Michael Brennan is the Wella Pro-Series Ambassador. He’s worked with a whole galaxy of star celebs like Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth Hurley and even Justin Bieber. Talk about a famous head of hair! Here, he shows us how to create three stunning hair styles that will take you from day to night – perfect for those post-work parties. And, you can purchase any of the products he uses on The Store! You’ll even get free shipping if you spend over $49.

How To Get Smooth & Straight – Something Great For Work

Before you start on this look, you should apply a strong mousse on at the roots.  Wella strong hold mousse is fabulous, especially if you have long hair. Remember, you want to give it a little bit of volume but keep it smooth at the same time. The trick to applying mousse is to put it in at the roots. This is great for volume and will smooth away all the frizzy bits.  The amount you should apply is about the size of a golf ball for longer hair and if you have short hair, maybe a bit less.

When you start blow drying, it’s probably best to dry it off in general and then once most of the moisture is off start from the roots and work your way down. It’s best to use a nozzle, to keep the hot air concentrated on the area you are drying. Make sure you occasionally blast some cold air through the hair to help seal the heat and keep the hair straight and shiny. Another great trick is to blow dry the hair forward because it adds extra volume. You want your straight to look long and silky, but not flat against the head – you still need some lift at the roots.

If you want more body you should use a round brush. If this is too difficult, a paddle brush works well too. 

To get it super smooth around the top of your head and to keep those little baby hairs in check, clip some tissues on as it cools down. And finally, to finish off the look, spray a little bit of hairspray in your hairbrush and brush it over. This helps avoid the sticky, crunchy effects of hairspray and keeps the hair light, soft and smooth. Rouge recommends: Wella Pro Series Strong Hold Hairspray. Buy it now.

Curls for a night out

The top trick for stay-put curls is to start by applying hairspray from your mid-lengths to the ends.  This will ensure your hair holds the curl in the direction your curling, which is important once you’re out at night and want the curls to stay strong.

 As you begin to curl your hair you will feel the tongs warming up. It’s important not to leave them on too long - you want to avoid burning the hair and causing split ends. Take the tong right from the end of the hair, and then slowly roll all the way up right up the base. Then, hold this with your hand until you can feel it getting hot. Once you’ve let each curl go, roll up the hair up with your hand and clip it up so the curl holds while it cools off. This helps the curl retain the shape and prevent it dropping too soon.

People always ask what the difference is between curling with a GHD and tongs. The answer, is both! But, using a GHD will result in a flatter curl. Rounder curls are usually a bit more glamorous, softer and show the bend in your hair.

I would recommend leaving the hair clipped up for 10 minutes while the hair cools. If you need to speed up the process you can also put the hairdryer over it lightly with cool air to help it set faster.

If you hair is short I’d avoid really tight curls. You should try and do softer, larger curls. With long hair, it depends what look you’re going for, but often larger softer curls are the preference in the salon.  If you have thin hair you might try a tighter curl as thinner hair usually drops faster.

Once the clips have been taken out, tip your head over and softly shake out the curls. As you do this, spray the hair with volume hairspray by Wella to help keep the hold. Shaking the hair out helps loosen the curls up and give the look a volume boost. Finish the look off with some hairspray on the comb and comb the roots to give it a smoother look. When you get to the curled ends, just comb lightly through the top – you want to avoid brushing out the curls. Wella hairsprays are great because they aren’t sticky and brush out easily.

Up-Do

The trick about an updo is all about placement. Especially for a pony, I would always recommend lifting the hair to mid length. Too low can often draw down the look which isn’t always flattering.

Back comb the roots a little bit with a bit of max hold hairspray to give the front volume. Then, add a little max hold mousse on the sides to help give the pony sleek lines and shape. Use a brush to brush back and even your fingers through the top to give it texture and movement. Before you put on the elastic, apply some hairspray over your head, to keep the pony tight and neat. When you run your fingers through the texture it often gives it a really natural movement which looks great. When a pony tail is too tight it can look too severe.

Once you pull the hair back, add some mousse around the base of the ponytail to help avoid fly-away strands to achieve that sleek line. Take a snag-free elastic band (which doesn’t have metal on it as they will break your hair) and wrap it round and tie it off with a bobby pin. The elastic band will also be unobtrusive and won’t distract from the clean, neat look.