smaller portions. Just separate the section and twist and clip it out of the way.
4. Check your work in a hand mirror. Tame any wayward tresses with another hit from the dryer, letting the hair cool momentarily on the brush. Tame flyaway hairs with a light veil of hair spray.
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Borrelli Beverly Hills, 8822 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, accepts reservations for the blow-dry classes, held at 5:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month. To schedule, call (310) 278-4430.
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