Hair highlights

You’ve picked your dress and decided on colours for your make-up – but what about your hair? Your Wedding gets some sound advice on simple hairstyles from Sam McKnight, global style ambassador for Pantene Pro-v

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HOW you prepare your hair depends entirely on the style you want to achieve for the big day.

If you have long, soft hair and you want to wear it up, you’ll need to prepare your hair with products that will add volume and hold.

If you have curly hair and want to show off your curls, start with a conditioning treatment then slowly add smoothing products and serums as your hair dries to define and show off the natural beauty of your curls.

If you wear your hair down all day or scraped back into a ponytail, your hair can lose its lustre. A bit of preparation in the morning will have your hair looking soft, clean and natural at the end of the day.

If you want to wear your hair down and have a natural bounce on the day:

Wash your hair the night before and apply a small amount of mousse brushed through to the ends to give lasting volume. Dry with a blow-drier to get a smooth finish.

The following morning, tip your head upside down and spray with a medium-hold hair spray, moving your hair so the hair spray penetrates below the top and bottom layers.

Throw your head back and gently gather your hair, smoothing it back into a ponytail at the nape of the neck.

Twist the hair, forming a ponytail, and gently wrap the ponytail around on to itself, twisting the hair all the time.

Secure with straight pins, not grips, as they wont dent the hair.

When you are ready, remove the pins and your hair will fall with a soft natural wave. It won’t be dented from elastic and will retain all the smoothness and shine from the morning.

For more volume, again tip your head upside down, spraying a gloss hold spray into the hair, and then throw your hair back.

WAVE HELLO

For an instant, super-quick wave, plait hair into two low braids and wear all day.

Just before you leave for the wedding, place each braid long-ways into the full depth of a straightening iron and hold for 30 seconds.

Remove the hair from the braids to reveal beautiful waves.

Ensure they last by spraying with a high-gloss hair spray.

THE ONLY WAY IS UP

If your hair’s not in great condition or needs a little work, it might to advisable to consider styling it up.

Depending on your hair type, this is one of the easiest ways to ensure maximum effect with minimum effort if you have limp or fine hair:

Try backcombing at the roots and crown to add volume.

Use a dry shampoo to soak up any excess moisture and blow off with the cool setting of a hairdrier.

Then twist the back into a loose, Bardot-esque chignon.

Hide the ends inside the body of the chignon and secure with a few pins.

Use a high-gloss hair spray to make sure it holds.

Alternatively, if your hair is wild and woolly, pull back into a glamorous ponytail, smoothing the front with a high-gloss serum which will control the hairline without looking greasy.

Tie with a snag-free elastic to avoid damaging hair.

Split the ponytail into two sections and braid each, then wrap the braids around each other to create a ballerina-style bun.

Or if you prefer to keep a bouncy ponytail, finish with straightening irons to give a more sculpted look.

By working the straightening irons around at the ends and not pulling them straight down you’ll avoid the stick-straight finish that looks less natural and less healthy.

To add an extra element of sophistication, take a small section of the ponytail and wrap it around the snag-free elastic so it’s hidden. Hold in place with a pin and lots of strong-hold hair spray.

Finish both these styles off with an antique hair accessory – a tortoiseshell clip or fan – and finish with plenty of high shine and gloss which will instantly take your style from daytime into evening.

SHORT AND SWEET

Short hair can have lots of texture and versatility so there are plenty of super-quick styles you can try to really make an impact.

Fluff it up... Use a volumising mousse as part of the styling process and then run your hand forwards and backwards and from side to side to create a crossed-over, surfer-chic style – finish with strong-hold hair spray.

Keep it sleek... Straighten your hair with straightening irons and then create a low-slung side parting. Pull hair over and smooth it down to the head with strong-hold gel or high-gloss serum.

Make it smooth... A fail-safe trick to keep short hair smooth and sleek: an hour before you leave for the wedding tie a silk scarf tightly around your head like a bandana (or you can even use a pair of tights if you’re at home) – take it off just before you leave and fluffy, frizzy hair will look instantly groomed and under control.