It’s sea salt season. The product every guy needs in his grooming collection.

If you don’t own a sea salt spray, go out and buy one. Trust us, it is worth having one of these to hand as it can be used in many ways.
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You can use it on holiday, or just as a pre-styling product to create the effect of having just come off a beach!

What Is A Salt Spray?

Sea salt spray is exactly that: a spray formula with salt and additional compounds.

Salt water is known for absorbing the natural oils in your hair which is why you get texture, waves and volume after a day at the beach.

Due to its beach-like effect, sea salt spray has fast become a summer staple in the product arsenal of men around the world.

Sea salt spray will add texture and body without leaving your hair feeling sticky, greasy, shiny or hard.

How To Use Sea Salt Spray

Sea salt spray is so versatile that it can be used as a pre-styling treatment or styling product to add volume and texture to your hair.
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Gone are the days when sea salt spray was only used by girls who wanted big beachy hair with loads of volume. Now loads of us guys are using it to add grip to freshly washed hair; add volume before styling; or refresh and remove oily shine from unwashed hair.

How do you keep your hair looking fab and fresh?

This is one of the most common questions I get asked. I have put together a survival guide on how I fight the festival filth and keep my hair looking fresh and healthy at a festival. 
 
Pre-Festival Prep

Fight the urge to wash your hair and do it as late in the day as possible before you leave. I do two cycles of shampoo and then one of conditioner, making sure to brush it thoroughly while the conditioner is in to get rid of any tangles. When applying the conditioner, make sure that you put the majority of the conditioner on the ends of your hair and not the roots. Applying too much at the roots can make your hair get greasy more quickly. 

Right before a festival, avoid using too much heat when drying it. I let mine dry naturally as much as possible as the heat can dry it out and damage the hair. Plus, you are likely to be outside in the sun or the snow being at one with the elements during the festival which will undoubtedly dry out your hair even more.

Try to avoid using lots of products in your hair, it’s a sure way to reduce the oils which make hair look greasy. This includes; heat protective spray, mouses, hairspray, and hair masks etc. 

At The Festival

Day one your hair will be looking at its best, but as it’s clean, doing fancy up-dos and styling isn’t really an option as clean hair doesn’t hold styles well. Keep it loose and down if possible. If it’s really hot at the festival, opt for a big butterfly clip to tie it up loosely rather than a tight hairband this will stop you getting kinks and tons of knots. 

What about your fringe/bangs? Rather than constantly touching or readjusting your fringe, use a bandana or headband to keep your fringe at bay. Constantly touching your fringe will make your hair greasy very quickly as your fingers will be dirty and oily. 

By day three, the heat, snow, ski helmet and all that dancing, glitter, and sun cream has taken its toll on your hair and it’s starting to need a freshen up. Dry shampoo is your new best friend at this point. Spray it a the roots of your hair and use a brush to brush it through or alternatively, you can use your fingertips to massage it into the scalp.  It will give you an instant volume boost as well as absorb and reduce the oils in your hair. Be careful though, especially if you are a brunette like me, most dry shampoo is actually white, so on dark hair, it can make your hair go a funny grey colour if you spray too much! There now is (halleluiah) is a dry shampoo for brown hair which has a brown pigment in, this will stop any white streaks. 

Or just wash it!

Washing my hair is the best way to make me feel clean and refreshed and I am not too proud to say that when it’s really hot, I wash my hair with a bucket.  So many festivals these days have proper showers so take advantage of them if they do! Wilderness Festival, for example, had fantastic shower facilities at the campsite. However, sometimes the showers are miles away, cost money to use or are non-existent in some cases, so in a time of need, just throw pride and decorum out the window and wash it with a washing up bowl, Jerrycan or bucket. 
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So there you go, a little guide to how you can fight the festival filth and keep your hair looking at its best all festival long! ​

​Man For Himself  has come up with some handy tips of exactly what to pack to make your festival experience that bit more enjoyable.

With all that dancing, there are certain grooming products for your skin, hair and body that will make it much more pleasant. You can use this article as a checklist, so you don’t forget the absolute necessities!

