A basic flat iron is another great tool for cheating a blowout, especially if you prefer sleekness to curls. If your hair doesn't have a lot of natural texture, you may not even need to iron all of it, Leal points out. "Smoothing just the top sections can give the illusion of a salon blowout," says Leal.

The key here is to not pull the hair straight down with the iron; instead, rotate your wrist as you pass over each section of hair. This will mimic the bend and movement you'd get from a paddle-brush blowout. When you're done ironing, add fluff and fullness by applying dry shampoo or volumizing powder at your roots.

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For bouncy, blowout-style curls, retro hot rollers might be the next best thing to a blowout. Because they're secured at the scalp and deliver even, sustained heat, hot rollers give hair body and style all day long.

When picking a set and styling your hair, remember two things. First, the thicker your hair is, the bigger your rollers should be. (T3 Voluminous Hot Rollers and Remington T Studio Thermaluxe Pro Series Hair Setter are two great options.) Second, roll your hair horizontally for maximum volume and a pinup look; roll it vertically to get spirals.

The most common mistake with hot rollers: taking them out too quickly. If you remove the rollers before they're completely cool, your curls will go limp before your A.M. commute is over. Try setting your hair at the beginning of your getting-ready routine; once you've done your makeup, gotten dressed and had your morning cup, you're ready to (un)roll.

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Speaking of granny hair, it's time we reconsider the humble pin curl. What could be simpler than styling your hair with bobby pins? This heatless hair style is ideal when you have some time to kill, e.g., eight hours of sleep or a lazy afternoon binge-watching "Transparent." And, with a little practice, the end result looks so polished and pretty.

When hair is slightly damp, work in a light-hold styling product. Grab 1.5-inch sections of hair and roll (don't twist) each section up to your scalp, pinning them with bobbies. Kick it while your hair dries, then unpin your curls and brush them out. If the curls are too tight, don't freak out; a water-based salt spray like Herbivore Coconut + Sea Salt Beach Wave Hair Mist will relax your Shirley Temple tendrils into sexy, Blake Lively waves.

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"Wrapping your hair in a loose braid overnight for movement is an easy style trick," says Leal. But what if you're after ripple-y, princess waves instead of the beachy, crimped look you get from wearing your hair in braids?

The rope braid -- created by sectioning the hair into two pieces instead of three, then twisting it together -- is an easy way to get pretty waves overnight. Start by separating slightly damp hair into two sections, twisting each section away from the face, as you wrap those sections around each other. (If you're scratching your head, here is a great video tutorial.)

When you take your hair down in the morning, fluff and brush your waves, then add body with a thickening styling product. Leal recommends dry texturizing spray, which she says is great for adding "lift at the root." Try IGK Down & Out Dirty Spray.

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Manipulating a blow dryer while you wrangle a round brush takes a lot of coordination. For a DIY blowout that's a lot less cumbersome, try a hot-air brush. If you prefer a sleek blowout, check out the Revlon Pro Collection One-Step Hair Dryer and Styler, which is paddle-shaped for maximum smoothness; to get a voluminous look, try the Sultra Vixen Volumizing Dryer Brush.

Start by rough-drying hair with your usual dryer. Then, pull the hot-air brush through hair with long, slow passes from scalp to tip, maintaining tension. When your hair is nearly dry, try focusing the brush on your ends, gently rotating your wrist away from your face. Your at-home blowout will have a pretty, fresh-from-the-salon flip.

Image via babyliss.co,uk