Our future Queen of England is already Queen of the bouncy blow dry, with voluminous, lustrous locks that are the envy of women everywhere. There’s never a hair out of place.
But while it would be wonderful to all have the time and money to get our hair professionally blow dried every time we left the house, for most of us that just isn’t an option.
However, getting Kate’s look at home is actually very achievable, especially with a few clever styling tricks. And we have just the man to give you them!
Richard Ward is one of the hairdressers behind Kate’s much envied locks. The infamous Chelsea Blowdry is Kate’s signature look, but there are a special styling techniques you can use at home to give your hair style a boost.
1. Leave at least two days before washing and blow drying
This means that your hair will be extra shiny and bouncy. Tie it up and give it a rest from any heat or products for a few days to really see a difference. Richard is a big advocate for making sure hair is super clean before styling.
‘First things first, it needs a wash,’ he told the Mail. ‘You will never get rich girl hair without washing it and I believe you should wash your hair whenever you need to. If you’re lucky and you have that thick, long hair you don’t need to wash much, then that’s great, but if your hair is fine and greasy, definitely sort it out.’
2. DON’T towel dry hair first… damp is best
‘Dry it from 75 per cent wet – the wetter, the better – and make sure you use a nozzle. No hairstyle I do uses a hairdryer without a nozzle.’ Nozzles are great at limiting frizz… essential for a sleek and smooth Kate Middleton style blowdry!
3. Blow dry roots not the length of your hair
‘Lift the hair from the roots as you dry it to really get to the cuticle of the hair,’ says Ward. Try drying it upside down at first, then keep the heat at the roots while you finish off drying your locks.
4. Go easy on products… put the hairspray down
Lots of volume boosting mousse equals voluminous hair, right? Wrong! It actually weight the hair down, making it harder to achieve bounce and shine. ‘Another mistake women often make is that they use too much product,’ Richard Ward says.
‘It’s all about cocktailing small amounts. I favour an Argan oil elixir – which is a cross between a serum and an Argan oil – this works very well for giving the hair shine. Rub the product into your hands first and throw your hair upside down to apply the product in the right way.’
5. Use a REAL bristle brush
‘Finally, it is also crucial during the process that you use a real bristle brush. ‘Limit the use of heated irons and try to get the blow dry perfect and avoid the straighteners if possible,’ he says.
And, there you have it K-Middy hair in no time at all!