Messy styles for BSL?

[Periwinkle]

Anyone have any ideas for messy ways to put up BSL hair?

I always wear my hair up because hair in my face just annoys me but I do feel like it's always a bit formal. It would be nice to have some messier styles that don't look like I got dragged backwards through a hedge!

My hair is BSL but there are bits at the front that are shorter (mostly an inch or two below my shoulders but they won't stay behind if I leave them down) and there are layers down the length. Most of them are fairly subtle but they're pretty constant (ends all over the place :mad:) and there's a bit about one or two inches from the ends of my hair where there's a huge whacking chunk taken out. All my waves are on the canopy and the underlayer is straight; there's absolutely no canopy at all on the last two inches. My hair is very thick (5.5" pony circumference).

Tools available: elastics, scrunchies, hairsticks, forks, boots fakkare (I can just about cram all my hair into it but it's a real struggle and not too stable), jaw clips (can't hold all my hair because the clips won't fit round it), barrettes, a couple of tiny claw clips (looking to get more since the ones I have are all totally different colours!).

Any ideas?

[Shanarana]

I know what you mean about looking "formal" and I don't like that everyday myself either. What about doing a braid or a ponytail? I find those a bit more playful than formal. Sometimes I just twist my hair around in the morning and throw a clip in and check it in the mirror and if it looks messy than I'll just keep it in.

[Future CCC-SLP]

Sometimes just a looser version of your normal updo can make it less formal. I find if I put my hair up, letting something around my face fall down helps soften the look. Also if I put the hair style closer to the base of my neck instead of on top of my head it makes it less formal. I'll look around and keep an eye on this thread because I'm interested too!

[spidermom]

I loved wearing the peacock twist at that length.

[prosperina]

My hair is short of similar to yours. Yesterday I took a small fork that I normally use for half ups, wadded my hair into a messy bun, then stuck the hair fork in. It wasn't that secure, but it wasn't going to fall out either. Within the next half hour or so, some of the longer strands had partially escaped and were sort of sprouting out over the top whereas some of it was still in a bun. It created a sort of peacock twist style, but better since I can't do peacocks at this length.

[Longlove]

Periwinkle.

Although I'm a 1a, my hair is your length and also layered.

I agree that pulling/loosening a few strands will make any updo look less formal and more natural. I like to call it "bedhead-ish."

I'm wearing a casual sockbun a lot recently.....

After you spread and secure the hair over the sock, loosen some pieces away from the sock just a bit. You can create as many loops of varying lengths as you want.

The peacock is always a favorite, as is just about any variety of pony. I think layers help updos look softer when leaving some ends free.

P.S. I also have a few long bangs cut-in, and they really soften the look, too. I originally got them to cover fine lines developing on my forehead... It was either that or plant crops in them!

[Katze]

I'm an expert, because I can't get any hairdo to be neat and tidy on my hair.

My favorite is the 'messy updo' - hair loosely twisted and put up in a Ficcare or claw clip. Usually, if I do this on 'dirty' hair, I tuck the ends in as my ends are bleached and look bad against greasier hair, so I like to hide them. Then I use an elastic headband to hold all the wispies, bangs, layers, baby hairs, etc as flat as possible. That might work well for you...?

The other messy hairdo that works well is one I stole from the film 'Caramel.' Basically it is a very loose braid - the ends/length braided - but the sides pulled back in a kind of half-up, incorporated around the braid. I also use (as the main character did in the film) a headband to hold the pulled back 'sideburn' hair and holding the hair in place. It looks deliberately messy and actually stays in place.

Other than that, I also like hairsticks, though they don't hold well for biking or wearing a hood - stick stuck in hair, twisted, then pulled halfway out and woven back in.

hth and feel free to PM me with specific questions!

[Teakafrog]

I do the peacock twist ALL the time at BSL. It keeps it out of the way, but you can still see the curls! I use a jaw clip (yeah, I know) or some hair sticks and pins.

[Periwinkle]

Peacock twists don't work for me :( It's difficult for me to secure them (since I can't use jaw clips/ficcares/anything like that) and the hair looks dreadful: it sticks out and falls all over the place and generally looks absolutely frightful.

[Aries_jb]

I like to make an untwisted cinnabun and then leave it "unfinished" with the ends sticking out. I can secure it with sticks, a fork, a fakkare, or some small claw clips. It's much more casual than a normal bun. Having it low near the nape adds to the casualness (casualty ?), while putting it up high makes it look more fun and flirty.