This past weekend, I was talking with some of my girlfriends, and we started talking about ponytails. There seem to be so many celebrities these days strolling down the red carpet sporting them. You even see all those perfect-looking girls on the street with ponies. Not as a quick “OMG! I didn’t have enough time this morning” fix, but as an actual style.

My friends Wendy & Kelly lamented that no matter how hard they try, they just look like they woke up late and needed to do something – ANYTHING with their hair. And fast. They claim they can’t make their ponytails look like a style. So I did some research for some quick tips on how to make that everyday ponytail into a style. And hopefully the following tips can help everyone – including Wendy & Kelly.

Here are some basic tips and pics to illustrate how you can create a great style out of your ponytail:

1. Play up the part! Start by parting the hair on one side. You can either go with a straight part or criss-cross for more drama. I like taking the part back about 1.5 to 3 inches. Then pull it back gently into the ponytail. You don’t want to pull it too tight because you don’t want to lose the sweeping movement. If you have straight hair, make sure you ARE getting rid of any bumps, though. If you have curly or wavy hair, try keeping it pretty loose so you can take advantage of the natural movement of your waves, which will also easily cover imperfections.
2. Frame the face. If you have shorter layers up front, don’t be afraid to let them hang loose – don’t force them back into the pony. You can always tuck or pin the hair behind your ears. If you have bangs, even better – let them do the work of framing your face. Just be aware of the layers and lengths of your hair, and use them to your advantage.
3. Make it sleek and shiny. If you have long hair, you can go uber chic by pulling it back high on your crown. This is a high-drama look that keeps hair out of your face, but still lets it cascade down your back. If you have really straight hair, pulling it back smooth and tight can create a very elegant look. If you’d like to go a little funkier, add a twist for some interest and volume.
4. Pump up the volume. Don’t be afraid to play with twisting or teasing your hair. Creating more volume around your crown will show that you meant to make your ponytail look like that. Thus…it’s a style. Gwen Stefani has her signature look, and a number of other celebs have been captured sporting similar types of hairplay.
5. Accessorize…in moderation. Your ponytail will look more deliberate if you decorate it. You can pin a flower in the side of a tousled pony look for a casual, colorful touch. You can also use a thick headband or ribbon to make your look more stylish. I like using a ribbon closer to the hairline after I’ve teased, smoothed out, then secured the ponytail itself. This accentuates the volume and really makes the look more polished. You can also use decorative hair ties or clips. But don’t go overboard. If you have to stop and ask yourself (or someone else) if it’s too much – it probably is. Remember, ponytails are so beloved because of their simplicity. Don’t ruin a good thing.
6. Choose sides. The low side ponytail is my personal fave, when it comes to pony styles. You can do this easily by parting the hair and using the parted section of hair to frame the face. Pull the rest of the hair back smooth, but loosely, and secure it at the base of your skull on one side. The ponytail should easily rest over your shoulder (on the front side). This can work as both an elegant and a casual look.
7. Don’t ignore your styling products! Your styling products are there to help you style your hair. If you want to do a ponytail as a style, use what you already have as a resource. If you have wavy or curly hair, enhance the movement of your hair with styling products. If you’re working with very straight hair, use a shine enhancer to help decrease flyaways and to really turn up the dial on your hair’s sheen. If you have short hair that just barely makes it back into the ponytail, have fun by using a touch of styling wax to spike it out! And everyone can benefit from a little bit of hairspray to help keep it all in place once you have it perfect.

Just remember – a ponytail is like any other good style. It takes some practice to make it perfect. So, take some time out on a weekend or evening to play around with some of these tips and find out what looks best on you. I think it’s safe to say that the ponytail isn’t a style that will go away anytime soon. So it definitely won’t be any time wasted!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 at 12:45 pm and is filed under Beauty Tutorials. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.