DREAM GIRL Hair Extensions

Sometimes you just fancy a change. When you have long hair – whether you wear hair extensions or not – you can feel like you’re in a bit of a hair rut.

That’s when you need to update your look. It can be an easy way to nod to a current trend without changing your style too much. Or it can just be a simple addition that makes you feel like your refreshing and changing your hairstyle just a touch.

Here are five ways suggested by Dream Girl to easily refresh and update your look.

1. Add a twist

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Up-dos are particularly popular in summer because they keep us cool. Update your up-do by adding a twist. It’s on trend and it gives a trendy vintage element to the look. If you’re wearing your hair in a bun then begin by combing into a side parting. At the thicker side, twist hair from the roots and keep going with hair behind the ear. Pin in place to secure. Then twist hair into a bun.

A twist can be worn on its own as a half up-do as well.

It’s a simple way of adding texture and bringing your look bang up to date.

2. Switch side to side

Is your hair neat and wavy? It’s great having hair that’s thick and has plenty of texture – whether it’s all your or you wear hair extensions. Update the look simply by just changing your parting. Side partings or on trend this season. You can style with a fringe or with a feathered look that shapes hair around your face.

3. Add a band

A plait, whether a braid or fishtail is a classic and stylish look. This season the fishtail braid is really popular. It looks great with long hair and all you have to do is sling it over your shoulder and you’ve got a look straight from the catwalk. But if you’ve been wearing this style for a while and want to refresh it all you need to do is add a hairband. You might not have worn one since school but this isn’t the padded affair you might remember from the 80s and 90s. You can just use a ribbon and tie it around your head. It looks pretty and feminine, a great addition to an outfit if you’re out for the night.

4. Slick it back

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The wet look has been in for a few years and it’s one that people often think only works with short hair. Not so. If your hair is long and you’re wondering what to do with it then slick it back. Add serum and comb into your hair. Style with a side parting and then either tie into an up-do or in a simple pony tail. It’ll be high impact and oozes style.

5. Backcomb!

Curly hair is great. Dream Girl has a range of hair extensions designed especially for curly hair, whether it’s deep curls or waves (and everything in between). If you want to refresh your look then try a little backcombing. It’ll create an eye-catching style that has the wow factor. Part and style as normal. Then just add a comb. Start at the roots and comb from tip to root. Scrunch and add spray to fix.

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Every summer we call it something different. It’s sometimes beach hair, California style, surfer hair or just a “relaxed” style. But it all means the same thing. It’s wavy hair and it’s always a favourite summer look.

The reason is that it looks like you haven’t made a huge amount of effort. It’s fairly low maintenance which always suits summer beauty as no one wants to look to done when the mercury starts to rise. It’s also great for those with naturally wavy hair as with a little nudge they can tweak and get an awesome hairstyle without relying on their usual routine of straightening and blow drying which can dry out and damage their hair.

If you’ve just invested in some Dream Girl Hair Extensions you want to keep them looking healthy for as long as possible. If you also want to try a wavy style then you want an option that doesn’t use heat. Heat weakens hair, it can cause split ends and that makes your hair extensions look old before their time.

So here are Dream Girl’s tips for getting a wavy look without relying on heat.

Keep it a part

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Start either with a deep side parting or a middle parting. Both are perfect for long wavy styles. To give hair a little kink then you need to try out the finger wave. You’ll need grips and hairspray – and your fingers, obviously. Once you’re wearing your hair extensions (this works for Clip On Hair Extensions as well) separate hair into one inch sections. Start at the root and wrap hair around your finger. Pull your finger out as you reach the tip of the hair and pin. Once all the hair is pinned use a little spray and then leave for a minimum half an hour.Undo and comb with your fingers. Scrunch and spray and you’re ready to go.

