Simple moves up to head of the class
Prom hair doesn’t have to be formal
Remember when prom hair meant a sky-high updo or a crunchy coif? Well, these days, the popular styles are more down to earth — and a whole lot less crispy.
“More than ever you are seeing women ... embracing their natural hair textures,” Isabelle Faure, a veteran Toronto hairstylist who has worked with the brand göt2b, says. “Updos are very simple, and many women are simply wearing their hair down.”
Faure suggests a smooth blowout for a sleek, sophisticated look, or undone waves for a fun and unexpected departure from more formal styles.
“I just love undos,” she says of the I-woke-up-like-this styles. “One of the things I love about them is just how easy they are to do yourself — after all, they are undos, right?”
To master beachy waves at home, Faure suggests taking three or four vertical sections of hair and curling them away from the face, midway down the strands so curls aren’t too high up to the crown or too low to the bottom. Mist the cooled curls with a surf spray, and loosen the look with a bit of finger-combing and scrunching.
“It’s universally pretty, but especially nice on medium length hair,” she says.
Whether you opt for a smooth blowout or casual waves, Faure recommends always using a heat-protecting product.
Stuck on the idea of an updo? Just make sure to skip this one style.
“I think the loose updo with the big-barrel curls and swooping side bang is a little played out,” she says. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful and very flattering. It’s just a bit basic at this point.”
Instead, opt for something with texture, such as a braid crown or side-swept fishtail braid.
Looking to really let your hair do the talking at the dance? Consider turning up the colour.
“More and more girls are experimenting with pops of colour, like pastels or ombre,” she says. “When your hair already looks interesting, you don’t need to fancy it up much.”
Just don’t colour your ’do at home the day before the big dance, she cautions.
“Make sure you go to a professional, and make sure you do it a week or two before prom,” Faure says. “If you end up hating it, you’ll have time to fix it. The afternoon before a special event is never the time to try a new colour.”
Extensions, which have been made popular by celebrities and social media stars alike, are also a fun way to amp up your pre-prom styling, according to Faure. And an added beauty bonus is that most new clip-in styles can easily be done at home.
“Clip-in extensions are a fun, easy way to add drama to your hair,” she says. “Just make sure you watch a few YouTube tutorials about how best to put them in. You’d hate to lose a chunk of hair on the dance floor.”
For quick, at-the-dance touch-ups, Faure recommends packing your clutch with a few key necessities. After all, prom is the one place you’re pretty much guaranteed to be snapping a fair number of selfies, so you don’t want to be caught off guard if your hair falls flat.
“Hairspray is a truly great thing to have handy,” she says. “Also, bring some hair elastics, and bobby pins. They don’t take up any space in your purse, and can save the day if something starts to go wonky up top.”
Faure cautions against straying too far from your comfort zone.
“If there is a trend, it’s to be yourself,” she says. “Go as far as you want to go, (but) stay true to you. ”