Hectic schedules often get in the way of creativity when it comes to our beauty routines, but summertime, with all its extra daylight hours and vacations, is the perfect time to get yourself out of any style rut or hairy situations! Get inspired by these quick and easy tips straight off the runway for what’s hot in hair now.
The Ponytail Detail
What once was reserved for extreme sports and motorcycle chicks, the multi-banded ponytail is now super soft and feminine and a great way to update the staple summer up-do to add interest while keeping hair coolly in place. Depending on the length of your hair, insert four or five (give or take) thin elastic bands a few inches apart down the loose hanging “tail.” You can start with a simple low or high-gathered ponytail or create upswept sections as shown above. As you add each band, stretch and poof out each section to create the soft, bubbly look. “When you add sections and layer, it takes the look out of the gym altogether,” hairstylist David Von Cannon tells Glamour this month’s ponytail-centric beauty editorial of this wear-anywhere style.
A light misting of Ojon Volume Advance Thickening Spray
before you style will increase volume and strengthen your strands against breakage and achieve frizz-free, touchable hold with a spritz (or two) of Redken Forceful 23 Super Strength Finishing Spray.
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No-Heat-Styled Waves
It is summer, isn’t it? We have enough heat already.
Give your tresses a rest and nix the electric tools for a while. (It’s too hot in our apartments to fully dry our hair anyway!) Using Phyto Secret Regenerating Night Treatment, which is a lightweight moisturizing milk so it’s safe to use sparingly on dry or second-day hair, here are three different night-before techniques for every length of hair that will not only save your strands but also save you precious time in A.M. when you wake up with ready-to-go style.
For long hair: Fake a blowout by lightly working product through hair, then gathering it at the crown of your head like you are putting your hair in a high ponytail. Twist, twist, twist hair into a high topknot and secure with a scrunchie (yes, it’s a revival!) to avoid a crease. In the morning you’ll have a head full of bouncy waves that will last all day long.
For medium hair: Employ the same technique with product and then separate hair into two halves, right and left. Twist each section back towards the back of your head and then coil into a bun at the nape of your neck. Do the same on the opposite side. Unravel when you’re almost ready to walk out the door, lightly spritz and scrunch with a flexible hold hairspray, and you’ve got an effortless, laid-back look.
For short hair: After you’ve washed and detangled your hair, work a texturizing spray like Alterna Bamboo Spray
through damp strands. Divide hair into three sections and braid each one separately. The braids will dry overnight and by breakfast you covetable, fuss-free, mermaid-like style will be set!
The Hair Tuck
You know that thing that happens when you put on a sweater and your hair gets caught somewhere between your back and the collar? Yeah, that’s a hairstyle now and we simply call it The Tuck. Seen at Tory Burch, Calvin Klein Collection, and Marc by Marc Jacobs this trend will keep long hair under control and let face-framing layers be as free as they were meant to be. Hairstylist Errol Douglas MBE says, “Sexy but oh so feminine—the wispy finish ensures no harshness for any face shape or complexion.” Hair condition is very visible in this style, so condition well and finish with a weightless high-shine spray like Aveda Brilliant Spray On Shine.
Sleek & Slick
Sleek, slicked back strands are always a winner when it comes to summertime style—most importantly because it’s easy. The slicked back look takes ten minutes tops to create and is just as easy to achieve with damp, freshly washed locks as it is with second-day hair. It’s also a style for every length, from a glossy bob to a wet-look longer style with untamed ends. Finally, this look is the perfect disguise for frizzy tresses that just can’t deal with record-breaking humidity or those days when you break a sweat just walking from the subway to the office. Create this look by first using a combination of hydrating product like Kiehl’s Strengthening and Hydrating Hair Oil-in-Cream and a medium hold gel such as Glop and Glam Watermelon Hard Candy Gel
to steadfast style without the stiffness.
Flower Power
It’s quite possible that flowers were the original hair accessories. From the posy-crowned bohemians to the seductive flamenco blooms, floral headpieces have been around from as long as we can remember. This season, they were reiterated in miniature form, pinned into voluminous up-dos at Zac Posen, dotted along the crowns of swept-up styles at Dolce & Gabbana, and also appearing at Honor as tiny accents at the nape of a low-slung pony. Anything goes when it comes to floral adorned fringe…even on dudes—you’ve seen these blooming beards, right?
When it comes to your own blossoming hair buds, take liberty! Find your own personalized version of this look and take it to the streets. You can even DIY your own flower hair pins for a little time and even less cost. When styling this look, use volume and texture to your advantage. . This is a great second-day hairstyle; just work in some dry shampoo/texturizer such as Alterna’s Caviar Anti-aging Perfect Texture Finishing Spray, sweep hair into a messy chignon and decorate to your heart’s desire. Then share your creations with us!
Fringe Benefits
Seriously, we could not love the cutting edge, standout style of Choppy Pageboy cuts at Fendi, Chanel, and Marc Jacobs any more than we do right now! Originally, the pageboy was made popular in the 1950s with straight hair hanging just below the ear, where it softly curled under and fringe in front. Model Bettie Page first made the blunt-bang style famous and we’ve seen the pageboy remain prominent through pop culture ever since. (Think Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction!) The modern pageboy is rougher around the edges—thick and straight and finally appealing to coarser hair types like never before. We highly recommend taking the plunge with this blunt bob, but even if you aren’t fully ready to commit make like the models and wig out! “This look was designed to encompass a free-spirited girl. She’s punk and boyish, which is why the wig is bowl-shaped and asymmetrically cut. It’s almost as if she took the scissors to her own hair,” said Guido Palau of his creations for Marc Jacobs.
To create this look on natural hair, use a heat-protection styling gel such as Ouidad Climate Control Heat and Humidity Gel before you dry or straighten your hair to add texture and hold and lock in moisture. After you’ve styled to create stick-straight, slightly outward facing strands, give them a once over with a glossing cream like Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Creme for maximum shine.