Vintage upgrade

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Waves can inspire a vintage look. It’s a great way of getting longer hair to nod to waves, while also keeping hair out of your face. If you want a style like Amy Adams then start by splitting hair into three sections. You want a side parting for this so keep that in mind as your dive hair into sections. Take the section on the left and that I the middle and gather into a side pony tail. With the final third on the right hand side create finger curls, pin, spray and leave.

With the rest of the hair coil and turn into a messy side bun. Pin in place.

Unpin the finger curls and comb with your fingers. Spray and you’re set.

This is a slightly more glamorous style for a summer night out.

Day to night

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If you want to have wavy hair for a night out then start preparing in the morning. Wash hair as normal but leave it slightly damp. Start at one ear and twist across the nape of the neck, tucking hair in as you go. Secure and pin. Spray hair and wear it in this style all day. Unpin in the evening and not only will it be dry it will have a great wave to it.

Work with the hair you’re born with

If you’ve got naturally wavy or curly hair you can wear hair extensions from Dream Girl’s Waves and Curls range to boost length and volume. Use a moisturising cream or serum to reduce frizz and to keep hair looking shiny and healthy.

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Wear them up, wear them loose, wear them smart; there’s nothing quite as versatile as a bun.

All along the red carpet at Cannes 2013 the bun was on display. Some wore them braided, others went for a backcombed beehive style.

A bun is popular because it’s easy to work a look that’s sleek and stylish or slightly messy and textured. You can keep on trend by adding elements of new season ideas – like the plaits – or keep it classic.

If you’ve short or mid-length hair, of course you might think a bun is out of reach. In fact it’s each to achieve. All you need is a Dream Girl Pony Extension. Choose the style and the colour and away you go.

Here’s three styles you can recreate, hot off the Cannes red carpet.

Nicole Kidman – braided bun

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Nicole Kidman, who was on the Cannes jury, kind of stole the show with her stunning up-dos.

They’re intricate and they’re not for the faint-hearted.

To go for the harder way of doing it you need to clip the pony extension lower at the nape of your neck. Don’t worry about tying your natural hair in a ponytail underneath it, you’ll weave your hair around it, helping it to blend in.

Start the braid by taking a one inch section of hair just above the left ear. Start plaiting and feed it into the pony extension. Clip to secure it in place. Do the same again with an inch section in the middle of the head and plait into the pony extension. Then to the same from the right. Then behind the ear. You should have four pinned plaits feeding into the pony extension and hair that looks slightly messy. Feed all those strands in and begin plaiting the extension (or your own hair if it’s long enough) until you reach the end. Twist into a bun, plaiting in any loose strands as you go.

If that sounds too hard clip the pony extension over your own hair. Plait and then twist into a bun. Pull out a few strands.

Aishwarya Rai – Chignon

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Aishwarya is one of the most stylish and glamorous women in the world. She never fails to disappoint on the red carpet.

This chignon is worn higher on the head but makes a real impact.

If you’re using a ponytail extension then you need to clip it over your natural hair. Begin at the nape of the neck, twisting and turning your hair into a chignon. Once you get to the crown pin in place. Clip the extension over this section. Twist the ponytail around and secure with grips. Add a little spray and you’re ready to go.

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Barbara Pulvin – Wet look chignon

One for the slightly edgy and the fearless.

Create a wet look with gel. You want to create a twist, so don’t pin down your natural hair, simply clip the extension to the nape of your neck. Gather all your hair towards the extension and start twisting. You want the finish to be quite tight. As you twist hair you want it to smooth at the side, which creates this flat finish. Keep twisting and secure with grips as you go. Clip back your fringe if you have one and back comb slightly for a little lift. Spray to secure.

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You might wear hair extensions. You might be thinking of wearing a wig, or investing in easy to use clip-in extensions to add length and volume to your natural style.

Whatever you’re looking for, the chances are that if you’re looking at Dream Girl then your hair is something you care about.

When we’re young, we often think we can do whatever we want to our hair and it doesn’t matter. After all, it grows back, right?

Not necessarily. Dermatologists warn about the importance of caring for your hair throughout your life.

