Beauty Call: Pump up the volume – it’s the return of big hair

Big hair, you are beautiful, to mangle a song title from Mika. In the video of Ariana Grande's Problem, Iggy Azalea works a more modern take on Brigitte Bardot's 1960s bombshell hair. Big hair creates instant impact and can deliver as much confidence and strut as an imposing pair of heels.

If you have fine hair, then you have probably spent your whole life trying to fluff it up and give it more body, only for it to fall miserably flat as soon as you leave the house. My top tip to avoid floppage: use a volumising shampoo and make sure you don’t weigh your hair down with too much conditioner.

When drying hair, concentrate on creating volume from the roots. This is not as easy as it sounds. Round brushes can be a nightmare to work with, and I’ve lost count of the number of hairdressers who have confessed to me that there is no way they could achieve a full bouncy blowdry on themselves. Attempts to recreate that salon look with multiple brushes can result in tangles, tears and – in my case one bleak night – having to employ a scissors to cut the brush out of the hair.

There are easier ways to "volumise" and dry: the Babyliss Big Hair smoothes beautifully and provides excellent root lift, while heated rollers can do the same job. Dry shampoo such as Batiste has been a big-hair essential for a long time because of the body it creates at the roots, and Schwarzkopf Osis Dust It does the same thing, but is stronger. The problem with these products is the talc-like white residue they leave, so be vigilant and brush it all out.

I tend to avoid mousse because of the potential horror of sticky, crunchy hair, and rely on dry shampoo, a good old-fashioned backcomb (leave it big and messy if you like that Caitlin Moran look), plus a blast from extra strong hairspray to concrete the whole shebang in place.

But if all this is not enough and you are absolutely determined to achieve huge bouffant hair, then you will need more hair. Newly married Cheryl Cole doesn’t get that enormous do without a truckload of extensions, and Victoria Beckham is so committed to the big-hair look that she has been pictured several times with bald patches where the weight of the extensions has pulled out her natural hair. If you don’t want to commit to a permanent fix, however, clip-in extensions are a good compromise and will instantly double the volume of your crowning glory.

Aisling is on Twitter @aismcdermott For more see beaut.ie

THE PRODUCTS

Umberto Giannini Glam Hair Backcomb in a Bottle

(€7.50)

No need to backcomb, just spray this lightly and keep going until you get the fullness you want.

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Thickening Shampoo

(€7.80)

If your hair is fine and limp, don’t despair. Thickening shampoos create volume and fullness. Also good for men with thinning hair.

Kerastase Volume in Powder (€25)

A strong-hold powder spray that can be built up and sprayed from roots to tips to create a non sticky, firm blast of volume with no residue.

L'Oréal Studio Line #TXT (€4.99)

Great for creating updos: volumises from the roots and ensures that pins and grips don’t slide.

AISLING LOVES . . .

As a dedicated cat lover, I must report the news that Choupette, Karl Largerfeld's famous moggy, will be the new face (and whiskers) of Shiseido's autumn makeup collection, Shupette. Complete with fluffy false eyelashes. Miaow