Using your brush, pull the hair back to the crown of the head. (To know exactly where to place the
ponytail, turn your head to the side in front of the mirror and lay the back of your comb against the side of the head at the top of the ear.
Angle the front end of the comb to point to the tip of your nose. The back end of the comb is now pointing to the position at the crown of the
head where you want to gather the ponytail.
Secure the hair in an elastic band. (This is where it's handy to have an extra hand. If you have someone
who can hold the hair in place for you so that you can use both hands to attach the elastic band, it is much easier to do and more likely to
be placed perfectly.) The goal is making the hair at the scalp as smooth and sleek as possible. Once it is secured, take a thin section of hair
from the underside of the tail and wrap it around the elastic band to conceal it. Pin the section under the ponytail and blend the loose end back into the ponytail.
The ponytail itself can be finished off in a variety of ways. You can flat-iron the tail so that it hangs
straight, use a large-barrel curling iron to give it a soft inward curve, or use a little hairspray and some Velcro rollers to give the tail
some fullness. Whichever way you choose to finish the tail off, the final result will be a quick, lovely look.
Faux Up-Style:
While the ponytail look was for those women with long hair, this style idea works for women with medium
length hair that is curly. The first thing to do is use a little product to define and "liven up" your curls. Apply the product and scrunch the hair with your fingers.
Next, take a wide-toothed comb and comb the curls back toward the crown area. Comb the hair upward from the
nape and sides as well. As you get a section combed to the crown, use a hair clip to hold it in place. Once the hair is pulled up, use an
expandable circular comb to gather all the hair at the crown and secure it then remove the hair clips. You can then use a pick or your
wide-toothed comb to fluff the curls and conceal the comb.
You may also want to free some of the curls at the temples and sides to accentuate the look. This will
give the illusion of an elaborate up-style of curls. You can adorn the hair with jeweled hairpins or a strand of pearls (a choker-length
necklace is usually a near-perfect length for this purpose and can be pinned securely to the comb under the curls) to give a "crowned" effect.
Finish up by misting the hair lightly with a shine enhancer to give the style depth and shimmer.
These are just a few of the simple and fast fixes for hair, and they will allow you to meet the challenge of last-minute preparation with a
little more confidence and ease. None of these ideas are entirely new to most women, I'm sure, but perhaps applying these techniques in
slightly different ways will give you ideas for creating your own quick-fixes.