So here is Dream Girl’s guide, whatever your age, for looking after your hair.

Teens and 20s

This is when your hair is at its healthiest. It’s also when you’re most likely to take it for granted! Your hair mirrors your general health so if you try faddy diets, if you don’t have a balanced diet or drink plenty of water then it will show in your hair. For that radiant and healthy glow you need plenty of protein.

There are tips you can learn as early as possible to promote good hair for life.

• Don’t use too much heat as it will damage your hair, stretching and weakening follicles.
• When you wash hair make sure you wash the scalp as well. Sounds obviously but serum – what we see as greasy hair – gets on the scalp as well. To keep follicles as healthy as possible you need to wash and rinse the scalp when you wash your hair.
• Use sunscreen on your hair as well as your skin! It can get damaged as well.

In your 30s

There’s too major factors that can impact on a woman’s hair in their thirties. Pregnancy can cause you to have luxurious and thicker hair because of the increase of oestrogen in the body. However once you have the baby your hair can become finer and wispier.

Secondly you can get more stressed. You’re busy and you’re probably juggling a lot more things than you were in your twenties. Regular hair treatments are important to maintain all the nutrients and vitamins you need to keep hair glossy. Go for regular trims to remove split ends and worn tips.

In your 40s

You might have a little grey and want to colour your hair. This can cause damage depending on the chemicals and treatments you’re adding to your hair.

If you colour your hair then you need to opt for gentler products. Dye strips hair of key vitamins along with its natural layer of protection. You want a shampoo that cleans hair and a conditioner that suits colour-treated locks.

When hair is damaged it’s easier for it to split. You want to smooth the cuticles and mend split ends. Look for products with silicone in them.

In your 50 and beyond

Your hair grows slower as you get older and strands of hair themselves get thinner. Finer hair needs less treatment time if you’re colouring and styling.

It’s important when you’re older to spend more time replenishing hair with nutrients. You want hair to appear thicker so even if you’ve never worn hair pieces or hair extensions before you might want to add them just to give hair a little oomph.

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There’s this little film coming out this weekend. You’ve probably not heard of it.

What are we saying? Of course you’ve heard of The Great Gatsby! The best-selling book is set to be this year’s most luscious film. Baz Luhrmann brings his luxurious style to classic twenties fashion.

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Dream Girl loves a little twenties twist. Flapper fashion, chic chignons, bold lips and groomed brows. If you see Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan on the big screen this weekend and you want to recreate the style then bookmark this page because we’re going to tell you exactly how to do it.

How about the chic chignon? An iconic twenties style it’s practical and stylish working from day to night. It’s a little fiddly so we’ve kept these instructions as clear and simple as possible. You’ll need a little wave to your hair (which we’ll create without heat!) and hair needs to be mid-length to long. If your hair needs added length then try Clip-on hair extensions. You can even get ones with a wave  to make this style easier. You can choose hair extensions to match your natural hair colour using Dream Girl’s Colour Comparator so they blend in seamlessly. If your hair is a little longer, but you need a boost then use a pony-tail extension to create the chignon at the nape of the neck.

If you’re using hair extensions fit them now and ensure the clips are covered. Create a side parting. It needs to be a deep one so start the comb over one eye and make the marking there. To create waves without using heat you need to learn how to fashion a pin curl. Divide the hair into two sections, one at the top half of the head, the second at the bottom. Gather the bottom half into a low pony-tail at the nape of the neck.

At the top half. Start from the front and divide hair into one inch sections. Curl the sections around the finger and pin in place. The end of the curls should be against the scalp with the roots pointing upwards, increasing volume. Spray lightly to fix.

The hair in the ponytail will also need a wave so once you’ve finished those pin curls repeat with the hair in the pony, or the extension depending on what you’ve chosen. Leave hair pinned for at least half an hour to train the hair.

