Tips for Styling Short Hair

Everyone and their dog probably knows by now that I recently had quite a dramatic haircut (or rather, series of haircuts). I went from waist length, dip-dyed purple hair to shoulder length blonde hair (which lasted about a month) to my current style, a bob. I've really been loving my new shorter hair and I've had so many compliments that it makes me feel like it was the right decision. But having shorter hair means an overhaul of my hair styling routine so I've come up with a few useful tips and products for styling shorter hair.

Tip 1 - Styling products are your friend 

Gone are the days when styling meant "shoving all my hair up into a top knot and calling it a day". I do love my new shorter look and that I can do (almost) nothing with it and still look good...ish. If I'm leaving my hair to air dry, I like to add a bit of texture in the form of a sea salt spray which gives clean hair a "dirty" feel. I've been loving both the Toni & Guy Casual Sea Salt Texturising Spray ($15.99) and the Pure Elements Thyme & Clary Salt Water Spray* ($34.00). Sea salt sprays add texture and adding a spritz to towel-dried hair will mean your hair looks like you've just spent a casual day at the beach instead of just over-slept and not had time to do your hair properly.

Tip 2 - Va-Va Volume

Now that it's shorter and just having it up is much more difficult, I've found myself looking for other avenues to add a little extra to my look. I've found that adding a mousse like the Schwarzkopf Push-Up Volume Mousse ($4.99) in before blow drying had worked wonders for making my hair look effortlessly more "done". Another mousse that I've been loving is the Ref Fiber Mousse 345* ($34.00). The fibres that are activated by rubbing the mousse together and the teeniest amount adds serious volume. I was always afraid of mousse because I feared looking crunchy but mousse has come a long way since the 80s! 

Tip 3 - Don't be afraid to experiment

You know that feeling you get the first time you wash newly your shorn hair and you start to freak out because you have no idea how your hairdresser managed to style it so nicely? I think everyone gets that feeling and the key is not to panic and call your hairdresser and book an appointment every second day so you never have to try and do your own hair again. The secret is to experiment, find out what your new hair looks like air-dryed, what it looks like curled, what it looks like when you shove a bunch of bobby pins into it in an attempt at an up-do. The days I've thought my hair looks the silliest are usually the days I get the most compliments!

Tip 4 - Wash your hair less

For some reason, my shorter hair can go 3-4 days without washing and I still feel good (which is amazing given that I have quite oily hair), whereas I washed my longer hair every 2nd day because I just couldn't deal and no amount of dry shampoo could help. I find that the dirtier my hair is, the easier it is to use Tip 3 as clean hair is much more likely to slip out of styles. I've also found that dirtier hair requires less effort, I can add some of my favourite Batiste Dry Shampoo ($9.99) to the roots and my new BBF, the VO5 Dry Texturising Spray ($7.69), to the rest of my hair and I'm all set!

Tip 5 - Accessorise

I'm not saying that long-haired lasses can't acessorise their locks but I just feel like a whole new world of hair accessories has opened up to me since I chopped my hair. I kind of feel like long hair is an accessory in itself whereas accessories stand out more in short hair. I've been loving my Trio of Head Bands ($4.50) from Kmart and my Her Fashion Box Head Scarves ($9.95).

What are your best tips for styling short hair?

Dani xo

*These products were provided as PR samples but as always, my opinion is my own.