Sticky styling pastes and sprays are death to sexy. 'Product overload will weigh hair down and make you look too "done",' says Clairol's international creative director, James Brown. 'For hair you want to run your fingers through, choose products tailored to your hair type. You'll find you need a minimal amount of styling product to finish it, making for touchable texture.'

Emily Blunt looked spectacular at the Golden Globes, sporting a shimmering, modern hairdo. Here, celebrity stylist Laini Reeves, for Moroccanoil, shows you how to recreate the look.

• Start by shampooing your hair with an extra volume shampoo and conditioner (TRY: Moroccanoil Extra Volume Shampoo, R230 and Moroccanoil Extra Volume Conditioner, R250).

• Apply a volumising mousse to give light volume and shine and for a flexible, natural-looking hold.

• Add a small amount of styling cream from roots to tips, then flip your hair over and dry it upside down. Use your fingers to separate and define the strands for texture as they dry.

• Gather your hair into a high ponytail, using your fingers to keep the texture messy, and secure it on the crown with a hair band.

• Hold your ponytail out and spray it from base to end with a medium-hold hairspray.

• Twisting your hair around your fingers, make a loose bun held around the base with bobby pins. Don't make it too large or too tiny, but aim for a size that suits your bone structure and profile. Once it is in place, tweak and pull at the bun to create the right texture.

• To finish, spray a comb with medium-hold hairspray and use it to smooth the hairline.
 

This look suits most face shapes and is great for softening strong features or hiding a large forehead. Avoid it, though, if you have very rounded features.

For this look, lightly brush hair back with a large natural-bristle brush; it’ll give gloss and smoothness, without knocking out the volume. Start by pulling back the top section of your hair (as if you were creating a half-up, half-down style), twist it onto itself and fasten loosely against the head with a few pins. One by one, take a section behind each ear, twist, pull back and fasten up, under or alongside the base section. Continue until you’ve piled all your hair into a tangled, rope-like bun at the back of your head.

TIP: Twist and pile your hair for a mega-bun.

The classic highlighting method is to start at your roots and paint down your strands. You can also highlight the tips, tapering off near the crown, so your roots stand out. 'Since it's the reverse of normal highlights, it really pops,' says colourist, Rita Hazan.

To Do: Deep condition the day before so your ends don't absorb too much pigment. Apply a colour two shades lighter than your base to your tips with the applicator brush. Work your way up, gradually layering on less as you reach eye level. The contrast creates the illusion of texture, adding depth to wavy hair and helping fine hair appear thicker. 'There's zero regrowth,' adds Hazan, 'so you can let it go and it'll still look good.'
 

Rule Of Thumb: If your eyes are a cool hue (blue or light green), pick a base colour with similarly cool undertones (pale blonde, strawberry blonde, brown, or sandalwood). The same deal applies if your eyes are warm-based (brown, hazel): Go for a colour with equally warm undertones (caramel, dark chocolate, rich auburn).

Why It Works: Shades that are found in the irises of your eyes (nicknamed 'eyelights' by colourists) pick up the pigments in your hair, making your eyes appear bigger and brighter, explains colourist, J Antony.

Also Keep In Mind: Don't dye your strands too close to your scalp - it's best to leave a small amount of space. 'Showing a little bit of root is the key to bringing depth to your eyes and keeping the overall feel natural,' says salon owner, Kim Vo. If you're painting on colour at home, coat your roots with a regular conditioner to block the dye from absorbing into this area of your mane. Shine is also essential for making your eyes sparkle, so spritz on a styling product that increases lustre, like a shine spray.
 

Your scalp's oil output can speed up or slow down, depending on how you respond to stress. It might even do both, leaving your hair either greasy or dry and frizzy.

Fix: Switch your shampoo type to 'normal' - it'll balance dryness and oil to bring your scalp back to its usual condition. For extreme dryness, apply a leave-in conditioner at the roots. For excessive oil, use a hair powder while styling to absorb grease.

Saturate your strands with tomato juice to counteract fading. Wrap your hair in a shower cap, and heat with a blow-dryer for five minutes before shampooing.

Separate a triangular section of hair at the top of your head, from your face right back to the crown. Pull this section forward and out of the way.

The easiest way to see what will work for you is to pull out celebrity photos from magazines, but then cover up the faces. 'This way, you can see if it's really the hair you like - not the person or the makeup,' says star stylist Ted Gibson.

The Location: Seoul, South Korea

How To Create The Look:
• 'First, I applied a small amount of Moroccanoil Treatment Light to the ends of Emma's hair, to hydrate and soften the strands as well as give them a silky texture and natural shine. Then I blow-dried the hair to create movement.'
• 'Next, I gently teased the hair on the crown, and pulled it to the top of her head, securing it in a ponytail. I teased the roots of the ponytail and wrapped it into a bun shape. In order to secure the bun tightly, I crisscrossed bobby pins around it.'
• 'Finally, I sprayed hairspray for a natural-looking, long-lasting hold.'

This is important when heat-styling your hair. This will prevent you from scorching one specific area.

The fresh way to wear curls is romantic, but slightly undone. ‘The effect is very touchable,’ says creative consultant Guido.

Key Styling Tips:
• Keep wispy waves silky by working a R2-size amount of smoothing serum into dry hair before loosely curling.
• Blow-dry hair upside down, then tease at the crown for an amped-up date look.