When flat irons first came on the scene in the early '00s, it was all about getting your hair as stick-straight as possible. Now—thank God—the look has a bit more bounce to it, with more volume at the roots and a slight curve at the ends. In the pics above from the People's Choice Awards last week, <a href="http://beautyeditor.ca/2010/01/07/2010-peoples-choice-awards-sofia-vergara/" target="_blank">Sofia Vergara</a> showcases it best—although you'll also want to do this if you're pinning your hair back like <a href="http://beautyeditor.ca/2010/01/07/2010-peoples-choice-awards-sandra-bullock/" target="_blank">Sandra Bullock</a> or the Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger (unless, of course, you really <em>want</em> that slicked-to-the-head look).

<a href="http://www.sephora.com/browse/brand_hierarchy.jhtml;jsessionid=TSYFSNOVU1MQICV0KQNRHOQ?brandId=Sultra" target="_blank">Sultra</a>, who make the cutest animal-print flat irons (if you're into that sort of thing), available at Sephora, sent me a tutorial for creating straight hair with a bit of body. I've modified it to give you a bit more detail—the tools you'll need are a good quality ceramic flat iron, round brush, heat-protective products and volumizing spray. <strong>Keep reading for step-by-step instructions...</strong>

<strong> </strong><!--more--><a href="http://beautyeditor.ca/wp-content/uploads/sultra-laser-iron.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-5494" title="sultra-laser-iron" src="http://beautyeditor.ca/wp-content/uploads/sultra-laser-iron.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="250" /></a>1. Start by shampooing and conditioning your hair: if you're prone to frizz, use smoothing products, but if your hair is already fine and straight, go for volume-building products. Towel dry, and then spray with a heat-protective product, as well as a volumizer at the roots. Blow dry.

2. Divide hair into four equal quadrants. (Make a centre part from your forehead to the nape of your neck, and then divide it above each ear back across to the centre part.) Loosely pin up each section with jumbo clips.

3. Beginning at the bottom of the first quadrant and working up, take a 1/2 inch horizontal section and gently clamp it between the plates of a ceramic flat iron. (Make sure the section is narrower than the plates.) Get as close to the root as possible.

4. Holding the iron in one hand and a round brush in the other, slowly glide the iron away from the root, placing the brush underneath the hair, following the iron with the brush.

5. Twist both the iron and the brush at the ends so that the hair wraps around the brush.

6. Repeat steps 3, 4 and 5 until all sections are complete.