Your bi-weekly dose of sartorial snippets

By Savis Irandoost, Contributor, and Sophie Isbister, Life & Style Editor

 This week on Style Roundup it’s all about hair. Savis and Sophie guide you through tips for health, length, and ease, from dry shampoo to no shampoo, to tips on fixing split ends and promoting long, luscious locks.

Drying to wash

When it first came out, there was a bit of a taboo around dry shampoo, but dry shampoo has converted even the most skeptical of women. I used to think there was a certain level of shame associated with it, but now I see that it offers a whole plethora of benefits. It’s a great product to have on hand because it leaves some healthy oils in your hair but takes away that greasy, unwanted sheen. Also, it leaves your hair feeling clean and fresh because of the scent. It can add volume too, for fine-haired women. Plus it’s great for women that suffer from constant greasy hair, women that don’t like to wash their hair often to retain the natural oil barrier, and women who colour their hair. And most importantly, it saves time when you’re in a bind! You can go for a more expensive option at a salon or beauty supply store, but the $10 brand Batiste works great, smells fresh, and is available at Shoppers Drug Mart.

“No poo”

“No poo” is the beauty movement with possibly the silliest name ever, but if you ask anyone with luscious, waist-length hair, they will likely tell you that their beauty secret is infrequent washing. The “no poo” (short for no shampoo) movement recommends throwing all your commercial shampoo products away in favour of washing with homemade mixtures such as baking soda, vinegar, or lemon. Even dry shampoo is out of the question for proponents of this method, because it contains chemicals that “no poo”ers feel will seep into their scalps. The good news is, there are enough alternative shampoos on the market that you can find something free of the biggest chemical culprit in commercial shampoo, which is generally thought to be sodium lauryl / laureth sulphate. In general, if your aim is rapid and healthy hair growth, shampooing your hair too much isn’t advised because when the hair is wet it becomes elastic and prone to breakage.

A split end’s best friend

Split ends are every girl’s and shaggy-haired-rocker-dude’s worst nightmare, but are an unfortunate fact of life. The only way to truly avoid them is to get regular hair trims; I aim for every six to eight months. But did you know that there are ways to reduce or even repair those ends? I was taught by two glam girls that hair oil is your best friend. When getting out of the shower, pour some hair oil in the palm of your hand and rub it into the ends of your hair. Since I started doing this, my split ends have significantly reduced and my hair is overall softer. If I’ve learned anything in the beauty world, it’s that a lot of things go south with lack of moisture. Your hair is no exception! The main reason they split is because that part of your hair gets little to no moisture loving and maybe too much heat styling. Try a product like Moroccan oil or argan oil and you’ll see the difference!

Letting go

So you’re looking for a change. You’ve tried hair oil, you’ve thrown out your shampoo, washed with dirt for three months, and dry shampoo is the first thing you reach for in the morning, but you’re still sick of your hair. Never fear, because while super-long tresses are in style this year, their polar opposite, the pixie cut, is also in vogue. Celebrities like Carey Mulligan, Halle Berry, and Michelle Williams have been known to rock this look as their signature style. The pixie cut is not to be confused with a bob, and is defined as very short in the back and sides, with a bit more length on top. Super cropped styles look the best with an oval or heart-shaped face, but any good stylist can make it work. If you’re looking to freshen up your look for the summer, a pixie cut might be all you need.