Face

Looking after the skin on your face, during a festival, is extremely important. No doubt you will be having a drink or two… but just be aware the alcohol will dehydrate the skin.

You will need a decent moisturiser, and with the sun coming out buy one with a high SPF. Sunburn at a festival is not fun, or a good look. Check out this article for some non-greasy SPFs.

Jumping around with your mates in the middle of field and sleeping in a tent for a few nights, will no doubt attract unwanted dirt to your skin. Make sure you have a cleanser in your washbag. Man For Himself recommends a micellar water as it is so easy to use and will remove any dirt off the top layer of your skin. The Hydro Boost Micellar Water from Neutrogena is particularly good.

Body

When you spend the whole day dancing and sweating, maintaining personal hygiene is not easy, but there are items that are 100% essential!

• A long-lasting deodorant is a must. Look for one that has a 48-hour protection so you don’t have to worry about nipping back to your tent for a top up.
• An electric toothbrush will provide a much better clean than your average toothbrush. And this one is ideal as it comes with its own charger pack to last you the festival.
• For a minty refresh, take a mini bottle of mouth spray with you. And if you don’t need it, you might need to offer it to a friend!
• You might be someone who embraces the unkempt caveman look, but if you aren’t, pack a razor with a travel size shaving gel/foam. This 3 in 1 Shave formula from Menaji can be used with or without water.
• We sweat all over our body so don’t forget the nether regions… it might sound odd but this Below The Belt spray is great to help that sensitive area to stay fresh.
• If you want to take your favourite fragrance with you, why not take an atomiser with you. Minimal packing is key!

Hair

It’s quite likely you won’t be able to wash your hair during a festival. It’s not a pleasant feeling but you can help the situation by using a dry shampoo.
Spray dry shampoo onto the roots and really work it in. It will remove some of the oil from the hair.

When it comes to styling, either go au naturel or Man For Himself recommends using an oil-based hair product. Yes, it will add oil to the hair, but if you are concerned about having a hair place, it won’t dry hard. Plus, it should survive the rain and you can manipulate it throughout the day.

Health

Partying a bit too hard can effect the body in various ways. One key thing to take with you is rehydration sachets.

You will lose plenty of water from the body whilst dancing the night away and you probably won’t remember to knock that water back along with those plastic cups of beer. These sachets will give your body that hydrating boost it will need and stop you from feeling horrendous the next day!
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It’s impossible to stay 100% hygienic at a festival, particularly if you end up in a mud bath after a downpour! To prevent picking up any nasty bugs or bacteria, pop a tube of hand sanitiser in your pocket/bag. You won’t regret it when you’re dying for a tasty burger and fries.

Posted by Man For Himself

​It is a truth universally acknowledged that everybody wants the opposite of the hair they have. Those with bountiful curls are wont to straighten them to a crisp, while the rest of us crimp and twist, chasing waves via diffusers, tongs, curl creams and, lately, perms.

That’s right, the trend responsible for some of the 80s most memorable ’dos is making a return – to the terror of many who are still scarred by their own perm-disasters. But fear not: the perm, which for many still conjures images of Neighbours-era Kylie Minogue, or Coronation Street’s Deirdre Barlow, has had an update. Long gone are the tight, brittle waves, as seen on peak-perm Barbra Streisand; the modern perm – or the new-wave perm, as it has been dubbed – is an altogether gentler look.

It’s definitely more than “beachy” waves, but not quite corkscrew, and it has captured fashion’s collective imagination. On the catwalk, Gucci and Celine had a number of curly-haired models walking in their spring/summer 2019 shows, while the current face of Zara – ever a yardstick – is the curly queen Mica Argañaraz. Emma Stone kickstarted the trend for celebrity perms last year when her makeup artist posted mid-perm pictures to Instagram, quickly followed by fellow actors Jaime King and Olivia Munn. On TV, lawyer Marcia Clark’s perm became a subplot in The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, before Daisy Haggard sported loose waves in the BBC’s Back to Life and Natasha Lyonne’s curl-tastic hair was named as “the real star of Russian Doll”. In the past week, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Priyanka Chopra and the model Taylor Hill all wore waves on the Cannes red carpet. Men, too, are getting in on the act, with Game of Thrones fans citing the “Jon Snow effect” as the reason behind renewed male interest in curls.

