ESL Podcast 483 - Using Hair Products and Accessories

prom - a large, formal dance for students who are finishing high school

Natali's boyfriend took her to the prom and they danced the entire evening.

to style - to give one's hair a particular appearance or shape

Wachira doesn't have time to style her hair in the morning, so she just ties it back after washing it.

shampoo - a liquid soap used to wash one's hair

They bought a special baby shampoo so that it wouldn't hurt their daughter if a little bit got in her eyes.

conditioner - a liquid put on one's clean hair after it has been washed to make it softer, healthier, or easier to comb, and that is usually washed out

If Chelsea doesn't use conditioner, it's really difficult to brush her curly hair.

gel - a thick liquid that is put on one's wet hair to make it stay in a particular position or style

Some guys like to make their hair stand up by using gel.

mousse - a liquid that has a lot of small air bubbles in it and is put on one's wet hair to make it look thicker or to make it stay in a particular position or style

Renee always puts mousse in her hair before drying it.

hairspray - a liquid that is sprayed on dry hair so that it doesn't move and stays in a particular position or style

Francesca used so much hairspray that her hair didn't move at all in the wind.

hairdryer - a small machine that is held in one's hand and blows hot air, used to dry one's hair after it has been washed

My mother told us to use a hairdryer to dry our hair. Otherwise, our heads will be cold if we go outside with wet hair.

roller - a small, round piece of plastic, sometimes heated, that a small section of one's hair is wrapped around for a period of time to make the hair curly

Let's put rollers in your straight hair to make it curly for the dance!

curling iron - a small machine that is held in one's hand and has a long, round piece of metal that gets very hot so that small sections of one's hair can be wrapped around it and heated until they curl

Be careful not to burn your neck with the curling iron!

flat iron - a small machine that is held in one's hand and has two flat pieces of metal that get very hot so that small sections of one's hair can be pressed between them and heated until they become straight

Her curly hair looks a lot longer after she uses a flat iron.

brush - a piece of wood or plastic that is held in one's hand and has many small, pieces like hairs that are used to clean something or to separate individual pieces of one's hair

Some brushes work better on straight hair than on curly hair.

comb - a flat piece of wood or plastic that is held in one's hand and has many small pieces all in one row that are used to separate individual pieces of one's hair

He quickly ran a comb through his hair before the interview.

bobby pin - a small, thin piece of metal that is folded in half so that it is open on one end, where hair is placed inside to keep it in a particular position or style

She must have had hundreds of bobby pins in her hair on her wedding day.

elastic band - a small, round piece of cloth-covered plastic that stretches (becomes larger) and is wrapped around one's hair to hold it in a particular position or style

All the girls on the basketball team use elastic bands to hold their hair out of their eyes.

barrette - a small piece of plastic, wood, or metal that opens and closes at one end so that hair can be held inside, used to hold one's hair in a particular position or style, but with something pretty on the top side for everyone to see

The baby pulled on his mother's barrette and she said, "Ow, that hurts!"

transformation - a big or important change; a major change

In the past few years, this company has undergone a transformation from a small, family-owned business to an international corporation. (one is) as ready as (one will) ever be - a phrase used to show that one is ready to do something and is a little bit nervous or worried about it, but no amount of preparation will make those feelings go away

Keith is nervous about asking his girlfriend to marry him, but he's as ready as he'll ever be.