Here’s Rob rocking the straightened look. Pretty hot, right? Well, don’t despair: You can get this look for your boyfriend far more easily than you can tease his tresses into Edward’s signature gravity-defying ‘do. Start by heating up your flat iron. Surely Rob allows only the best flat irons to make contact with his famous locks, but you can use virtually any make or model for this look. Next, straighten hair in small sections by running the iron through each section once or twice (no more).  Finally, add a little Cullen sparkle with some shine serum. There you go - Pattinson perfect!

What is “smizing,” you ask? I am appalled by your ignorance, reader! Have you not seen every episode of every season of America’s Next Top Model through cycle 13? Because that’s when Tyra, in all of her divine wisdom, coined the term “smize” to refer to what is perhaps her all-time favorite modeling trick: Smiling with her eyes. If you’re skeptical about the efficacy of this particular maneuver, simply cover the lower half of Ty-Ty’s face with your hand. Her eyes still look happy, right? Mon dieu, the smize has spoken!

But enough about that; it’s time to get to the bottom of the real key to Tyra’s beauty: Her hair. If you want her lovely straight hair for yourself, all you need is a flat iron and some shine serum. Start by parting your hair down the middle. Then, grab your flat iron. (If you don’t have one yet, make sure you buy one with ceramic or tourmaline plates. The best flat irons are made with these materials, rather than metal.) Divide your hair into smaller sections and straighten one by one. Finish with your shine serum. Boom! It’s enough to make a grown man smize.

First, you need to make sure you always unplug it right away after you’re done using it. I have a heat-resistant pad so I can put my iron on my bathroom counter, and after I’m done using it, I just leave it there until it’s completely cool to the touch. (If you don’t have a pad like this, you should get one! They’re also really handy during the styling process.) Once it’s cool, I store it in a special pouch. I love it because it has a separate compartment for the cord. NEVER coil the cord around the flat iron itself - even the best flat irons can’t withstand that kind of abuse for long!

I also learned that there’s only one way to clean the plates if they have residue or dust on them: Use a special flat iron cleaner! Nothing else will do. If there’s only a thin layer of dust, you could just wipe them with a soft cloth, but for anything more intensive than that you’ll need a special cleaner that you can buy at any store that sells flat irons. With these tips, your flat iron may not last forever, but it should last for a very long time.

If your hair is very long, extremely curly, thick or coarse, you’re going to need an iron that can stand up to your hair - and that means choosing one with larger plates (anywhere from one and a half to three inches). If your hair is thick and curly but shorter in length, you can choose an iron with 1 1/4″ plates. Alternately, if your hair is very fine and thin, the best flat irons for you will have smaller plates - around 1 to 1 1/2″.

Remember, bigger plates mean that you’ll be able to straighten more hair, but they can also make the flat iron harder to handle and maneuver through your hair. For this reason, it’s recommended that you choose a flat iron with the smallest sized plates possible for your hair type.

• Ceramic or tourmaline, rather than metal, plates. Metal plates are dangerous for any type of hair, but African American hair is particularly vulnerable to the damage they can wreak. Look for plates that are 100% ceramic.
• High quality manufacturers. Sure, you’ll have to spend a little more upfront, but your iron will last longer, and it won’t ruin your hair. You’ll be able to get salon quality results faster, too.
• The right size - usually 1 to 2″ plates. You may be tempted to buy a flat iron with extra large plates in order to speed the job along, but it’s best to straighten black hair in small sections using a standard-sized iron.
• Variable heat settings. This will give you the freedom to turn the heat up as high as you need to, as well as to turn it down a little if things get too hot to handle.

Ask your stylist for more recommendations for black hair-friendly styling tools.

Gwyneth: Pretty curly or straight!

I think the best flat irons are the kind that have a slight curve in the barrel so that you use it as a straightener or as a curling iron.  Obviously, creating spiral curls isn’t really possible with a flat iron but creating loose, pretty waves that look natural is best done with a flat iron.  When Gwyneth Paltrow’s hair was long, she had a perfect balance of those two looks.  Seriously, how flawless does her hair look??  I have this picture printed out and taped to my bathroom mirror so that I can imitate her style everyday.  And whether I go curly or straight just depends on my mood!  I have been able to create so many fun hairstyles with my flat iron and my hair looks healthier than ever before.  I make sure to use a protectant on my hair before I style it and my locks look glossy and shiny like Gwyneth’s.