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When the time is up, unpin the curls on the top of your head letting the waves fall around your face. You’ll see there’s a curve to the wave. You want to accentuate and encourage this wave, basically by extending the S shape, in the same way Taylor Swift has in this hairstyle. To do this we do what’s called a finger curl. At the deepest S of the wave pull it slightly to accentuate and secure with a pin flat against the scalp.

Meanwhile, undo the curls in the ponytail and backcomb slightly for added volume. Twist the ends together to create the chignon and pin underneath. Once you remove the pins from the finger curls you’ll have accentuated waves at the side of the head and gentle curls turning into the chignon. You can style the waved do without the chignon and still nod to the flapper fashion.

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Spray to keep in place and adorn with a jewelled clip.

For makeup the twenties look is bold features. Make sure brows are well groomed and use a brow pencil to colour in any gaps. You want a rosy, healthy glow so add rouge from the apple of the cheek up to the cheek bone. You don’t want bronzer, the twenties style is for a paler skin. Lips should be bold and eyes smoky. Don’t use gloss but a lip liner and lipstick.

And there you have it, you’re ready to step back into the Roaring Twenties, this year’s hottest trend!

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Who say the pictures from the Met Ball and thought “I’d love to try that hairstyle?”

OK, so perhaps not everyone wants to try Miley Cyrus’ platinum cropped and spiky do, but we often wish we could be a bit braver with our hair choices.

The theme of the Met Ball 2013 was PUNK: Chaos to Couture.

Punk’s a style of extremes. But fashion can be all about that as well. It can be about being theatrical, about dressing up and, yes, “rocking a look”.

The good thing is you don’t have to get the buzz cutters out to try out the same styles and make the same impact. You can recreate some of the stars’ styles on the red carpet by using Dream Girl products that are all about making a statement, but don’t require you to cut your own hair. 

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Katy Perry

Katy Perry’s look is pure punk: High on glam and impact.

What you need for this is thick locks. Use Clip On Hair Extensions to add a little extra length and volume. Match the colour to your own using Dream Girl’s Colour Comparator.

To achieve the frizzy look at the bottom of the hair you need to add a little kink. The safest way to do this without using heat is to invest in some crocodile clips. Simply twist the hair in inch segments and clip in place. Add a little spray and leave the hair in clips for as long as you can before un-doing. To frizz, comb through the resulting curls and then back comb slightly. Add spray in place.

Now, you can go full Katy Perry and add a tiara. Or you can tone it down and use a jeweled Alice Band. 

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Anne Hathaway

Anne’s cropped do is pretty fearless. If you don’t want to cut off your locks why not opt for a wig?

Opt for a 100% human hair wig from Dream Girl’s Chic Collection. Go for blonde with short hair. To achieve the desired style – Anne’s is shorted on the sides, longer on the top to achieve a quiff – visit your stylist. If you want to copy a star’s style then always bring a picture with you to your stylist. Fit the wig and then they can style the hair to match.

Once it’s trimmed, you need to backcomb at the roots at the front of the head to add lift. Let hair fall to the side for a loose quiff.

Match with smoky eyes. 

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Gwen Stefani

Gwen has long embodied the punk spirit. Her hair is platinum but this would work with any colour hair. The fringe is achieved by marking a deep side parting. Smooth hair using a serum. Gwen has a top knot here but you might prefer to go for a long pony tail. A pony extension clips over your own hair and achieves the same look. Simply choose a shade using Dream Girl’s Colour Guide and pick a length. 

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There are a lot of weird and wonderful celebrity events.

They give us a glimpse into trends and styles that we all know we’ll be giving a try.

At this week’s White House Correspondence Dinner, American celebs took to the red carpet and unveiled a new trend that’s a nod to a much older one.

It looks like the seventies are back in town!

If you’re too young to remember the decade that brought us Charlie’s Angels then worry not. Think big hair. Big, big hair.

OK, this isn’t great for those with short fine hair but as ever Dream Girl is here with some cunning ideas for how you can replicate the look yourself.

