Hair secrets of the stars: Juliette Binoche

Juliette Binoche's elegant, ethereal beauty takes your breath away. Her dark, smouldering eyes, porcelain skin and softly waved hair seem to belong to the classic style of Paris in the 1920s as much as to the modern world. If you love Juliette's timeless style and have short, layered hair, follow these simple steps from celebrity stylist Mario Russo of Salon Mario Russo in Boston to get the look.

STEP 1: Wash your hair using a moisturising shampoo. Follow with a hydrating conditioner. For extra shine, use cool water to rinse. Cooler water helps bring blood to the scalp to nourish hair follicles, and healthy follicles make the hair shine.

STEP 2: Gently towel dry the hair. Apply a moderate amount of body-building mousse from the roots to the ends and comb through the hair to evenly distribute. Using your fingers, tousle the hair, placing it where you want it to fall. Let your hair air dry until it is about 70 per cent finished. (Now might be a good time to have that extra cup of coffee or make those phone calls you've been putting off.)

STEP 3: With your hair partially dry, finish the style using a blow dryer. Starting with one of the front side sections of hair, use your fingers as a kind of comb and work the hair in a clockwise circle. Direct the dryer heat towards your hand more than the actual hair. This method allows your fingers to act as a diffuser, which protects the hair from heat and over-drying. After circling a few times, change hands and change the direction of the circle. Repeat this method for both sides of the head. The goal here is a very soft, tousled look. To dry the back of the head use the same technique. Be sure to give the hair a little extra lift at the crown.

STEP 4: To finish, emulsify a small amount of your favourite hand cream in the palms of your hands (you want just a residue of the lotion left on your hands). Work this through the hair to tame any frizz and add softness and shine. Adjust the amount of lotion you use depending on the weight of your hair.