big hair is making a comeback...?

the phrase, "big hair is making a comeback", is hilarious to me. did it every really go away ? i love having big hair! of course, i didn't always. but hey, it always takes a little maturity to appreciate what we have. these days my hair is wavy, sometimes curled, and i still use a flat iron, but i always welcome the volume.

Melissa Magsaysay, staff writer at the L.A. Times , shares that big hair is back. find out how to live large:

you only have to look at Angelina Jolie on the cover of this month's Vanity Fair and Sarah Jessica Parker in the "Sex and the City" movie poster to see that the chic set is turning up the volume...sexy, but with a touch of Aqua Net nostalgia.

the man who gives Jolie, Anne Hathaway and the Victoria's Secret models their big, beautiful hair is celebrity stylist Ted Gibson (pictured, left). last week, he took a few moments at his new york salon to show us how to go over-the-top sexpot or just add a little Giselle to your summer look. his step-by-step process is less complicated than it may seem, but it requires a few key products: a blow-dryer, some hair spray -- and remember hot rollers?

not for shrinking violets-- big hair may be back on the radar this summer, but Gibson says the look is always in style -- (i knew it!) sans the '80s stickiness, of course.

pump it up-- to get fullness, start at the root. first, cleanly divide your hair into five even sections (hair can start wet or dry). then apply a volumizing product to the scalp where each section is divided. Gibson favors his own product, called Build It. "it's about building volume without the weight."next, apply a light, controlling gel all over the hair. Gibson uses two or three pumps of Aveda's Phomollient styling foam, then combs through the hair with his trusty Mason Pearson brush. "Brushing the hair after applying these products will help distribute the product evenly." blow-dry the hair until it's about 80% dry and then finish by pulling the ends under using a round brush. "this helps get volume from the scalp." he uses a medium-size round barrel brush on Jolie, Hathaway and anyone with hair that hits from the chin to the clavicle. for shorter hair, use a small barrel.

roller baby-- once the hair is completely dry, it's time for the hot rollers, which should be really hot. wrap 2-inch sections of hair around each roller until you look like a '50s housewife. leave rollers in for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are completely cool. after taking the rollers out, the curls should be more like waves than ringlets. then spritz a light hair spray all over the head. it should be a "working" hair spray, which means one that doesn't get sticky or stiff, allowing you to keep working and building volume. Gibson recommends his Beautiful Hold hair spray.

be a tease-- throw your head over and brush out. "again, you want volume from the scalp," Gibson says. "make sure you do some back brushing. just tease the hair a little at the crown, smooth down the top, and spray again. if you're concerned about fly-aways because of humidity, use a shine serum after brushing."

big hair forever-- the look works for all ages, Gibson says. "just look at the model Carmen del Orifice. she's been wearing her hair big forever. now in her 70s, she still does, and she's completely gray! but i'm from texas, so this all makes sense."


xo

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photo: Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times