It’s hotter than the blazes out there, leaving most of us struggling to look chic when our hair is falling limp,
frizzing out, and just plain acting up.
Always eager to solve your most pressing beauty dilemmas, we looked to the red carpet for inspiration and found
four trendy updos that are perfect for going head-to-head (ahem) with summer’s steamiest days.
“In the summer, the best way to keep your hair looking polished is to put it up,” says hairstylist
Selden Beylouni, owner of the eponymous Selden Beylouni Salon in Atlanta. “The summer elements are so harsh that it can be nearly impossible to keep a loose
hairstyle flawless, but with the right products and techniques, an updo can be heatproof.”
Here,
Beylouni shares tips on how to recreate these cool-as-a-cucumber looks at home. Give them a try, so you
can stay fresh, even as the heat index continues to rise.
Loose and Accessorized
To achieve Emma Stone’s messy-yet-marvelous 'do, Beylouni suggests making a slightly off-center part, and then mixing Moroccanoil and styling gel in your hand and smoothing it through your hair, mid-shaft to ends. Let the product dry, and then pull the hair into a low chignon, leaving some face-framing strands loose.
Pin the chignon into place, and then take a medium-barrel curling iron and wrap small pieces of the loose hair around the shaft (don't use the iron's clamp or it will dent the hair), holding the ends with your hand to give
your hair a light wave. Be sure to curl away from your face, for a more flattering effect. Set hair
with Privé Finishing Texture Spray, and then place a headband as an accent close to the front of the head, but
behind the loose pieces.
She may be only 12 years old, but Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka nailed the top-knot trend perfectly
at the Young Hollywood Awards. To get the look, Beylouni suggests rubbing a volumizer
through your hair (people with thick or curly hair can skip this step), and then flipping the hair over
and pulling it into a ponytail directly on the top of the head. Secure the ponytail with an elastic,
and then take a Mason Pearson Boar Bristle & Nylon Brush and backcomb the ponytail, one small section at a time.
Smooth over the top
layer, being careful not to take out the volume, and wrap the hair around the ponytail elastic,
securing with pins the same color as your hair. The backcomb creates the hold to this style, so unless
you have very thin hair, you don’t need a finishing spray. “The key to making this style polished
but relaxed is the wispy hair around the face,” Beylouni says. “Getting the bun nice and smooth
helps you look put together, but leaving those natural, face-framing hairs loose keeps the look
relaxed and fresh.”
“The trick to getting a beautiful, smooth ponytail is starting with a really great blowout,” says
Beylouni. “So, take your time and get your hair nice, smooth, and completely dry.” Then spray
the heck out of the top and underneath of your hair with a firm-hold hairspray to the point that it is
slightly damp, and brush the hair back into a ponytail. Secure it directly in the center of the back
of your head with an elastic. Finally, wrap a small section of your hair around the elastic and pin
it with a bobby pin for a more polished look. The finished product should rival Salma Hayek’s regal red-carpet coiff.
According to Beylouni, textured hair needs to be relaxed or have extensions to achieve the style
La La Anthony wore to the BET Awards. To begin, work Privé Relaxing Gel through your
hair and then brush it back and over to one side. Secure a ponytail elastic in your hair right
above the ear.
Split hair into two sections, then take a piece from the outside of the left section and
pass it to the right section, and then take a piece from the outside of the right section and pass
it to the left section. Continue to do this for the entire length of the ponytail. Once all the hair is
braided, secure the braid with a hair elastic and gently pull apart the strands to add width and texture to the plait.