Not to be dramatic, but I hate my hair – or rather, I hate that I don’t do anything with it, unlike the rest of my beauty routine.
When it comes to makeup, I love to play with different colours, textures, and formulas. I have no fear trying something new. After all, you can just wash it off. In comparison, my skincare routine is formulaic. At 36, I know what works and what doesn’t. But my hair? I still don’t have a clue.
In some ways I’ve never needed to bother with it. Unlike fellow Eliza columnist Penny Whittingham, I’m not blessed with a headful of gorgeous curls. My greasy mane in comparison struggles to hold a single one, and having naturally straight hair never makes the thought of running a pair of ghds through it that exciting.
So, yes, I am the kind of woman that will spend their entire allotted get ready time on their makeup and only the last 30 seconds before running out the door flicking my overgrown curtain bangs to one side (a pattern I will repeat the rest of the day until said curtain bangs begin to resemble Eastenders’ Jamie Mitchell).
Desperate to get out of this habit and become confident with hairstyling, I pitched that I would try a week of the ‘easy’ styles my TikTok FYP consistently serves me, to see if I could become a bona fide ‘hair girlie’. Here’s what happened…
Day one
I may be closer to 40 than 14, but that didn’t stop me attempting (key word here) @heynuraaa‘s ‘cute and easy’ school hairstyle.
In 30 seconds, it seemed simple: a half up, half down hairstyle with bunches that were turned into Khalessi-style plaits and secured with those clear elastics that snap at the slightest amount of stretch.
The problem for me however was my lack of perfectionism. My finished result looked a little messy because I’m just not the type of person that is going to properly section my hair before starting. Not to mention the arm ache, which meant this is a style I’ll be leaving to the generation who still have tutor periods.
Day two
I took my learnings from day one and applied them straight into action for day two. Like I mentioned, I’m not a perfectionist. In fact, I’m the kind of person who would ideally like to get on their entire makeup routine with one brush and a finger at most. So, I applied that same logic to my hair and recreated a style from my favourite, @stephhui.
Steph’s ‘tucked bangs’ were in her ‘quick and easy hairstyles’ playlist and after yesterday, I was only too happy to have a day off those mini clear torniquets.
All I did was part my hair in the middle, slick down the front sections and secure with kirby grips. When the rest of your hair is left down, you’re left with a surprisingly chic style that looks like you put in way more effort than you actually did.
Easily a look I could do every day without missing my train.
Day three
Day three was a big day, because it was the day I pulled out the Schwarzkopf Got2b Glued Blasting Freeze Spray, £5, Sephora.
I’ve seen this iconic yellow bottle in every glam scene of The Kardashians, but as a person with chronically greasy hair, products like this scare me. See, I’m not someone that can eek their hair out for a week; if I spray this and hate it, I’m essentially screwed.
Swipe and shop: My hairstyling essentials
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I went back to a @heynuraaa style for the big day – a simple half up, half down bun but way chicer and sleeker than I’d ever normally attempt. I even got out some root cover up and tried to hide the hairline my father genetically blessed me with.
With the power of the Got2b (which wasn’t near as terrifying as I expected) and a Mason and Pearson brush, the finished result was potentially my favourite of the whole week. Like ‘no makeup, makeup,’ but for hair. I felt way more put together and realised with styles like these I could even prolong my wash days.
Day four
Day four and I had the audacity to think I could go rogue with those bloody clear elastics again (this time in a brown version).
My attempts to improv were basic at best and a clear message that I’m not ready to go it alone just yet. Lesson learnt.
Day five
For my final day (a working week, people) I attempted the hairstyle I’m most scared of: the clean girl aesthetic bun.
Without a jawline to speak of, it’s a hairstyle that screams fatphobic, but with my newfound confidence and love of the Got2b, I did it and I didn’t hate it. In fact, I felt a lot cuter than when I normally plonk my hair on top of my head with a scrunchie.
I’m so glad I pitched this feature because it’s given me some much-needed renewed energy when it comes to my hair, and I am now a convert to that yellow can. I’ve just realised that my hairstyling reflects my makeup – simple, minimal effort and just a slightly better version of my original self.
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