Tails you win

PONYTAILS: The lazy girl’s answer to everyday hairstyling or a glam option for going out-out?

We used to think the former, but then we clapped eyes on the AW17 catwalks and saw the humble hairdo in a whole new light. From polished perfection to crimped and voluminous, these ponies are anything but boring – and they’re easy to do yourself, you just need the right tools and techniques...

THE SUPER-SLEEK PONYTAIL

MIRROR shine and not a hair out of place – that was the brief at Carolina Herrera and Oscar de la Renta in New York (the city that basically invented the term ‘polished glamour’), with Eudon Choi, pictured, and Shrimps following suit in London. Louisa Day, T3 UK brand ambassador, reveals how to get the look:

1. Prepare hair with a heat protector spray, blow-dry, then straighten, focusing most attention on mid-lengths and ends.

2. Using a tail comb, create a sharp centre or side parting. Brush hair into a low ponytail at the nape of the neck, ensuring the crown is flat. Secure with a band.

3. For an extra sleek look, work a small amount of smoothing lotion into the palm of your hands then smooth down flyaways.

YOU WILL NEED: T3 Singlepass Luxe straightener £145, House of Fraser; Moroccanoil heat styling protection £19.35, FeelUnique, feelunique.com; KMS TameFrizz smoothing lotion £17.50, LookFantastic, lookfantastic.com

THE IMPERFECT PONYTAIL

STILL neat, but more relaxed, and a little bit wispy, this ponytail – as seen at Jason Wu (right) and Burberry – is the most versatile of the lot.

“Enhancing your hair’s natural texture will personalise the look, making it unique to you,” says Holli Smith, New York Fashion Week ambassador for Tresemme, as she talks us through the look:

1. Starting with freshly washed, damp hair, apply a small amount of mousse and evenly distribute throughout the hair for control and added texture.

2. Divide the hair into four equal sections and blow-dry, making sure to leave the

THE CRIMPED PONYTAIL

PARTY like it’s 1995 with this fashionably frizzy ponytail, created by Zoe Irwin, GHD brand ambassador: 1. Using a paddle brush, work hair smoothly to the back of the head, keeping in line with the jaw bone and tie with elastic. 2. Spray hairspray on your hands and smooth over the surface of your hair. 3. Take a section of hair from underneath the ponytail and wrap it around the base to cover the elastic, secure with pin. 4. Taking thin sections of your ponytail, place the crimper at the top and clamp firmly for four to six seconds. Release and clamp again immediately below, continuing down the section. Continue this step on the whole ponytail. 5. Brush through your ponytail using a paddle brush to soften the texture. 6. Lastly, spray hairspray on your fingers and tease out for added fullness.

YOU WILL NEED: GHD Contour professional crimper £95; GHD final fix hairspray £9.95 ends with their natural texture.

3. Create a middle or deep side parting that is not perfect and slightly messy, leaving out a few wisps to frame the face.

4. Brush hair back towards the nape of the neck to create a very low ponytail. Spritz with hairspray before continuing to comb hair back with fingers, minimising the appearance of perfectly brushed hair.

5. With your chin down, secure hair in a very low ponytail with an elastic. Finish by blow-drying out of the ends of the ponytail to elongate and volumise slightly.

YOU WILL NEED: Tresemme Beauty-Full volume mousse £2.69 – Superdrug; Tresemme Salon Finish freeze hold hairspray, £5.49, Superdrug