Party Perfect Hair!

With Brad Ngata…

For up to the minute hair that takes you from office wear to evening glamour, look no further than these three great styles from Brad Ngata, Hair Expo Australian Hairdresser of the Year.

‘Cheeky, Curled Bob’

Who epitomises this look:

Keira Knightly at the Pirates of the Caribbean premiere, Christina Aguilera.

Who wears it best:

This look is ideal for collar-bone to medium length hair.

How to get the look:

Apply a palm full of Style Foam and work into damp hair, then blast with a blow-dryer until the hair is dry. Next, brush lightly with a Mason Pearson brush.

At the back, section out from ear to ear and tie with a snag free elastic into a small ponytail, keeping the hair up off the nape.

Twist the pony into a flat coil and pin it using a bobby pin – this creates a shorter feel in the back with the contrasting length in the front.

Draw a low side part and, if there is a fringe, sweep it to the side.
Use a medium size curling tong and wind the hair working towards the face...once all the hair is tonged allow to cool.

For a more natural curl, loosen the tonged curls with your fingers and allow the top layers to bounce forward.

Finish with a slight amount of wax to make the hair glisten, and use a hair spray to make the style hold.

‘The High Pony’

Who epitomises this look:

Charlize Theron, Hilary Swank, Sarah Jessica Parker. The pony was also a major hair feature at Mercedes Australian Fashion Week this year including Billion Dollar Babes, Azzollini and Natalie Wood.

Who wears it best:

Everyone loves the versatility of the pony. Whereas once it was reserved for ‘bad hair days, it has now become a quick, convenient and sophisticated style for work, or glammed up for night. It’s a style that accentuates face shape – particularly cheekbones. The difficulty is creating it perfectly!

How to get the look:

Using a Mason Pearson brush, brush your hair smoothly and put all hair into a ponytail, high at the crown.

Ideally, use a gloss silicone spray to catch all loose hairs and smooth for the perfect sleek look.
To finish the look, take a one-centimetre strand of hair from the ponytail and wrap this hair around the elastic band, then secure with a hair wire or bobby pin.

Lightly spray with hair spray.

The most important secret to the ‘perfect pony’ is the use of a gloss silicone to smooth hair immaculately.

‘The Relaxed Chignon’

Who epitomises this look:

Kate Hudson – the ultimate in relaxed glamour

Who wears it best:

Modern bohemians with a touch of glamour! This style had a number of manifestations over Mercedes Australian Fashion Week – from the Catherine Deneuve-inspired models with diamond hair clips at Fleur Wood to the edgy designer, Funkulo, who had leather thonging and beads to embellish the look.

How to get the look:

The key to this look is knowing that the hair must not be overworked and remains looking a little tousled, though the underlying glamour is still obvious.

Set the hair with hairspray and on hot rollers. When rollers are cool, brush the hair out and backcomb for texture and volume.

Pull the hair back loosely using the fingers as your brush.
Finish by simply nipping the hair in at the nape, rolling into a loose up-turned victory roll and securing with hair pins or even your favourite clip or jewellery piece, or even wrap leather binding around the hair for a more bohemian look.

For a prim look, try satin ribbon.

Ensure hold by a light spray of hairspray.