With the weather heating up, Sally Hunwick asks the pros how to get chic hairstyles that keeps locks up, up and away.
The Sleek Ponytail
Centre parted and super clean, the low ponytail is your go-to when the humidity rises. “Ponytails are so cool,” says LA-based celebrity hairstylist Jonathan Colombini, who regularly tends to the locks of Kylie and Kendall Jenner. “It’s one of the sexiest hairstyles.”
Get the look
Simon Bright, creative director at Jonny + June hair, talks through this chic up-do.
Step 1: “Comb through a heat-protecting product into clean hair and blow-dry with the air direction down to create a smooth, sleek look,” advises Bright.
Step 2: “Follow with hot irons to maintain sleekness, then spray a nylon or boar bristle brush with hairspray to help tame frizz and reduce static to give you that sleek vibe.”
Try: Mr. Smith Hairspray, Goldwell Kerasilk Humidity Barrier Spray
Step 3: Secure hair at the nape of the neck and then “finish with a lightweight gloss.”
Try: Bumble and bumble Hairdresser’s UV Protective Dry Oil Finishing Spray
Step 4: “Fasten hair with a hair bungee tie,” suggests Bright. “It allows you to tighten without moving the pony, keeping it bump free and smooth.”
The Smooth Braid
“Keep it simple and on-trend by using two-stranded braids,” says Bright. “Sophisticated rope braids or a fishtail plait are easy and they won’t remind you of your school days.”
Get the look
Proper prep is the key to achieving a plait that will last the distance. Here’s how:
Step 1: “Towel-dry hair to 30 per cent dry,” suggests Bright.
Step 2: The “use a heat-protect blow-dry cream,” he says. If your hair is frizzy or wavy, Bright advises “adding an anti-humectant from roots to ends and comb through.”
Try: Kerastase L’incroyable Blowdry, John Frieda Frizz Ease Nourishing Oil Elixir
Step 3: “Using a paddle brush, section hair and blow-dry flat to the head,” says Bright.
Try: ghd Paddle Brush
Step 4: “Use an iron to smooth hair flat,” he says. For a chic wet-gloss look, he recommends applying a hair oil or oil-cream “to the root area only”.
Try: L’Oréal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Oil Oil-in-Cream
Step 5: Tie hair into a tight low ponytail before plaiting and tying at the end. A glossing pray will stop flyaways.
Try: Percy & Reed A Walk in the Rain Shine & Fragrance Mist
The Chic Bun
“The trend is for simple hair that looks like you’ve done it yourself,” says Colombini. To offset any plainness add some hair-bling. “Hair accessories are massive right now,” he observes. “An easy way is to add in bobby pins or a barrette. Simple headbands and ribbons are also sweet.”
Get the look
An easy, swept-up bun is perfection, day or night.
Step 1: “If your hair is already dry, put some texture into it with a texture spray or dry shampoo so the hair will stay,” suggests Colombini.
Try: Moroccanoil Thickening Lotion, Kevin Murphy Bedroom.Hair
Step 2: “Next, add a little bend in the hair using flat-iron to give added texture.”
Try: Remington Proxluxe Salon Styler Twist to Curl
Step 3: Add a wave enhancer if your hair tends to fall in high humidity.
Try: R+Co Sail Soft Wave Spray
Step 4: “Just throw it up there loosely in a bun,” says Colombini. Don’t be afraid of imperfections.
This article originally appeared in the January 2018 issue of marie claire.
