After: Millie Ayala

“Her hair was safe and not dynamic,” says Cutler. “We moved her into the twenty-first century.” Holcombe cut off several inches, adding lots of layers and “texturizing” the hair (cutting it so there are no blunt edges) to add movement. Colorist Tim Suter livened Millie’s too-dark locks with a rich chocolate hue. “The color reflects more light and adds warmth, so it looks softer against her skin,” Cutler explains. “When I walked out of the salon, I was floating,” Millie says. “It’s lighter, more professional, more fun. And if I don’t feel like blow-drying, I can just [style it with] product.”

Best for: Any type of hair, except tight, frizzy curls; all face shapes, except for long faces.

Styling tips: Apply a styling product with hold (such as Aveda Phomollient Styling Foam, $16, aveda.com), then blow-dry away from face using a small to medium-sized round brush, says Heser. Dab a paste like Cutler Definition Cream ($25, dermstore.com) or Aveda Light Elements Texturizing Creme ($24, aveda.com) on ends and flip them out.

For the off-the-face style seen on page 1: Start by applying a styling product with hold, then blow-dry hair toward the face using a small to medium-sized round brush, says Heser. Using your fingers, brush the hair back and off the face. Smooth on a little Moroccan Oil Hair Treatment ($38, amazon.com) to control fly-aways and frizz, then finish with a light- to medium-hold hair spray.