During the 2017 Miss USA weekend in Las Vegas—including preliminaries May 11 and the final show on May 14—CHI artist Anna Cantu sat down with media at Delano Las Vegas to preview four trends from the Miss USA stage: bombshell curls, beachy waves, the perfect ponytail and a chic upstyle. 

Cantu has been styling backstage at Miss Universe for 10 years, and CHI has been a sponsor for 15 years. Stylists have to be quick on their feet and are often the last people contestants talk to before they hit the stage, so even beyond hairstyling, their influence is paramount to these women.

To achieve the perfect pageant-worthy blowout and curls, Cantu has a few tried-and-true tips for stylists:

  • Prep damp hair with CHI Volume Booster, which gives a flexible hold, volume and shine
  • Don't force a part. Instead, see where it tends to fall naturally. "I let the hair tell me what it wants to do," Cantu says. 
  • When blowdrying, use a smaller barrel brush for the baby hairs around the face. Focus on the front temple area for maximum volume and bounce. 
  • Before curl sets, spray CHI Magnified Volume Finishing Spray on midshaft to ends. 
  • Curl with the CHI Arc, leaving ends out. Take bigger sections for a loose bend. For finer hair, let hair set a little longer on the iron.
  • Double-clip curl sets and let cool for 20-30 minutes. 

After the set is cool, Cantu is able to work and rework hair because she uses flexible products. Pageants like Miss USA require quick backstage changes, so she avoids stiff hair that is resistant to movement. 

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