​Early iterations of the perm date back as far as 1872, although it was not until 1938 that Arnold F Willatt developed the “cold wave perm”, which avoids heat, and uses ammonium thioglycolate – a fact Legally Blonde fans will remember as the chemical compound referenced by Elle Woods during the case-solving court scene – to break down the hair’s protein structures and create curls.

Modern perm techniques vary, and today many chemical perms have switched to using sodium thioglycolate, but the technology has not, in fact, moved on a great deal, according to Luke Hersheson, creative directive of Hersheson salons, which offers the new-wave perm (from £150).

“The perception of perms was very much related to the haircut they were teamed with,” he says. “In the 70s and 80s, it was graphic cuts, quite short, extreme shapes and bubble perms. Nowadays, perms are for longer hair, so it’s less about the hair standing away from the head, and more about using people such as Julia Roberts as a reference. We’re not using old-school perm rods, either, but foam rollers, which are bigger and softer.”

At Karine Jackson Hair & Beauty in London, hair stylists now do around four perms a day, up from just four a year of the “Think Curl” perm (from £100), which is ammonia- and thioglycolate-free.

“In the 80s, when perms went wrong they often weren’t wound properly, which resulted in ‘fish-hook [sharply bent] ends’; now, Curlformers [a kind of curler that creates various types of curl] do the work, so it can’t happen with them,” says the salon’s founder and director, Karine, who has permed Neve Campbell’s hair.

Social attitudes towards curls are also changing. Historically, curly, frizzy or even wavy hair has been associated with scruffiness or unprofessionalism – a belief that often comes with racist connotations. Over recent years, however, black men and women have embraced natural, afro hair textures.

​“We have seen an increase in the perm market for afro hair,” says Nicky Oliver, the founder and director of Nicky Oliver salon in Manchester, and an authority on styling for African-Caribbean and Asian hair. “People have been wearing theirs relaxed for years, then they wanted to wear their hair natural – but many still want it to be manageable. They have been used to blowdrying their hair. By doing a very tight perm, they can still have their curls but they will be easier to manage.”

Jackson stresses that there is no longer a “one size fits all” approach; today, pre-perm consultations can include questions on everything from how often clients tie their hair up and go to the gym, to what medication they are taking, alongside a hair-strength test – all of which can affect how a perm takes to the hair and how long it will last (anywhere from two to 12 months).

Jack Howard, hair colourist at Paul Edmonds, agrees: “Individuality is everything: with highlights, we used to do a sea of perfectly placed foils; now, that stripy uniform look is really dated. It’s the same with the perm,” he says. “It’s all about creating a bespoke look for the individual client that suits their hair texture, condition and style.”

Howard has created a new technique, which he called “permage” (from £275) that combines perming and face framing highlights, and also uses Curlformers to create his curls.

​“The lived-in hair trend is really hot right now,” he says. “Modern perming isn’t about getting a tight curl and then growing or blow-drying it out, it’s about leaving hair in a more natural state and adding volume.”

The “digital perm”, a Japanese method that has been growing in popularity the UK, follows the same vein. The process uses infrared heat, digitally monitored by a machine, as well as the application of chemicals to create the finished effect.

“The digital perm gives you more choice as to whether you want it curly, straight or wavy,” says Christian Toth, hair shaping specialist at One2One Hair in Mayfair, London, who was the first to launch the digital perm in the UK (currently costing £390). It tends to appeal to clients who have “lifeless hair and those who are more open to experimenting with different looks”, he says. In other words, it’s perfect for supposedly non-committal millennials keen to give curls a try.

If the current crop of perm-adopters are those who are accustomed to a life of transience – be it via the job or housing market, or romantic relationships – it makes sense that they would be wary of long-term hair-styling choices. Hersheson agrees that part of the appeal could be down to the fact that perms are now less, well, permanent.

“Because the curls are softer, they drop out quicker, but you don’t get such a definitive regrowth,” he says. The 90s were also synonymous with super-straight hair – see Kate Moss, Gwyneth Paltrow and Clueless’s Cher Horowitz – and those who grew up during this era may now be looking to switch allegiance.

