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Laced-Up and Elegant
Here's a style that's sure to attract attention from those individuals who like a smoothly finished style
with lots of detail. It's perfect for those individuals with long hair who want a neatly finished up-style. It's highly effective for
individuals with lighter-colored hair as well as those with dark tresses.
Creating the Style:
Step One: Creating this style requires straight hair, and works best if the hair has not
been freshly washed. If you have straight hair naturally (or only slight waves) you can simply flat iron the hair to be smooth and proceed to
step two. However, those individuals with curly or wavy hair should have their hair wet and blown straight, then smoothed with a flat iron until
the hair is perfectly flat (or very nearly so). There are many products available to help you achieve smooth, silky, straight hair in
conjunction with flat ironing if the iron alone isn't giving the desired results.
Step Two: The hair should be parted in a straight line down the middle of the head. Select
the side you are working first, and clip the other out of your way if it helps. Comb or brush the hair back from the face, leaving down a small
segment at the nape of the neck. You want to create a French twist on one side that will come to rest at the center parting, so use your comb or
brush to back-comb the hair along the inside (the side facing the center part) 10-12 times to add some structure and make the twist sturdier.
Next, make sure the exterior side is still smooth and wind the hair into a French-style twist and anchor it in place with large bob pins crossed
into an "X" at the scalp. (You will likely need to make two "X's" that will slightly overlap.) Secure the twist fully with small bob pins.
Repeat step two with the other side of the parting, remembering to leave the strand at the nape of the neck
on this side, too. When you've completed the second twist, they should be closely enough placed as to be almost touching one another. Use the
edge of your brush or comb to make sure the hair is smooth, and spray with hairspray. Pat gently to control fly-away hairs.
Step Three: Now it's time to work with the strands of hair we left down at the nape of the
neck. Select one of the strands and comb it to smooth it out if needed. (A touch of hair smoothing product may also be applied.) Lift the strand
up at an angle and lay it diagonally across the bottom point where the twists meet as shown in the illustration. Pin the strand in place to
hold it at this point and leave the end of it to hang for a moment. Prepare your remaining strand as you did the first and raise it to lie
across the original strand. Secure it in place as well.
Continue alternating between the first and second strands, working your way up the head along the center
"seam". The effect should look like that of shoelaces crossing one another in a zigzag fashion. When you reach the top of the twists, carefully
tuck the ends of the strands into or under the twists. Except for optional decoration, the style is complete at this point.
The method described here supposes that there are no bangs to deal with in the original style. Short bangs
can be dealt with as you normally would, or curled in to large curls to hang on the forehead. Long bangs can be parted in the center and pulled
to either side of the face and secured with jeweled bob pins or small barrettes. Even with out bangs, you may opt (as in our illustration) to
leave two strands at the center of the forehead which can be swept into an S-curve and secured at the sides with a jeweled pin or barrette.
Decorative details are entirely up to you, although you won't want to add such decorations as would detract from the style itself. Keep
adornments small and simple.
Stacy McCurdy - Stylist ©Hairfinder.com
More special occasion hairstyles
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