Ponytails Can’t be Beat For Quick and Easy

These new twists on the good old ponytail take it from default hairdo to delightfully elevated.

Ponytail For Short Hair

The Spout ~~ With this length, it’s difficult to fit every last hair into an elastic—but this slightly punk look turns that into a virtue. “Little pieces sticking out give it a playful edge,” says Moiz Alladina, a hair stylist in New York City who created all the ponytails in this story. To do: Blow-dry hair straight, mist with setting spray to give the style hold, slide in an elastic, then work a dab of gel (such as Nexxus Exxtra Gel Style Creation Sculptor) through the ends of the ponytail for texture. For a bit more polish, blow out the loose bits in front and sweep them to the side. Spray in place.

Ponytails For Long Hair

The Sidewinder ~~ If your hair is straight, give it some wave with hot rollers; if it’s curly, blow-dry it with a big, round brush to loosen the curl some. Tease the roots at the crown. Loosely gather your hair in an elastic just below one earlobe (it’s OK if a few pieces escape), tying it close to the scalp to give added volume on top. Camouflage the elastic with a strand of hair from the ponytail and secure it with a bobby pin.

The Cheerleader ~~ The secret to this look is, again, a two-pronged strategy: First part your hair horizontally with a comb from the top of one ear to the top of the other (stick the upper portion in a clip for the moment). Tie back the bottom half tightly in an elastic just below the crown. Next, unclip the upper section and gather it into another elastic, right above the first one. Finish by wrapping a strand of hair from one of the tails around both elastics and securing with a bobby pin.

Ponytails for Medium-Length Hair

The Daily Double ~~ To get this look (which suits wavy or straight hair), first loosely pull back the top of your hair, from forehead to crown. Hold it up with one hand as you tease the underside for height. Secure the section with an elastic and wrap a strand of hair from the ponytail around the band; keep it in place with a bobby pin. Then gather all the rest of your hair into another elastic at your nape. Camouflage the bottom ponytail holder with a strand of hair, as with the top one.

The Twist(s) ~~ Prep dry hair with setting spray to ensure that the final look lasts (try John Frieda Root Awakening Strength Restoring Hair Spray). Part your hair down the middle in back, then twist the hair on each side of the part tightly toward your nape. Hold each twist in place with an elastic at the base of your neck. Hide the elastics with a strand of hair from each ponytail, securing each wrapped strand with a bobby pin (this will also help keep the twists from unfurling).

Article courtesy of Real Simple Magazine

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Spring Fashion Shows Reveal Array of Ponytail Hairstyles

Ladies, get out all your able dexterity and hair styling aptitude, cause we are going to turn it up a notch this summer doing ponytail hairstyles!!

What fun! We just keep seeing more and more creative flair with runway hairdresser’s cleverness in reinventing ponytail hair styles. The beauty of a ponytail is that everybody who has hair can create one. Even if you don’t have enough hair for a legitimate pony (not sure how much that is) you can simply add on an extension and voila! . . . Your there!

In spring fashion shows lead hairdressers came up with all sorts of translations of versatile ponytails. Check these styles out from American Salon’s May edition and feel free to make your own rendering of an old favorite, which expresses your own individuality. Anything goes . . . .

Bumble and bumble lead hairdresser, Laurent Philippon created the above sleek, ‘ribbon like ponytail hairstyle’ by pulling tight the tails into a ribbon like shape. Products used; Bumble and bumble Bb.Gel and Bumble and Bumble Does It All Styling Spray Hair Sprays .

These fabulous ‘low sleek ponytail adorned with textured waves,’ were created by Antoinette Beenders, VP global creative director for Aveda. Products used; Aveda Air Control Hair Spray , Light Elements Texturizing Crème and Aveda Pure Abundance Hair Potion

Creative consultant for Redken, Guido creates these edgy, textured high side ponytail hairstyles. Products used; Redken Forceful 23 and Hardwear 16

Bok-Hee, lead hair stylist for Redken created this ‘Betty Boop” look alike with rolled under bangs, a slick front and messy back. Products used; Redken Fabricate 03, Water Wax 03, and Workforce 09

Original publication date May 10, 2010

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Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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Ingredients to Watch for and Ingredients to Avoid in Good Hair Products

After weeks of suffering with dry, unmanageable hair. I finally took a trip to my local Target store. I didn’t think I would be able to find good hair products that would effectively moisturize my hair and wont make it greasy, since I’m very picky with certain product ingredients. Before I think about purchasing a hair product, I make sure to read the ingredient list. I usually stay away from products that include mineral and petroleum oil. Here’s why I try to avoid using these ingredients:

Mineral oil

Mineral oil is a lab created oil that clog pores, aggravate acne, trigger allergic reactions in some people, and make skin feels heavy and greasy. Mineral oil is found in lotions, soaps, baby oil, and cosmetics.

Petroleum oil

Wax that contains petroleum, which is found in petroleum jelly or Vaseline, paraffin wax and beeswax are detrimental to your. A petrolatum-ridden wax has a gooey, thick consistency, while paraffin wax and beeswax are extremely stiff and thick.

I try to stick with ingredients that include Jojoba oil, Coconut oil, and Aloe Vera gel, which are excellent for moisturizing hair. But, it’s hard for me to moisturize my hair if I don’t have a good shampoo or conditioner.

It’s quite difficult to find products that don’t include harsh ingredients, however I did come across two products called Miss Jessie’s Crème de la Crème (conditioner) and Crème de la Curl (shampoo). I’ve heard many great reviews about Miss Jessie’s products and was excited that it was sold in Target, and I couldn’t wait to test it out.

I first washed my hair three times with the shampoo and I could immediately see results after one wash. I then proceeded to wash it two more times followed by the conditioner, I left the conditioner on for 15 minutes.  I was amazed at how soft and moisturized my hair finally was. I’ve come across many shampoos but it’s nothing like these products. It also works like a clarifying shampoo because it definitely cleaned build-up on my scalp — A problem I’ve had for some time.

The company says that they are “the best darn cleansing crèmes period.” I can finally say that they are the best cleansing and moisturizing product that I’ve used.

Jasmine Burroughs is a passionate professional writer and freelancer. Burroughs has written articles for urbaneperspectivemag.com, girlsTalk.com, and Ultimate Athlete Magazine. Her personal blog is Aunaturelcafe.com and her website is JasmineBurroughs.com.

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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