Twice-winner of the prestigious London Hairdresser of the Year title, Sally Brooks of the award winning Brooks & Brooks salon in London WC1, www.brooksandbrooks.co.uk is one of the most talented and in demand stylists ever to hold a hotbrush. Here she shares her industry-honed tips to creating cascading curls and wanton waves.

There are many different methods to achieving curls and waves. Identify the look you're after, and then try one of my tips and hints to ensure success!

For soft, loose and feminine, drop dead sexy curls, you can't beat hot rollers! If you haven't got any, ask you mum, mother-in-law or aunts – one of them is sure to have a set tucked away up in the loft from when they were all the rage last time around. However, that's as far as the retro feel goes, this is how you can ensure your curls have a bespoke modern feel…

Divide hair into two sections - top and bottom and pin up the top to allow you to first start working underneath. Take a large section on either side of your face and roll the hair onto the face, ensuring that you are dragging the root hair upwards. Now, with the remaining hair on this bottom section, randomly place the rollers, in large sections, remembering to roll the hair under and in the direction of the face.

On the top section again work with the front of the hair first. Start from a side parting and roll the hair forward and directionally onto the face, keeping the parting flat. Now, with the remaining hair, wind each section backwards away from the face, to ensure sexy volume at the crown.

Allow the rollers to cool down and lightly spritz with hairspray. Remove roller and if it is a looser feel you're after, tip your head upside down, shake curls out and spray. If you want a more glamorous look, thoroughly brush the hair through with good brush, I recommend Mason and Pearson brush and then comb the hair into place.

Headbands, headscarves and little clips can add a different dimension to both the looks, so be sure to experiment!

If you crave loose, kicky, soft, naturally tousled curls straightening irons aren't redundant; in fact, they're great for getting this hot look. Begin by taking random, large sections of hair and apply the iron as though you were going to straighten. However, rather than sliding the iron down, keep on turning it so that the bottom of the hair gets tucked around the iron, carry on turning until you run out of hair and you are curling the bottom of the hair. This is a really easy way to get extra mileage out of your straighteners and achieve this season's loose, tousled waves. Finish off with a light wax – Schwarzkopf Professional Osis Sherbert, £8.20 (01296 314 000) is great, as it is not too heavy, but will separate the hair nicely.

Natural curls are - in my opinion - always a huge asset. I sadly have the straightest hair imaginable! However, this season, those blessed accordingly have it even better than usual only needing some simple techniques to make the most of their curls. A great way in which to tame curls and achieve the finish you want is to use minimal amounts of product on each section. The Schwarzkopf Professional Osis range includes a fabulous product, Scream £5.60. For best results, apply sparingly on wet hair, distributing evenly throughout; then comb through with a large toothed comb. Next, taking large sections, twist the hair around your finger to create a ringlet effect. To dry, use a diffuser and separate each ringlet out, but only once the hair is dry. This method will prevent curls going frizzy and make them much more defined.