Hair emergency - had a haircut and can't style it!

[stripytees]

I had a drastic haircut last week - from a long layered style (like the MN haircut) to a very short graduated bob a bit like Keira Knightley has in the attached photo. The front is a bit longer on one side - like a side swept fringe. I had about 10 inches cut off so it was a big change.

I loved it when the hairdresser styled it - she blow dried, straightened and added some messy waves with the straighteners to add interest and texture. It looked simultaneously sleek and textured.

When I do it at home it either poofs up too much (I have very straight hair - lots of it but individual hairs are fine) and becomes a sort of a ball... Or, it just sits there looking limp and flat. Or, if I add the curls, I end up looking like one of those angel ornaments my grandmother decorated her house with. None of them a good look...

I think what I need to learn is to add some texture without adding too much volume. But how?

Have you got a Babyliss Big Hair?

I had that haircut for a couple of years and have very similar hair to you, and survived by using the BBH on almost dry hair (with bit of mousse added while still wet) to give the top and front layers a bit of volume (rollers made it too big and puffy). Then used a shine spray (Alterna Bambou is my fave) to make it swishy and silky looking.

I was never able to create beachy waves, sadly . It was either too curly and I looked like a poodle, or just looked scruffy.

I don't but I'm open to buying something new if I need to. I've used my straighteners for creating curls but they end up too much like corkscrew curls I think...

When I had long hair I created waves/texture by tying it up on a bun overnight and woke up with perfect curls. Obviously that's not going to work anymore.

I use something similar to this to blow dry www.argos.co.uk/m/static/Product/partNumber/4433659.htm. With a blow dry lotion/mousse.
Then use straightners and shoosh it with a bit of whatever product I have about.