photo/post/graphic design: Kristin Ess
One of my all time favorite hairstyles for a wedding or for red carpet is the most super simple chic chignon (say that 3 times fast!). In this tutorial we show future brides and bridesmaids alike how to keep their hair out of the way while maintaining a timeless, classic look for any event. This is one of those updos that really allows you to focus on the dress, accessories and overall beauty instead of being a major focal point. Let’s get started!
- Start with all of your hair in a ponytail. I like to place the pony at the occipital bone (that bone you can feel in the back of your head).
- Next, slide the ponytail holder down about an inch or 2 and split it down the center as you see in photo #2.
- Flip the ponytail up and feed it through the split, grabbing it with your fingers from underneath and pulling it through.
- Now give the ponytail a gentle tug so it tightens back up.
- Your ponytail should look like this. There should be a slight separation where you’ll be tucking hair later in step 7.
- Use a comb to tease the ponytail. You can tease as little or as much as you want. The more you tease, the bigger your bun will be. The less you tease, the tighter the bun will be. Once your done teasing the hair, smooth the outside of it gently by using a smoothing brush.
- Wrap the ponytail around one hand and tuck the tail of the ponytail into the hole you created when you twisted the hair.
- Once you’ve tucked the excess, start pinning the bun in place. Gently pull it apart to make it fuller. The teased hair acts like stuffing, so you can spread it out carefully for a little more volume! If you hairspray as you go, you won’t have to worry about it falling out so much. Use the larger bobbypins to start securing the bun and then use the smaller ones around the edges. For updos like this it’s crucial to have a strong holding hairspray, but one that doesn’t get sticky or look wet. My all time favorite hairspray for doing updos is THIS ONE ! It’s called SuperHold and it’s like liquid bobby pins! It’s got amazing hold and it stays dry. Once you have it all in place, give it a good spray all over and lay down any unwanted fly-aways.
A fuller bun + a tighter bun can both look great for different reasons. For example– I would do a bigger bun for a wedding and maybe a tighter bun if I’m going to a work meeting. Also consider head size– for a smaller head, don’t overwhelm the silhouette by making a huge bun because it could make your head look even smaller. Use a hand mirror to check on your proportions from different angles as you go.
If you’re looking for accessories similar the one in the top image for your wedding, here are a few of my current favorites:
And you can always use fresh flowers, silk flowers or an embellished appliqué from the fabric store. Good luck! Tweet us a photo @TBDofficial!