Use hair extensions to add length, a hairpiece to thicken and add volume at the crown or even a wig to add instant length. Explore Dream Girl’s online store to find out more  Use our Colour Comparator to match the right product to your natural hair colour and off you go.

Here are our favourite looks from the night, and the trend.

Sofia Vergara

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Styled with loose, outward, romantic waves, Sofia’s hair is a recreation of Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu’s stunning hairstyles from their movie adaptation of Charlie’s Angels back in 2000. In this case, Sofia’s brunette hair and soft highlights sets her apart from the “Angels” and keeps her look fresh and modern.

Rebel Wilson

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Rebel Wilson may have taken a tumble during The White House Correspondence Dinner, but she looked fabulous in the process!

Representing Brits everywhere, Rebel went for a much softer look with large curls. Rebel made do with her full fringe and kept it relevant by sweeping it to either side, framing her face. If you want to try a fringe but don’t want to commit go for a Velma Fringe.

Hayden Panetierre

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Hayden Panetierre sets herself apart from the other ladies with not only her stunning yellow gown, but also her boho inspired braid. Boho is still a seventies trend, ideal if you don’t want hair to go too big. Her brunette hair combined with her blonde highlights gives the impression of sunshine and her braid ties her outfit together to create a look that dazzles without blinding.

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This week we decided an experiment was in order.

There are some who might never want to wear hair extensions or a wig, but they do fancy giving their hair a little lift.

Not all of us are born with luscious and thick locks. Some of us have fine hair that frizzes at the slightest hint of a gust of wind. We don’t want a permanent change but there are days when we want hair that’s slightly thicker and just has a bit more oomph.

This is where hair pieces come in.

You may think a hair piece is only worn by a man of a certain age. Think again. More and more, women are turning to them to give them a little bit more confidence and a spring in their step.

It might not just be because your hair is fine, it might be thinning, you might want to cover a patch of finer or skin. A hairpiece is an ideal solution.

With Dream Girl you can choose between a hairpiece made of synthetic or human hair. Once you’ve made your choice choose the right colour so the hairpiece can blend seamlessly into your own hair. You can also pick different lengths, depending on whether you have medium length or long hair.

So how do you wear it? This week we felt like we needed a little lift. The sun was shining and we wanted glossy hair to match. The hairpiece we picked clips just over the crown and then towards the back of the head. This means that it adds volume at the crown, making hair appear thicker, and then tumbles down the back of your mane.

Waves make it easier to blend extensions in with your own hair, creating a natural look. Not being blessed with natural waves we simulated them by twisting inch sections of hair and then securing with a clip. A little spray and we left hair for about twenty minutes to create the desired kink.

What did we end up with? A thick wavy mane that added real oomph to our usual style. The hairpiece was secure and fitted comfortable. By clipping it underneath our natural hair at the crown the clips were easy to cover and blend in. The colour was a great match and we had the hair we always wanted.

At Dream Girl we’re firm believers in loving everything about yourself, from top to toe. Yet, there’s no point wishing for thicker hair and then not doing anything about it. A hairpiece is an easy way to add lift and volume if you don’t want the permanence of hair extensions.

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At this time of year we like to have a spring clean.

It comes from a long tradition where we cast off the shackles from winter, see the muck and mess we’ve left since Christmas and have a good tidy up.

It feels like the right time to do it as well. It’s getting warmer (finally), it’s light when we get out of bed and when we get home.  We can shrug off our styles that are designed purely for warmth and start having fun again.

In fact it’s a sensibility that has become so engrained we start bringing it into every bit of our lives. We don’t just deep clean the living room; we do the same with our skin. Out with the old, in with the new.

