Curly Prom Updo

This is one of my favorite prom hairstyles of all time. I think the simplicity of the updo complements this one shoulder dress, and it is incredibly easy to pin the hair using a special technique. If you have thin hair, this style is perfect to give you extra body and easy hold.

Step one: Curl your hair using a 1 inch curling iron. I used a wand to create this look.

Step two: Separate your hair in to two sections, a top section and a bottom section. The majority of your hair should be in the bottom section.

Step three: Using a clear elastic pony tail holder, secure the bottom section in to a pony tail just above the base of the neck.

Step four: (pin the top section out of the way for later use.) Begin taking small individual curls from the ponytail, and grab the very tip of the curl with one finger. Take a very small strand from the curl between your fingers and push the rest of the curl toward the head (a teasing motion). This curl will shrivel in to a ringlet.

Step five: Once you "tease" the curl, secure it in place with a bobby pin. Repeat this process with the rest of the pony tail, positioning the curls the way you like them.

Step six: Once your ponytail is pinned and transformed in to a bun, take the top section of hair and pin the remainder of your hair around the bun without teasing. This will create a very full effect for those girls who have super thin hair.

Double Twist Bun

     I love playing around with braids and twists when creating a fun, new bun hairstyle. They can easily add uniqueness to an ordinary bun. This is a hairstyle I created using mainly twists fastened and secured with bobby pins.

Step 1: (from top right to bottom left) Separate two fairly large chunks of hair from the front section of your head, and fasten the rest of your hair in a ponytail at the base of your neck.

Step 2: Pick a front section of hair, and begin by separating two small strands at the top close to your eyebrow. Begin to twist the two pieces, adding in hair from the bottom each time you wrap. This should create a very defined twist. Secure with a hair tie and repeat with the other chunk of hair.

Step 3: Take the ponytail, separate it in to two sections, and twist the pony as well. I left hers without a hair tie, but if your hair doesn't naturally stay, use one to secure the end.

Step 4: take the ponytail and wrap the now twisted tail around to form a bun. Secure the inside with bobby pins and try to flatten out the edges of the bun with the use of bobby pins.

Step 5: This is where it gets "complicated" (not really) take one of the twist and position it over the bun, securing the twist to the head at the right angle. Once it is secured, take the piece that is still dangling and pull it back toward the side it came from. Wrap that piece around the bun and secure the end with a bobby pin somewhere beneath the bun hidden.

Step 6: Repeat the same process with the other twist. You have some freedom to play with this look, but it works great for a shopping trip or a fancier prom/formal event.

Dutch Braided Bun

My friend Molly has the best hair I have ever worked with. It is thick, curly, and the prettiest blonde color. She has the type of hair that can go 3 or 4 days without washing and that makes me super envious. This hairstyle is super simple and came to me one day while I was just messing around with her hair. Its super easy, and it is great for those days when you are like Molly and want to skip the wash!

This hairstyle is basically just a dutch braid that is wrapped in to a bun at the end. I began braiding at the top of her head and instead of braiding one strand over the other, I pulled strands toward her head and under the braid. This technique is used to get that "raised" look. Once I ran out of hair to add in, I braided all the way down and wrapped the braid to create a bun in the center of her hair. I literally fastened this with one single bobby pin, but pin according to texture and thickness.



Then voila you have a functional and very casual updo that is both stylish and comfortable!

French Braided Bangs

When I had long hair, I made the mistake of cutting my bangs. Bangs look great on some people, but I just thought they were annoying and unnecessary. I tried and tried to tuck them behind my ears but seconds later they would fall back in to my face. I looked for a solution to get them out of my face, and I found this cute, functional hairstyle that did the trick. 

Step 1: Part your hair to the middle of your eyebrow.

Step 2: Separate a small section of hair from the opposite side of your part and begin to braid this section normally.

Step 3:Take the new braid and flip it over to your part, you will use this braid as one of your three strands to begin french braiding, and it will help add extra volume to the beginning of your braid.

Step 4: with the three strands, begin french braiding. Make sure you are keeping the strands you add in loose to create an effortless look.

Step 5: Once you have braided to your ear, stop french braiding and normally braid the rest of your hair. Secure with a clear elastic.

Curls, Curls, Curls

    Getting a curl just right can take practice. Until recently, it took bottle after bottle of hairspray to keep my curls in tact for more than an hour. Once I began curling my hair more often, though, I found that my hair needed less and less product for an all day hold. I find that the best way to curl hair is by using a wand. The wand is light and easy to hold while it gives you free range to curl and twist any way your heart desires.

When I curl a clients hair, I hold the wand upside down and wrap the piece of hair loosely around the entire wand. If you want the curl closer to the root, continue to twist the wand toward the top of your head to get as close to the part and to create more volume at the root. Unless a client has super fine hair, I like to part sections of the hair to get the most volume out of every strand. Give yourself at least an hour to let curls fall and loosen up.