Knoji reviews products and up-and-coming brands we think you'll love. In certain cases, we may receive a commission from brands mentioned in our guides. Learn more.

YOU’VE JUST GOT THE PERFECT JOB!

Your life is suddenly full of meetings and group discussions with the top bosses. This newly acquired status means late hours at work and tighter schedules. You’re prepared for that! You squeeze in a little time for a bit of blush here and a bit of gloss there! But your hair seems to be getting step-motherly treatment – you’re often guilty of combing and styling it on your drive to work, at traffic signals! Since you can’t walk into an important meeting with your mangled mane, here are a few haircuts and hairstyles that will fit the formal look. Take your pick…

STRAIGHT DRIVE

So you’re the lucky one with poker straight locks! Make-up and hair expert Apeni George, of Mumbai’s Magic salon, says, “Straight hair is the easiest to handle and maintain.” She adds, “When you go to a hair stylist, make sure you ask him/her to show you how you can style your hair yourself. You’re definitely not going to walk into a salon daily.”

THE CUT: Either a classic bob or shoulder to medium length with lots of layers going through.

STYLE IT: If you’ve got yourself a neat bob, just blow-dry your hair and apply some gloss serum on it. If you have long hair with layers – comb it out nicely so that the layers fall into place. If you like to leave your hair open, make sure you tuck it behind your ears. This will prevent the layers from going all over your face, which will make you look messy. You could also tie a low pony.

KEY PRODUCT: A GLOSS SERUM

How It Works:

• Adds gloss and great shine to your hair

• Gives colored hair radiance

• Brings life to dull hair

MARKET MEDLEY

Pick Hairstyling Products From These Brands…

• SCHWARZKOPF

• L’OREAL PROFESSIONNEL

• SHISEIDO

• TIGI BEDHEAD

• KEUNE

• MATRIX

• WELLA

RIDING THE WAVES

Wavy hair is best when it comes to styling – as it’s easy to make it straight or curly. But it can get into quite a bit of trouble – as it can get frizzy!

THE CUT: Shoulder to long with lots of layers. The layers will take the extra volume off. Apeni says, “You should decide on the length of the hair depending upon the kind of waves that you have. But it should be either long or shoulder length, make sure that it’s never in-between!”

STYLE IT: Use a moisture spray (to hold the waves in). If you have nice and healthy waves, just blow dry the front of your hair and tie it up. But if you have nasty and unmanageable waves, scrunch your hair or gel it. Apeni says, “Chemically relaxing your hair will make it less tedious. You can also play with the parting (side or centre).” She adds, “You can also use hair accessories like sleek and sophisticated clips and pins!”

KEY PRODUCT: MOISTURE SPRAY

How It Works:

• Enhances and balances the moisture content in your hair

• Smoothes dry hair and provides sufficient nutrition

• Does not overburden the hair

• Facilitates combing

• Helps in easy maintenance

All CURLED UP!

Soft girly curls can be quite charming on a casual outing, but they can be troublesome in the boardroom.

THE CUT: It’s got to be either very short or very long. No shoulder or medium lengths for those with curls. Again, you need to have a lot of layers running through to take the volume off. Flaunt great curly hair sans the mess!

STYLE IT: Tie into a twist, a ponytail or a neat plait. Never leave it open! Curls, if let loose, can be quite chaotic. Apeni says, “After washing your hair, always use a heavy duty conditioner, to seal the moisture in. The run a brush through and rinse off. Let it dry naturally. When your hair is about 80 percent dry, apply a curl activator. “The curl activator keeps your curls closer, holding them together- cutting out the excess volume! It also makes your curls appear crispier and healthier.

KEY PRODUCT: CURL ACTIVATOR

How It Works:

• It gives a soft, flexible hold that maintains curl definition.

• It gives defined curls that are pliable, lustrous and manageable without leaving your hair crunchy and frizzy.