“I think we’ve been through years of hair that looks tonged, but it has come to have Real Housewives connotations. So there’s a rebellion against that [with hair that has] wave and movement, without looking like you’ve worked at it too hard. There’s something more soulful about hair that’s got movement to it. It has more ‘warmth’ to it than poker-straight hair.”

Although organic perms are less common, they do now exist, offering perms free from harsh chemical ingredients that might also appeal to younger generations, given their propensity for organic foods. That said, Oliver maintains that it is hard to find any perming products that would be considered environmentally friendly. “We’re dealing with chemicals at the end of the day,” he says.

The number of readily available styling products for curly and natural hair type has also risen considerably. Superdrug, for example, reports increased customer interest in enhancing natural curls; its own-brand curly range, Black Castor & Shea, is now a bestseller, with sales almost trebling over the past year. This may well have translated into curls becoming fashionable again. The laid-back, relaxed look achieved by updated perming techniques means that fringes, too, are getting the curl treatment. And if the thought of getting a perm makes nothing curl except your toes, don’t panic; you can always fake it with a pseudo perm. 
 
This curl raising history is brought to you from The Guardian

​There was a time when bobs were synonymous with soccer mom, 12 year-olds and Upper East Side prepsters. But as the ladies of Hollywood are proving, a short cut can be breezy and cool, and not the least bit snoozy. Whether worn sleek or wavy, angled or blunt, this summer’s "it" style is trending precisely because it’s so damn versatile. (The fact that it also keeps hair from sticking to the back of your neck is a nice bonus.) 

Angled Bob
After years of rocking a lob, Kristen chopped off a few extra inches in March officially putting her in bob territory. Hitting at just under the chin with slightly angled ends, the cut is elegant with a little edge (much like the wearer).

Razored Bob
The modern take on "surfer girl hair" still involves plenty of waves and beachy texture, but instead of long, cascading strands down the back, it’s blunt and thick and much (much) shorter—seen here on Julianne Hough at the Billboard Awards earlier this month.

Side-Swept Bob
Cate’s bob has a similar texture and length as Julianne’s, but instead of parting her hair down the center, she swept everything up and over to one side—again proving there’s no wrong way to do it.

Layered Bob
We’re going to take a wild guess and say we weren’t the only ones who saved Mandy’s softly tousled brunette bob to our phones when she debuted it in March. Just barely clearing her shoulders and cut at a slight A-line so that the longest pieces are in front, there’s plenty of volume and movement throughout.

​Sleek Bob
Fact: A sleek, center-parted bob will always be classic. Lightly curl in the ends to frame your face and use a shine spray on the mid-lengths and ends to get that reflective sheen.

Slicked-Back Bob
Whereas curled in ends are classic, flicked out ones are cool. Slick back the top and tuck both sides behind your ears to get the full effect. (Might we suggest a flicked cat-eye to match?)

Banged Bob
Leave it to Jessica Chastain to show us that two trends (bangs and a bob) are better than one. Worried about reliving your kindergarten bowl cut? Ask your stylist to snip into the ends to give it more movement and break apart the line, so it’s not just one solid block of hair.

Asymmetrical Bob
Or if you’re one of those people who like the idea of bangs, but always end up regretting them by the next sweaty day, consider an asymmetrical bob with barely-there bangs that blend into the rest of your hair (though one could argue they’re just layers at that point). Tuck the other side behind one ear for maximum effect—and to show off those killer cheekbones like Charlize did at CinemaCon last month.

Sharp Bob
For the lady who wants a no-nonsense cut, a sleek, chin-length bob with sharp lines is a solid option. We love how Greta Lee’s minimalist cut requires very little styling, but still looks "done" (a very welcome thought—especially as we head into the muggier months).

Chin-Length Bob
Mother of Dragons, the Unburnt, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms and ultimate hair chameleon: Emilia Clarke shows us that it is possible to grow your hair out from pixie to bob without sacrificing style (or, um, rocking an unintentional mullet) along the way.
 This Summer trend brought to you from PureWow