Slow cheetah in a parallel universe

Retro Ponytail

Updos, more specifically stylish ponytails, are my favorite “dirty hair” concealer.  They allow you to prolong your blowout which equals healthier hair and less work on your end. Win/Win.  

The retro ponytail is definitely having its 15 minutes right now.  In order to achieve the look you’ll need:

Day/2 Day old hair

Teasing comb

Ponytail holder

Bobby pins

Hairspray

Once you brush out your hair do the following:

Take the top section of your hair, and tease it at the root to create volume.  If your hair is really greasy feel free to use some dry shampoo to absorb the oil.

Once you tease the section, comb the top hair smoothly over the section and begin to mold the retro curl.  It is very simple, just wind it up as if you were wrapping it around a large curler.  Make sure to let the volume at the roots stay there.  Don’t over mold it so that it is too rigid.  Pin to your head to secure. Spritz with Hairspray.

Pull the rest of your hair into a high ponytail.  Make sure to brush the sides smooth and tight.  This will create a juxtaposition between the poof and spiral which will look great.

Grab a small amount of hair form the ponytail and wrap it around the base of the ponytail to conceal the ponytail holder.  Fasten with a bobby pin on the under side of the ponytail.  

Shorty Short

Start with clean, dry hair.

Part your hair all the way around in a big horseshoe shape about 1- 1 1/2 inches above your ear. Clip that section up.

French braid both sides and get them to meet in the middle in the back of your head. Take both of the loose ends and make a teeny tiny bun. If you need hairspray to make the bun stay, give it a little shot and then bobby pin. It’s TOTALLY okay if it’s a bit messy. It’s going to get covered up anyway.

Let down all the hair from the section on top and take a bit of texturizing spray to it (we used THIS ONE which is a bit expensive, but you could also use THIS ONE which I also love!).

Tease the crown area for some volume and then smooth it over with your comb.

Give the top layer a light veil of hairspray.

Now start twisting the sides back as you see Ali doing in photo 7. Pin the twist to the braid as you go. NOTE: That’s the whole point of the braid! You’re using it to secure the hair! That’s the trick to getting short hair “up”, otherwise everything tends to fall out or not reach.

Repeat the same twist + pin method to the other side. Secure the twist by pinning it to the braid as you go.

Once both sections reach the back, roll those two “tails” you have left over from the twists. I prefer to roll upward, but you can roll sideways or down if you prefer. Just be sure to check your work in the mirror as you go. Look at it from the front, the back and the side to make sure it looks balanced! If you have a hard time rolling the leftover pieces (aka: if they’re too short) you can always just tuck them into the braid. If the hair is too soft, spray it a little with some hairspray. YOU CAN DO IT!