Let’s face it; a bow can finish off the perfect look – whether it is on a gift-wrapped present, or even in your hair! Here’s how to make hair bows that will make you stand out.
Naturally, when you first think about a hair bow, you think about placing a ready-made material bow in your hair, with their variety of colors and patterns, rather than styling your own hair into one. But it’s not as tricky as it first sounds, and after just a couple of attempts, you can master a versatile hair style that is great for all occasions.
Prepare the hair
Before giving this style a try, prep your hair. Make sure that it is not freshly washed (a day old hair works better as there are less fly away hairs and static production). Ensure that the hair is in good condition – if you have split ends, these may be obvious when falling from the bow.
The style does not have to be done on only long and straight hair, but works great on wavy locks as well, and mid-length (anything shorter than shoulder length hair can get a bit trickier but is not impossible). It is also great for fine or thicker hair types, making it a versatile choice of style.
Prepare the work area
Make sure that you have everything you need on hand before you start styling and grab a friend for some help on your first attempt – and in case your arms get tired being held up for too long! The good news is that you don’t require much equipment to get this look. What you will need is: a hair elastic, several hair pins/grips, hair spray and a mirror.
The steps
First of all, gather your hair into a high ponytail. This can be as messy or formal as you want the end result to look. If you are searching for a hippy, laid back look, then scrape the hair up with your fingers and leave a section loose around your face. However, if you want a formal hair style for a special occasion or wedding, use a smoothing brush to sweep the hair up and spritz with spray to avoid any strands falling out of the ponytail.
Wherever you place the ponytail is where the bow will end up – so ensure that it is as high or low as you need and central (this is where a friend or your mirror will be useful). Tie the hair into the hair band but do not pull it all the way through and out – instead loop it over itself when there is about 10cm of hair left before it pulls all of the hair through. This should create a loose bun type appearance.
Grab the bun and spread the hair out evenly to create a bigger surface area to work with.
Pull/separate into two equal halves by splitting the hair you have spread out and create two loops. These will be both sides of the bow. The look will now start to take shape. To create the middle ‘knot’ effect, wrap the loose hair around the center of the two loops and secure the whole look with lots of hair grips and spray. It is as easy as that!
The tricky part comes with ensuring that the two sides are even, and when experimenting, your arms can get a little tired. But do not lose patience, with just a few attempts, and once you see it take shape, the results are fantastic.
Vary it
The above style is the classic bow, which is all of the hair up and into one big bow. This style keeps the hair away from your neck and looking neat. However, there are so many variations to play around with when it comes to this funky and flirty hairstyle. For example, why not use just the upper half of the hair for the bow – just tie the bow with the top section of hair and leave the rest loose.
Another great look is to curl loose hair underneath the bow into very tight curls using curling tongs and creating the effect of a ribbon. The great thing about this style is its simplicity – you don’t need to add any pretty clips or flowers, as the style is pretty enough on its own – with limited equipment needed.
Secure
Many people choose this look for an event such as a ball, dinner or wedding. In these cases, the style will need ‘staying power’ so ensure that you spritz with a lot of hair spray (but for a natural look, make sure that it is a light spray) and keep spare grips in your handbag in case of any stray hairs that need pinning back.
So there we have it, it really is as simple and effective as it sounds. Why not give yourself a makeover – wrapped and topped off with a bow?
Have you tried this style yet? What are the difficulties and challenges when creating this look? Why and how does it look so effortlessly fab? We would love to hear your personal experiences and any tips you can share!
Add Comment