Hair style frustration: long hair styles?

[thistledown]

So I'm getting my hair cut to waist length in about a month in the hopes of managing to do more with it. Partly due to it being shorter and partly due to not being as concerned with damaging it. I love hair styles like the ones on hair romance (http://www.hairromance.com/) and Lilith Moon (http://www.lilithmoon.com/), of course I realise that having shorter hair isn't instantly going to make it easier and I'm going to have to practice lots-with that in mind I've invested in a cheap hairdresser head to practice on, I'm hoping to get a feel to go with a visual, which will hopefully make doing it on myself easier?? What do you guys think? Any other tips? Good hair friendly clips/pins/products? Gels etc? I'm completely new to this stuff, I can plait my hair, leave it out or make a seriously wonky pony tail. That's it. I can also do a very rough dutch braid on someone else but I have no willing models at the moment......hence the hairdresser head! ;) I'm hoping to get to a point where I have about 6 goto hair styles I can do quickly in the morning, things like these (http://www.hairromance.com/2013/08/whats-the-difference-between-a-french-braid-and-a-dutch-braid.html), and maybe a few more complicated ones for going out/special events, like these (http://www.hairromance.com/2013/04/waterfall-plait-hairstyle-tutorial.html, http://www.hairromance.com/2011/02/french-roll-twist-and-pin-how-to.html), how long did it take you to master a few different styles to the point of doing them quickly each morning? How long until you could reliably braid neatly? I'm hoping I can get there eventually! Until then I'll just drool over everyone elses cool hair :))
Vanessa

[Leeloo]

I think buns are more protective and quicker to do than anything else. They can look casual or dressed up depending on which one you’re going for. But it’s easier to make buns with longer then waist hair with fairytale ends (usually).

[BlondeWavyGal]

I know if I had WL hair I would use simple game of thrones inspired styles. Easy, elegant and fun.
Link: http://flyhigh-by-learnonline.blogspot.co.nz/2013/07/hair-style-of-ladies-of-game-of-thrones.html

[vindo]

To me it seems that GoT hairstyles would work for most lengths?

I recently trimmed my hair back to hip length and it is a lot harder for me to do certain hairstyles now. In my experience it is always easier doing styles with longer rather than shorter hair.

I do wear a lot of fashionable braided styles and updos like the ones you linked to and they worked for me when my hair was much longer too :)

[Sharysa]

Yep, the Game of Thrones styles are famously awesome for the longhairs. Right now I'm about to do Dany's half-up double-braids.

[thistledown]

I'm not a bun girl at all I'm afraid, I can twist it up in a ficcare but thats it for buns LOL I much prefer braids :) I'm sure it's just me having trouble with the length-but I do feel guilty when it's long yanking and pulling at it to get it right, and then doing it over and over again. I'm hoping I'll feel less guilty about it when its a bit shorter! Maybe I'll just never master it *sigh*
Vanessa

[thistledown]

Those game of thrones hair styles are lovely, I wish I could do that :(
Vanessa

[thistledown]

Heres another cute one for ladies who can braid: http://sevenclowncircus.com/2013/08/dutch-flower-braid-how-to.html

Vanessa

[Lunnafindel]

Oh no, Thistledown, don't cut your hair just to be able to style it!!! Haven't you seen arc691's (http://691superlonghair.blogspot.com/) styles? She was inspired by Lillithmoon's hairstyles and she does all of them on ankle-length hair. The one you just posted I've done on my knee-length hair multiple times:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7106/7066346577_56035128c2.jpg

You can do more with long hair, not less. It's a matter of learning to braid well and exploring the possibilities.
If you have other reasons to cut your hair, that's totally fine, I respect that, some people like shorter hair (although it makes me sad - your hair is so pretty). But if it's just to be able to do more hairstyles, don't cut it! Learn to braid, and french braid, and herringbone and twist and waterfall... it'll make life endlessly more interesting without having to lose all that beautiful length :)

Unrelated to cutting it, I suggest learning to french/dutch braid by doing pigtails - it's a lot easier to learn on the side of your head rather than the back and once you get the hang of it, it's easy to transfer to the back.

[thistledown]

Lunafindel, Thanks for the kind comments :) And thank you very much for that link, I hadn't seen it before and it's great! I'm not just cutting my hair for that reason, and indeed I'm going from BCL to Waist so only a year maybe a year and half at the outside to grow it back, I'm mainly cutting because I've never had waist length hair in my adult life and I'd like to see what it's like. Lately I've also been feeling like I am my hair and I want to break away from that a bit.......I'll grow it back though! And in the mean time hopefully I'll master braiding :)) Thanks for the side braiding tip, I'll be sure to give it a go!
Vanessa

[thistledown]

Oh I just found this channel on youtube, this one is so pretty and doesn't look too hard (on someone else anyhow! LOL): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1ZpwvIsyXo
Also saw these: http://www.curlformers.com/styling-kit-spiral-curls.htm they look like they might work even in my hair :)
Vanessa

[Panth]

I see where you're coming from - learning to plait (never mind french/dutch/lace/etc. plaits) is harder with very long hair, IMO. It's the reverse-braiding you get at the bottom - the longer the hair is, the less likely it is that it'll just slip out and so you have to keep stopping to fingercomb it out and that causes more arm-ache and wonky plaits. It's why I can't do anything more complicated than an English or a rope braid on my hair (and then, it's always from the nape).

I'd recommend practicing on wet or heavily oiled hair. Then you have less fluff and tangles, I find. Otherwise, I suspect it's just a *lot* of practice.

[thistledown]

I can do an english braid (the one that has 3 strands and hangs loose, I call it a plait not a braid-caused some confusion for me!) and I can do a very wonky cross between a french and dutch braid, but its a pretty big mess and I couldn't wear it in public LOL
Vanessa

[thistledown]

Update: I have done a fishbone plait! Not a french one but that's next, using these instructions: http://www.makeupgeek.com/tutorials/hair-tutorials/fishtail-braid-step-by-step-tutorial/
It's easy to follow, hopefully I can do it! One day........
Vanessa

[jacqueline101]

I agree you have to practice to achieve the ability to style long hair. It can be done.