How to Style Hair
Sometimes the hairstyle you wear every day just won't do. A special event, for instance, calls for a little glamour. Your problem is you don't have the time or money to hit a beauty salon to get a fancy workup. The simplest way to change a hairstyle is to wear your hair up. The two easiest ways: in either a French twist or an ordinary bun. Once you have chosen your simple up style, you can dress it up by adding accessories. Here's how to do it all. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Brush and comb
- Bobby pins and hairpins (at least two dozen of each)
- Elastic band large enough to hold your hair
- Hairspray
- Decorative hair accessories such as combs, ribbons, decorative bobby pins or flowers (dried or fresh)
Instructions
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Styling Your Hair
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1
Decide where on your head the bun is going to rest (on top, at the crown, in the middle of your head or right where your neck meets your skull).
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2
Begin with slightly damp hair. Use a mist bottle to apply water. If you are going to use a styling product (such as spray-on styling gel or a similar product), apply it after you've misted your hair.
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3
Brush all your hair back from your face (unless your updo is going to include bangs); tuck the sides behind your ears if you are going to let them show. If you are going to have tendrils of hair around your ears and face, leave the amount of hair you will need hanging over your face or ears. You can always pin it up and out of the way while you work with your bun.
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4
Make a tight ponytail. If your bun is going to sit on top of your head or at the crown, you may need to flip your hair upside down and then make the ponytail.
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5
Wrap your hair around the elastic band that is securing the ponytail, in a clockwise direction. If necessary, secure your hair with pins and bobby pins as you wrap.
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6
Once all the hair is wrapped around the band, make sure the bun is satisfactory. Make whatever adjustments you may need to, and then spray the bun and your hair. Use as much spray as you need to hold the bun and hair in place.
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7
Now style the front of your hair (if you are wearing bangs) and/or the sides. (This is a good time to add your decorative bobby pins and hairpins, if using.) Use hairspray to hold the style.
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8
You are now ready to accessorize your do. Tuck combs in the sides of your hair or on either side of the bun. Wrap ribbons, either plain or with flowers attached, around the part of the bun closest to your head. Use hairpins, bobby pins or ribbon to hold flowers, and place them in your hair.
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Tips & Warnings
When purchasing your bobby pins and hairpins, buy at least one pack of decorative pins each. They may feature small jewels, ribbons, flowers or other decorations. You can use these to accessorize your hairstyle. Bobby pins and hairpins come in different shades, from light brown to black. Buy a shade that closely matches your hair color to help hide the pins. Wash your hair the day before you plan to wear it up, and don't wash it the day before unless your hair is extremely oily. Slightly "dirty" hair holds an updo longer. If you use fresh flowers, wait until the last possible minute to put them in your hair to avoid wilting. Also, once you've added fresh flowers, avoid hairspray---it'll discolor the flowers. If you are going to leave your ears covered with hair, you may be limited on where you can set your bun. Make your ponytail so tight that you can feel the skin on your scalp and your face being pulled back slightly. Don't make it so tight that it hurts---you should still be comfortable. Once you have made your bun, you can wiggle it a little to loosen it a bit. There is no such thing as using too many hairpins or bobby pins. They will either be hidden completely in the "folds" of your hair or will be barely visible. Use bobby pins to hold the hair closest to the elastic band and hairpins to hold the outer layers. As you get closer to the outer layers, start using your decorative pins.
Don't use your teeth to open bobby pins. You could chip a tooth. Protect your eyes when using styling products and hairspray. Be careful not to burn yourself when using styling equipment.
