Red carpet to reality - strands

Many of you have written us to ask: "How can I get the 'celebrity look' without overdoing it?" So we invited experts to turn a few of our favorite red-carpet styles into everyday do's. Here we share the fabulous results.

Just Mary

Mary J. Blige's hairstyles are as innovative as her hair-color choices. Her stylist, Neeko, of Sessions Salon in Pasadena, California, updated this 1960's-inspired bowl cut by layering the edges and playing with a host of hues to highlight Mary's complexion.

Sweet Thing

Hairstylist Hadiiya Barbel (hadiiyabarbel.com) gave our model a full weave, leaving hair free in the center of the crown for a natural finish. To complement our model's skin tone, Barbel colored her hair with auburn and reddish-copper tones, which are less damaging to dark hair than multiple shades of blond. Next she slithered the hair (a technique using scissors to cut the hair by sliding down the shaft instead of cutting across) to minimize bulk. (Razor cutting would have made the ends too wispy.) Barbel finished the style by curling the hair with a flat iron and applying a light holding spray.

PRO TIP: With proper maintenance, an easy cut like this can last up to two months. Tie up your hair at night with a silk scarf and flat-iron as needed.

Rule to Remember:

Don't weigh down a weave with heavy products like gels or moisturizing lotions, or by adding too much hair. (Yes, sometimes less is more.) Instead use light hairsprays with conditioners and sunscreen. We like Luster's Pink Oil Moisturizer Holding Spray.

Eve's Tendrils:

Eve is always on the move. Whether she's performing on MTV's TRL or laying down tracks in the studio, her hairstylist, Suzette Boozer, of SuLon Hair Studio in Brooklyn, gives her eye-catching do's that won't quit. For this look, Boozer colored Eve's hair platinum blond then created tight spiral curls all over.

Satisfaction:

To get the rapper's glam look, we called on Boozer herself, who washed and conditioned our model's natural hair before blow-drying with African Royale Hot Six Oil. She then pressed her hair with a pressing wax before trimming the ends and spiral curling it with a medium-size barrel iron. To achieve this full-bodied look, Boozer wound the hair upward and around the curling iron. Finally, she finger-shaped the style in place for a softer finish. As for the brilliant color, our model turned to Clairol Herbal Essences True Intense Color at-home kit in Radiant Ruby-Deep Red. Chestnut hues are easier on the hair than extreme blond shades.

Rule to Remember:

Make your curls last longer by gently finger-combing them into shape rather than brushing or combing them away.

PRO TIP: For curls with staying power, like these that last from shampoo to shampoo, coat hair with a holding product before curling. Stylist Suzette Boozer used Paul Mitchell Spray Wax along with an oil sheen, TIGI Bedhead Headrush Shine Adrenaline, to protect hair from heat damage.

Janet's Graceful Glamour

Janet Jackson prefers dramatic hairstyles with lots of movement to complement the dance-heavy performances she's known for. For this tousled look, hairstylist Janet Zeitoun of Beverly Hills, California, set Jackson's layered hair on large rollers and then blew it out to give more lift at the roots and less curl at the ends.

In Control

Karina Castaneda of LaVar Hair Designs in New York City translated Jackson's look into an easy hairdo that's perfect for work or a night on the town. First Castaneda added staggered rows of human hair to our model's fine relaxed tresses to give them volume and height without bulk. Then, using medium- and large-barrel curling irons, she created soft, light curls that can easily be fingered into shape.

Rule to Remember:

Talk with your hairstylist about the style you'd like to achieve. Show him or her a photo of it, explaining what you like about it. And don't forget to find out the amount of time--and number of tools--you'll need to maintain the look.

PRO TIP: To keep curls in check without making the hair stiff, stylist Karina Castaneda applies hairspray to her hands and rubs them together before smoothing the hair, This reduces some of the resin (the ingredient that makes hairspray feel tacky) without losing the hold.

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