The Beehive Hairstyle of the 50s & 60s
After more than a half-century as a hairstyling force of nature, the beehive remains as relevant as ever. People often identify the fashion, which originated in the 1950s, as a comical reminder of mid-20th century style, but the beehive has held strong through the decades as the signature aesthetic of some iconic ladies. Whether you find inspiration in the timeless glamour of Audrey Hepburn's Holly Golightly or the striking beauty of British songstress Adele, creating the style yourself can be an exercise in elegance rather than retro costuming. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Hairbrush
- Bobby pins
- Hairspray
- Comb with double-row of teeth
- Hair elastic
Instructions
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1
Brush your hair backward from your hairline. Separate a section of hair that runs from one temple to the other along your hairline. The section should extend about 1/2-inch back from your hairline.
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2
Gather the section and pull it forward over your face. Slide a bobby pin on it to keep it from slipping back into the rest of your hair.
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3
Brush the rest of your hair straight back. Separate a one inch section in the front, middle of the area. Hold the section straight up, away from your scalp. Leave some slack in the section so that the hair is not taut. Position your hand about six to nine inches away from your scalp.
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4
Spray the hair between your scalp and hand with hairspray. Hold a comb, with a double row of teeth, behind the section.
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5
Comb down the hair toward your scalp causing some of the hair to amass. It should look messy but voluminous. This is backcombing or teasing. Backcomb the same section of hair two to four times. Spray the teased hair with hairspray. The more you backcomb each section of hair, the more volume you create in the beehive. Lay the teased hair forward to keep it separate from the straight hair.
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6
Repeat the process to backcomb all of your unpinned hair until you reach the back ridge of your head where your crown starts to round downward. Avoid the hair that is lower than the top of your ears.
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7
Flip all of the backcombed hair over so that it flows backward as it did when you began. Remove the bobby pin from the front, unteased section. Lay it backward over the teased hair. Smooth the overall shape gently with the comb to make it look round and even.
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8
Gather your hair in a ponytail in the back, center of your head. Gather all of your hair to arrange an updo, or gather only the backcombed hair to leave half of your hair down.
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9
Secure the gathered hair in a spiral bun with bobby pins. Alternatively, secure the hair with an elastic to fashion a ponytail. Reinforce the pins or elastic so that you can tweak the style without ruining the arrangement.
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10
Pull the secured, teased hair at the top of your head to create as much volume in the arrangement as desired. Mist the final beehive with hairspray.
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Tips & Warnings
This style is suitable for straight hair or hair with broad curls at the end. The section you backcomb must be straight for the technique to be effective.
Resources
- Photo Credit Kevin Winter/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
