Up-Style for Short Hair
While it is true that some hairstyles are just too short for upstyling, the line that determines what is too short varies depending on the stylist asked. Even hair that reaches the chin length can be swept up into a pleasing upstyle with patience and a little imagination. Here is an example of such a hairstyle.
Petals and Blooms:
I call this style "Petals and Blooms" due to the two main features of the style itself: the petal-shaped gathers of hair along the sides and back, and the cascade of curls at the top. It's cute and fun, and vaguely reminiscent of the hairstyles of the World War II era in terms of overall shape.
Creating the Style:
This style works best with hair that is at least 5 inches long and cut in a layered style. The woman for whom it was designed had such hair, and a different length or type of cut will require adjustments to make the style work. Even if your hair doesn't meet these criteria, you may still be able to gather some ideas from the techniques shown.
Step One: The first thing we need to do is to wet the top section of the hair and roll it using small rollers or large perm rods and a styling product designed to provide strong hold. Perm rods work particularly well for this style because they give nice tight curls. Once the top section is wrapped, the curls should be dried thoroughly and allowed to cool.
Alternatively, you can choose to delay drying the curls until after you've finished working on the back and sides of the hairstyle. You can moisten the back and sides by using leave-in conditioner or a light setting lotion, and then dry the entire head. This has the benefit of "setting" the style and will help it hold up for a longer duration. It is recommended if you will be attending an event with a long duration.
Step Two: Take a small section of hair at the crown of the head, enough to create a French-style twist that will serve as a base for the rest of your style. Secure the twist with bobby pins and proceed to work with the hair on the back and sides of the head.
To create the "petals" of the style, take thin, wide slices of hair, starting from the outer edge of the twist/base. Comb the slice to smooth the hair and then gather it into a semi-point. Clip a bobby pin onto the slice, and while holding the end of the slice, flip the pin over and insert it into the base, ensuring that the ridged side of the pin faces the scalp. Use the pointed end of a tail comb to tuck the end of the slice under the "petal." Continue working in this manner around the twist/base until you have completed the first rotation.
Proceed as before, taking slices of hair from further out. Stagger the placement of the petals so that, whenever possible, you can secure them between two petals on a previous row. Repeat this process until all the hair on the back and sides has been incorporated into "petals."
Step Three: Once you have completed the back and sides (and if you chose to dry the curls after finishing the back and sides, ensuring that the curls are dry and cooled), it's time to remove the rollers. Carefully take out the rollers and separate the long "barrel" curls formed by the rollers into smaller curls using either your fingers, the pointed end of a tail comb, or a wide-toothed pick. Be cautious not to stretch the curls.
The goal here is to keep the curls tightly wound. If necessary, you can lightly mist a shine-enhancing spray to provide definition and control any frizz. Simply spray it on and gently press the curls with your fingers.
Finish the style by adding adornment if you wish. Small jeweled hairpins are recommended as the style has a great deal of detail of its own. When I initially created the style, we used a collection of hairpins with pearls attached to the ends, and placed one at the point of each petal. The result was beautiful, and as mentioned earlier, the client received countless compliments on her hairstyle.
©Hairfinder.com
See also: More special occasion hairstyles