12.12.2010

Ornamentation

My adventures into the wonderland of dress-up and costumes always starts out so innocent... and it always ends up infinitely more involved. Such was the case last night. My mom has begun her annual holiday decorating craze. As she decked the windows in the kitchen with little glass ornaments, I picked up the pretty yellow star and told her I wanted to wear it in my hair. One thing led to another, and before I knew it she and I were conducting a full blown photo shoot. What began as a request for her to take a picture of the simple starred style rapidly progressed into various contortions of my hair, decorated with bits of holiday ornamentation I would spot around the house , and a messy slew of outfit changes. Somehow, from a sickening cloud of hairspray and abundant layers of silk satin gowns tossed haphazardly around my room, a spread of some cool photos emerged....


-S.


I used a classic red velvet Christmas bow in the first set, here. I put my goldie locks up into a loose, tousled version of a ballerina bun. The front pieces were pinned back into a chic pouf (no Snooki versions here, please...). All it took was a couple bobby pins to secure the bow right behind the bump and resting against the front of my bun, and voila! The resulting look is innocent and demure but very festive and fun. 


For this second set, I took a small faux sprig of sparkling holly and separated a small section of hair from the rest. Most of my tresses were left down and loose, then I took the separate piece and wrapped it around the holly to cover up the stem. I love it when hair accessories look fluid and blend into the hairstyle. 


For the third pick, I snagged one of my mother's ornaments. She loves birds and this one was a fun sparkly gold one. To achieve this look I separated my hair into three sectioned layers. Starting with the top layer, I twirled the section into a twisted, loose bun and pinned it. I then did the same for the remaining two layers, bring into a bun around the previous one. Nothing here is too tight or severe. Though it may take quite a few pins to make sure this up-do doesn't fall, be sure to allow a few tendrils to cascade down. If you're going to put a sparkly bird in your hair, it better look more forest nymph and less freak show. To keep the bird ornament in place, I pinned the ribbon connected to it around the edge of the bun. This allowed the bird to shift and slide a little as I moved, but ensured that it would not come loose. 


In the fourth set of photos is the star ornament. This is the little bit of delightful decor that first sparked my idea to adorn my locks with ornaments. This was one of the easier looks to accomplish. I took a small front piece and twisted tightly and pinned it back. Then I put the rest of my hair up into a normal ponytail. The ornament was strung with a ribbon that I wrapped around the base of my ponytail. Afterwards, I wrapped red and green sparkly garland around the ribbon. The wrapping creates a ponytail that stands up higher and further away from the head, suggesting a slightly more high fashion and sleek look that is still plenty sugarplum sweet.  


Thank God I didn't attempt the final look until I did. It was by far the most difficult and tedious style. I should have known it wouldn't be easy to stick an entire peacock on the back of my hair.... I began by taking the top layers of my hair and pinning them into a half-up style, with a lot of slack and softness to the top. To follow, I teased the remaining sections that were down and shellacked them with copious amounts of hairspray. I recommend opting for a working spray in an aerosol can to avoid strands that are crispy or sticky. I then pinned the feathered peacock over the pins that held up the top section of hair. I used the wires and feet if the bird as anchors for my bobby pins to make sure it was securely fastened to my hair. Afterwards, I took the portion of hair that was still down and pulled it to the side, pinning it into a swirled twist at the nape of my neck. Bobby pins will be your best friend here! I allowed a few wispy pieces to remain free from the low ponytail. I smoothed the curls with a little shine spray and my fingers so it didn't look terribly ratted and teased. Then I went to town with more hairspray, encouraging volume and super-strong hold. I also added a slightly darker lip stain to up the drama of this look. Though it wasn't a simple enough task for me to want to undergo it often, despite a mouthful of hairspray and the countless bobby pins floating in my hair, I think the outcome was bold and eclectic and definitely fun for a fancy occasion. 





The holidays are ripe with beautiful little fancies! Be pretty in poinsettias, radiant in ribbons, outstanding in ornaments. Who says you have to let the Christmas tree have all the fun? ;) 


Happy mistletoe-kissing!


-S. 

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