One thing we absolutely love about award season is seeing what trends are gracing the red carpet, and we couldn’t help but notice how stunning Parks and Recreations star Aubrey Plaza looked with her 1940s-inspired waves. Hairstylist David Gardner was responsible for creating her old Hollywood, glamourous look. Inspired by her gorgeous dress and Golden Era starlets like Marlene Dietrich and Carole Lombard, David first applied styling mousse to her damp hair. He then dried her hair most of the way using his fingers, then switched to a round brush at the top and sides of her hair to add volume and to keep it smooth around her face for a more contemporary feel. Once the hair was completely dry, he curled sections in tight corkscrews on a 1-inch iron from root to the tip, leaving the ends straight. Once all the hair was curled and completely cooled, he raked his fingers through to break up the curls. He then styled the front over her eye and applied a shine-enhancing hairspray to lock in the look and keep the hair looking radiant and reflective throughout the evening. Get more Emmy how-tos!

Redken Education Artistic Director (and SCA Platform Artist of the Year Winner) Sam Villa says when it comes to finishing techniques, it’s all about learning to achieve maximum results with minimum effort. And that means you better be utilizing your oval brush! “Round brushes spin very easily, and it requires a lot of muscle work from the wrists, thumbs and index fingers to control the brush when stretching and polishing,” Sam explains. “Round brushes also create a gap between the scalp and hair, preventing a portion of the hair shaft from being lifted and stretched.” But the shape of the oval brush allows the bristles to naturally grab hair at the scalp for more tension, pull, stretch and torque. Oval brushes are also ergonomically correct and comfortable rather than putting strain on the wrist, thumb and index fingers. “The brush does most of the work and the body naturally moves to and from the scalp,” he adds. Learn more cutting and finishing techniques from Sam!