How To Get Sleek, Straight Hair (Plus, Check Out My Nexxus Video!)

Sleek-hair essentials

You guys know how I love my blowouts. (I mean, duh, right?) Well, although long ago, I used to go super straight, for the last couple of years, I've always veered more towards the whole loose curls/ bouncy/bend-at-the-ends kind of thing. I hadn't really worn my hair super sleek in ages, but I recently rediscovered the look, and now...I'm so into it!

The epiphany happened recently when I was asked to shoot a video with Nexxus for their Oil Infinite line of products (which are now available at Costco, BTW!). I was thrilled to participate, because first, I've been a fan of Nexxus since high school back when I was a major Humectress user. And second, throughout  my years as a beauty editor, I've consistently been impressed with the immense amount of science and innovation that goes into the Nexxus products--they're the real deal. And finally, I'd be shooting with Kevin Mancuso, the brand's global creative director, and one of the top celebrity hairstylists in the world.

The shoot was so much fun--but definitely nerve-wracking I don't know what I was expecting (I mean, I think I thought there would be maybe one dude with a small camera on his shoulder and maybe one other guy holding a mike??), but nope. They had totally shut down the Nexxus Salon for the entire day just for the shoot and there were multiple cameras and easily 30 crew members! Gulp. (There was also one other blogger there, who you might recognize in the video: Corrine from Mint Arrow!) 

For the shoot, they washed our hair with the Oil Infinite Shampoo and Conditioner, then styled it. Corinne got loose waves and I got the sleek look. And I LOVED it. My hair was crazy shiny and incredibly silky. I also liked how my hair was really swingy and had lots of movement--it didn't just hang there limply at all, which is what I always fear with a flatironed look. Plus, the blowout lasted for days, which for me, is huge.

And now I'm hooked! While I'll never say never to loose curls, ever since the shoot, I've been going for a sleek look pretty consistently. (I even busted out my flatiron for my most recent headshots, as you can see in the last picture above.) I just love the shine that a sleek look gives you and I love how longlasting it is. (Bonus: Sleek hair actually holds up way better in the rain and humidity, because a flatiron closes the cuticle of the hair so tightly that it's harder for moisture to seep in.)

So, here's my beauty-editor-approved way to get a sleek look:

1. Wash with a smoothing shampoo and conditioner, so you can start the frizz-taming process in the shower. Nexxus Oil Infinite has elastin, protein, and six different oils to get your hair really smooth.

2. Rough dry your hair until it's about 80 percent dry using only your hands and a blowdryer. You want to get as much of the moisture out as possible, before you even think about using a brush.

3. Attach the nozzle to your dryer and grab a round brush (I like to use a mixture of boar and synthetic bristles--it gives the best grip). Then, working in small sections, blow-dry each piece, going from roots to tip, until it's smooth. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. A lot of people (and, unfortunately, a lot of hairstylists) try to cut corners and go directly from the rough dry to the flatiron, but this is not a good idea. You'll end up using your iron for far too much time, which is incredibly damaging. The flatiron should be the finishing touch of a sleek look, not the main event.

4. Once your hair is totally blown out, take your flatiron and run it over one- to two-inch sections of hair. Move the iron slowly, but do keep it moving (stopping in one spot causes damage). Each section should only get one pass--two tops. Again, any more and you risk breakage.

5. Finish with a spritz of shine spray or a dab of oil to smooth flyaways.

If you'd like to check out my Nexxus video, you can view it here. (Scroll towards the bottom of the page!) It's less than a minute long, which is kind of crazy when you consider that we shot for hours--until 10:30pm that night! And be sure to check out the Oil Infinite line (now available at Costco!) here.

So, what did you guys think of my video debut? (Haha!) And is anyone else feeling a sleek look lately, too?

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Nexxus via Lunchbox, but all opinions are my own. I am often asked to partner with companies, but I only choose to align myself with brands--and products--that I truly love and believe in.