My Achilles heel is actually my hair. (Achilles hair? Or is that a pun too far?) There's no amount of money I won't spend, no damage I won't impart, no hairstylist I won't grill relentlessly, all in the pursuit of my perfectly imperfect hair goals: that limp but full, smooth but frizzy, wavy but also not wavy look that's come to be known as "off duty." I don't know who's off duty or what duties they've been relieved of, but damn I love their hair so much and I'm happy they're enjoying some much needed vacation time.

Of course, getting there is no picnic for my thick, coarse, curly hair. Not to give myself too hard a time—my God-given hair is actually very amenable to change and holds any style quite well. And I love it for that! But I still do terrible, unholy things to it. Like blowdrying it on high-high-high heat really-really-really close to the shaft. (I've learned better, but the temptation is still there.)

The good news is I don't do that anymore. Because Amika went and did the best thing in hair technology I've ever seen: created a paddle brush that's actually a hair straightener too. All you do is BRUSH YOUR HAIR with the heat turned up (I crank mine to 430°F) and you're well on your way to flattened hair. None of that clamp-down BS that always leaves dents and gives you tendonitis. Flat irons pretend to be so universally easy to use, but it's all a lie. You don't know ease until you've brushed your Shirley Temple curls straight without even sectioning first.

The routine used to be: Wait until I couldn't not wash my hair another day, scrounge together $40, and haul my ass to Drybar. Now the routine is: Wash my hair at night (usually with the Christophe Robin Color Care mask in Warm Chestnut), let airdry as I sleep, and brush with the Amika in the morning. It's straight in 10 minutes—cross my heart. Then I heat up my GHD Curve to add some wave in if I have time. Spritz in some wave spray (I'm testing a bunch right now—you'll hear more about that soon) and go. No it's not airdrying, but it's as close as I get these days. And that's progress for sure.

—Emily Ferber

In the event that you slept in–happens to the best of us–read here for some very easy styling tips for your curls today.