The unwritten formula for Victoria's Secret hair is that it must be shiny, wavy, thick, soft, and long. "The women aren't supposed to look like dolls," says hairstylist Orlando Pita. "The appeal is that it's sexy but not impossible." That's the difference between Victoria's Secret and every other signifier of sexiness in our culture-Playboy bunnies, swimsuit-calendar models, football cheerleaders: "The hair at Victoria's Secret looks real," says hairstylist Oribe. And isn't that the sexiest thing about it?

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"For hair to be full and bouncy, it has to be free of residue," says hairstylist Nathaniel Hawkins. "Conditioner softens hair, but it also weighs it down. Shampooing last actually helps swell the hair shaft and create a messy texture." Choose a basic shampoo and conditioner for fine hair, since rich formulas that offer styling benefits are harder to rinse off and leave the hair too soft to be voluminous. (Hawkins likes Aveda Rosemary Mint Shampoo and Conditioner.) If your hair is very dry, swap conditioner for a pre-shampoo oil treatment, such as Leonor Greyl Huile de Palme.

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After blotting hair with a towel, spray your roots with about ten pumps of a light-hold spray, such as Sally Hershberger Salon Shape Up, then add mousse--a lot of it. "If your hair is shoulder-length or longer, you need a blob the size of a tangerine," says Rebekah Forecast, a hairstylist at Sally Hershberger Downtown in New York City. Squirt a formula that's both volumizing and conditioning (like Dove Style and Care Nourishing Amplifier Mousse) into one palm, then scoop it up with a comb to distribute it evenly throughout the length of your hair.

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A big, round brush--as big as you can find--adds body from roots to ends. Pick one with gentle natural bristles, which grip the hair so that you can pull it without damaging it while you blow-dry. Try the Ibiza Hair EX 5.

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Forget about blowing your hair perfectly smooth: If you want sexy volume, you have to embrace a little fluff. Remove the nozzle from your dryer (we love the T3 Featherweight Luxe, shown here), set it on high, then shake your fingers through your hair with the barrel pointed downward, says Forecast.

When hair is 80 percent dry, use a round brush to pull it up and outward. With the nozzle back on, hold the dryer perpendicular to the hair, moving the barrel in a sweeping motion. "When you think your hair is totally dry, it's probably not. So blow-dry it for another three minutes," says Hawkins.

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They may seem old-fashioned, but Velcro rollers add extra lift after a blowout. Use large rollers (two-inch Ricky's NYC Classic Self Hold Rollers) on hair that's jaw-length or longer, and medium-size ones on shorter cuts (one-and one-eighth-inch Ricky's NYC Classic Self Hold Rollers).

"Beachy waves don't just happen," says Forecast. Even if you have naturally curly hair, use a one-inch curling iron for big, tousled waves. We like Conair's You Big Waves.