How to Get the Perfect Chic Ponytail in 4 Easy Steps
Photo: Chris Eckert/Studio D
Before
Joy Sprenger isn't exactly doing her ponytail wrong. But she could be doing it a whole lot better. We asked New York City hairstylist Antonio Prieto to show this 43-year-old working mom how a little extra effort can turn the quintessential afterthought hairstyle into a chic statement (that will still stay out of her way all day).
Photo: Chris Eckert/Studio D
Step 1
For extra body, spritz a thickening spray through damp or dry hair, concentrating on the roots. (Prieto likes Ecru New York Volumizing Silk Mist, $24;
ecrunewyork.com.)
Photo: Chris Eckert/Studio D
Step 2
If your hair is straight, like Joy's, use a small-barrel curling iron to create waves all around your head in two-inch sections; twirl the sections around your hairline away from your face. (If you already have some wave in your hair—lucky you!—
skip to step 3.) Let your hair cool, then comb through the waves with your fingers to loosen them.
Photo: Chris Eckert/Studio D
Step 3
Tease your hair a bit at the crown. Lift up a three-inch section of hair just behind the top of your head, and use a fine-tooth comb to gently tease the hair on the underside of that section.
Photo: Chris Eckert/Studio D
Step 4
Brush your hair back into a ponytail, positioned between the crown of your head and the nape of your neck. (Lightly smooth over the teased section with the brush.) Secure it with an elastic that matches your haircolor. (We like the Goody Colour Collection, $4; drugstores.)
Photo: Chris Eckert/Studio D
After
The end result: A ponytail that's as functional as it is fashionable.
From the
July 2011 issue of
O, The Oprah Magazine
