Fancy enough for prom, and cute enough to sport at the mall! That's the class French twist, a sleek and elegant hair style that you can pull off in a flash, once you've had a little bit of practice. The modern French twist can go from a day of shopping with girlfriends, to work, to a night out on the town, with total class. Follow these step-by-step instructions by Myjellybean.com to do the twist!
Begin with clean, dry hair. If you've got naturally curly or wavy hair, you may decide to blow-dry curly or wavy hair straight for a smoother look (although a twist with texture can look adorable too - it's up to you). Work a little mousse through your hair (this makes it easier to style) and tame any flyaways with a drop of anti-frizz serum.
Gather hair back into a low ponytail at the nape of your neck. Raise the height of the ponytail a little bit if needed, in order to pull in any shorter side layers.
Begin to twist hair to the right or the left. Lift the ponytail straight up as you continue to twist the hair. A roll will begin to form against your head. Bend the fingers of your free hand around the roll as you continue to twist the tail.
Achieve a classic French twist by tucking the end of your ponytail under the roll. Simply bend the tail and use the fingers cupping the roll to hide it. For a modern twist, let the ends of your ponytail stick out freely.
Secure a classic twist with bobby pins. Moving in the direction of the twist, hook a small portion of the roll, and then a small portion of hair to the side of the roll, with the lower prong of a bobby pin. Then spin the the pin (give it a 180 degree twist) and insert it deeply into the groove made by the roll.
Fasten a modern twist using a large barrette or hair sticks. Clip the top end of your twist, including small amounts of hair from either side of the roll. You'll need a sturdy clip with a very strong grip.
Want to dress it up? For a modern twist, graze the tip of a hair stick through a 1-inch section of your roll, moving in the direction of the twist. Lift your hand, turning the stick 180 degrees, then insert it snugly through the roll. Repeat with a second stick. (Don't twist too hard or you'll stress hair!)
For a classic twist, use small hair combs or pretty barrettes for pins. Move the combs or clips in the direction of the twist, snagging a small portion of the roll just before you pass over it. Rotate your hair accessory and then push gently into the roll and hide it in the groove.
(Yes, we know... the twist takes a bit of getting used to. But with a lot of practice you'll learn to achieve this look in just a few minutes!)