"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.

Image via i.ytimg.com

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

What if you love that mermaid-wave look, but you don't want to mess with a round brush or even a curling iron? If your hair has a slight natural wave or curl, creative finger-styling while blow-drying can make all the difference.

First, coat barely damp hair with a styling product like Amika the Perfect Body Whipped Mousse. Separate your hair into large sections and twirl them into tight twists. Blast the twists with your blow dryer on the highest heat setting, then hang out while they cool. When you shake them loose, your waves will have blowout-like bounce and uniformity. Finish things off with dry texturizing spray or hairspray.

Image via heywandererblog.com