Free The New Rules for Blondes by Selena Coppock

overcondition. Conditioner is alluring and silky, and it calls to us, just like it does to Adam Sandler in 1995’s Billy Madison . “Conditioner is better. I leave the hair silky and smooth.” Conditioner can be great (especially during dry winter months), but it should be used sparingly and only on the ends of the hair—away from the roots. I recommend shampooing your hair like a normal person (using a color-protecting shampoo or a purple shampoo, as necessary), then putting conditioner just on the ends ( not the roots) and letting it sit there while you shave your legs or belt out a few power ballads in the shower. Then rinse. As you are brushing through your damp hair post-shower, if you are having trouble getting the brush through, feel free to spray some leave-in conditioner onto the middle and ends of the hair (again, away from the roots). If the opposite occurs and your hair feels overconditioned and floppy (like the hair of Janice the hippie chick in the Muppet band), simply brush through it and compensate for that silkiness with extra quantities of products that will give you back some body: gel, mousse, or hair spray.
    Many people flinch at this laundry list of hair products. The words “hair spray” make them picture a cheesy girl with giant “mall bangs,” a New Kids on the Block T-shirt, and pegged jeans circa 1990. But hair spray can be quite useful, and it should not have a horrible connotation. In fact, contrary to popular belief, putting product in your hair is a good thing because it coats the shaft and protects your hair from hot styling implements such as curlers and irons. With a few exceptions, hair products such as gel and mousse shouldn’t be applied to dry hair or you’ll end up with sticky, gunk-filled locks. You can do a lot of useful hair product application during that precious and precarious witching hour when the hair is still damp, before you use the blow-dryer. Applying gel or mousse during this window of opportunity, while hair is still damp, will give you the body that you crave but permit movement and bounce.
    I just got lost in a mystical window—where were we? Oh yes, fresh out of the shower with a wet head of tangles. Perfect. After you brush through your hair, you may wish to spray it with a bit of water or wet your hands and run them through your hair if your hair air-dries insanely quickly, as mine does. I know that it seems counterintuitive to towel-dry, then re-wet your hair, but just trust me: I’m a genius with dope hair. Once the hair is untangled and damp, you should put some gel on the palm of your hand (a quarter-size drop at minimum) and run it through your hair to coat the shaft and add body and thickness. If you have accidentally overconditioned your hair, use more gel than normal. You also can use mousse, if you prefer that. Then you might wish to use a root boost spray or a spray gel on the roots. This ensures that the weight given to the rest of the hair (from the gel that you just applied) won’t weigh down the roots—they will be boosted up, too. Like a Wonderbra for your dope hair. As far as specific products or labels, I’m no snob. I generally use any L.A. Looks gel—they come in an assortment of colors (fear not—the funky color of the gel doesn’t show up on the actual hair) and all are good. Also, Garnier Fructis has some fantastic products, and Herbal Essences has some wonderful shampoos, conditioners, and products—their Body Envy mousse is a personal fave.
    If you are a bronzer addict like me, at this point you might want to clip up your hair off your face and back (I recommend a small hair clip with plastic or rubber texturing on the inside edges of the clip as it gently grips wet, slippery hair) so that now you can apply lotion to your body, and a nice bronzer cream/lotion mix to your face. It’s quite a ritual. Once that bronzer cream/lotion mixture has had a bit of time to sink in, feel free to take your damp hair down to let it air-dry