Romantic Hair: How-To

Tuesday, 02 February 2010 00:00

This Valentine's Day, forget the scene-stealing dress and instead woe your date with romantic DIY hair!

By Lane Nieset; Photos by Sean Kelly

We gave four local models, all with different hair types, styles that are both simple and romantic.

Kecia, styled by Jim Dowling and Duane Tully
1. Straighten hair and pull three-quarters (the entire right side) into a ponytail behind the right ear.
2. Wrap remaining hair around the ponytail band and pin in place.
3. Curl the ends of the ponytail in random directions.
4. Tease the hair on crown of head (it will come out of ponytail). Pin it back section by section by the ponytail.
5. For bangs, use a straightener and curl it under slightly.
Tip: Use hairspray to touch up the style and create a clean look. (When working with African American hair, if it has been relaxed, not a lot of product is needed.)

Megan, styled by Sarah Bremseth
1. Start with clean, wet hair. Use curl-enhancing cream and volume foam.
2. Separate hair into 2-inch sections and twist each section in alternate directions.
3. Diffuse on low heat until it is 80 percent dry. Add a little more curl-enhancing cream to get rid of frizz and finish diffusing until it is completely dry.
4. Touch up curls with a curling iron.
5. Take the bang section and twist it back to the ear and push up to give it height. Secure with bobby pins and spray with hairspray.
Tip: When diffusing, it is important that you tilt the hair upside down and to the side.

Meghan, styled by Katie Allen
1. Start with clean, dry hair. Tease (by back-combing) the whole head in quarter-inch sections. Lightly comb the top to smooth the hair.
2. Loosely pull the hair into a ponytail midway up. Scrunch hair in ponytail and make it tight by pulling upward.
3. Lightly pull out pieces around the face and use your fingers to make the top part of the hair a little messy. Spray with hairspray.
4. Twist pieces of hair in the ponytail into a bun and secure with bobbypins.
Tip: Layered hair gives this look an edge with shorter pieces naturally coming out of the bun.

Addison, styled by Casey Knutson
1. Start with dry, clean hair. Start at the nape of the neck and horizontally section hair into 2-inch sections and vertically subsection. Curl sections (about an inch wide) with a 1 1/4 inch curling iron.
2. Keep sectioning and curling hair until you reach the top. Spray each section with a “working hairspray” and roll the curling iron away from the face. Spray again with hairspray after curling each section.
3. When you finish curling, let your hair cool for a few minutes. Then tease the crown and top of the head.
4. Using your fingers or a wide-tooth comb, brush the top, leaving some of the teasing at the base to create volume.
Tip: For an alternate look, loosely pin hair in a low ponytail off to one side and add accessories, such as a bow or broach.