So if you’re going to spring clean your hair and beauty here are Dream Girl’s top five tips

1. Throw away your old makeup

Foundation, eye shadow, powder; you might hope it lasts forever but it doesn’t. Along with makeup brushes you should be replacing your makeup around once a year. Don’t and you could risk getting bacteria into your skin, causing spots and other skin complaints. Wash brushes regularly by soaking them in hot soapy water to remove any grime. If you need to stock up explore Dream Girl’s range of cosmetics

2. Give your hair brushes a bath

How can you expect to keep your hair clean if you brush it with a dirty brush. Loose ends, dust and dirt; it all gets onto our hair brushes and that’s why they need a regular wash. Trim away any loose strands of hair on your brush with a pair of scissors. Then soak in a tub of hot soap water. Wash with a nail brush and then allow to dry

3. Check all your accessories

It’s important to make sure everything you use with your hair extensions gets a once over regularly. We’d always recommend talking to a salon if you’re thinking about hair extensions but if you don’t do you need more glue and thread? How is your brush holding up? A good workman is only as good as his tools and for your locks to be luscious the whole year round to have to make sure everything is in good condition

4. Trim your hair

Your hair needs a regular trim to keep it looking healthy and shiny. Whether you use hair extensions or not, the daily way we style our hair, tie it up, brush it and rub it damages its delicate follicles and ends. We can minimise the damage we do but hair still gets stretched and can split. The only way to get rid of split ends is to trim them away

5. Treat your hair to a condition

A deep conditioning treatment will help restore the loss of nutrients and vitamins your hair has lost. Hair can get dry and even if we’re using the right products to keep hair extensions looking glossy and shiny, everyone needs a little TLC from time to time. A deep treatment will give back to your hair what you’ve lost.

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The prom is a rite of passage. There might be some who say it’s an American tradition and not one UK students should worry about. But it’s here and it’s here to stay.

Getting ready for the prom is important. You want to get a dress you feel comfortable in and you want your hair to look right. It’s about expressing yourself and wanting to look your best.

Dream Girl can’t help with the dress but we can with the hair.

Whether you want to wear your hair half-up, down, make it wavy or poker straight we’d suggest one ingredient you might need is clip-on hair extensions. Longer and fuller hair makes locks more manageable and creates a more eye-catching and special look. They’re easy to use and help create that wow-factor.

You can either fit your clip-on extensions at home, or pop into a salon and ask them to do it. Salons and stylists will be on hand to help to recreate special prom hairstyles so it might be easier to do it all in one trip.

To choose hair extensions the first thing you need to do is look at Dream Girl’s Colour Comparator and Colour Guide. You need to decide what shade to go for. Obviously, you could opt for something like one of our Fancies that’s a bright colour to catch the eye. More likely, though, you’re looking to enhance your own hair so pick a shade that’s as close to your own natural hair colour as possible.

The next step is to choose how long you want your hair extensions to be. You can choose either 14”, 16” or 18”.

Once your hair extensions arrive you’ll find they are easy to fit yourself, if you want to do it in your own bedroom. The clips are different widths to fit securely and offer added coverage at different parts of your head. Start at the nape of the neck and work up to the crown. Then fit the smaller extensions at the side of the head. Our clip-on extensions are designed to cover the clips naturally but just arrange to make sure not of the clips are visible.

Then you need to choose your style. You can opt for an up-do or a looser natural wavy finish. Perhaps a long braid or a half-up do. You might want something classic, or something slightly funkier – it depends what your personal style is.

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For a classic look, how about a half-up do with waves? Like this Carrie Underwood style. Either choose clip-on extensions with a natural wave, or create a kink by twisting hair extensions and then clipping up to create a wave without using heat. After a few hours uncurl and then take hair your hair to tie up. If you have a fringe you might want to sweep to the side. Backcomb hair at the crown to add lift then pin hair in place.

For something a little funkier what about a braid, straight off the catwalk. We wrote about spring plaits in last week’s blog. A fishtail braid is on trend and will add an intricate and special twist on a classic look. This Blake Lively style is ideal, and the accessories finish the look perfectly.

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Your prom night is a special night. You want to look your best but it’s all about expressing yourself and your style.

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