Any great style starts with a good cut. Sure, you can tame some wild hair with the right amount of product and a little bit of finesse and luck, but to make a quick, jump-out-of-bed-15-minutes-before-having-to-leave kind of day easier, I suggest getting your mop chopped nice on a regular basis.

Generally, my hair takes about 2-3 finger-size scoops of clay to get it into the general shape of what I’m looking to achieve. The keyword here is general. This is like the rough draft of a college paper. You’ll have plenty of time/chances to get it just right in the next steps.

Showering and at least rinsing your hair not only allows you to destinkify, but it allows you to rinse out some of the leftover product and grime from the previous day, leaving your hair a great, blank canvas for some new product.

Now that your hair has even more shape to it, finish it off with another finger scoop to tack it in place. It’s good to make sure you’re diligent about getting these last scoops into your hair equally, starting with a finger-comb through the front and a solid push/pull in the back.

That’s it! Simple as that. The Clay will hold throughout the entire day (mine still holds strong at the end of a 14-hour day!) and will remain pliable without losing its volume and stick.

Stay fly!

Right before applying product, take a towel to your head to get it about halfway between out-of-shower-wet, and completely bone dry. The product won’t work as well the farther you stray in either direction.

Whip out the blow-dryer and a brush and attack your do from all angles. Pump up the front if you’re looking for more of a pompadour style by brushing upwards and hitting it with the blow-dryer from below. This will give your hair a lot more volume and get it even closer to the final shape you desire. Note: At the end of this stage your hair will feel a bit looser and feathery.