I'm a French Twist Idiot!

[nmarie33]

Can anyone give me some advice here? I would love to start wearing french twists, but as easy as this style supposedly is, I always end up looking like an idiot.

I can get the back part all twisted and pinned up just fine. But by the time I'm done, the front is weirdly blobby, or I have a conehead kind of thing going on. What the hell. No matter what I do, the twisting of the hair causes the front part to bunch up in weird ways.

It would also be nice if I could manage to accomplish this style without being all slicked back - like have a little puffiness up front? But I don't know how to do this. When I do a bun I just let it be slicked back, but I'm starting to get so sick of that, I think I look like a frump.

Please help me LHC, I am such a hairstyle loser!

[MountainGypsy]

No advice, I also suffer from the same woe. I wonder if it is the curliness? I noticed that you are 3a, I am 2c/3a. I see so many pretty updo's on members here that I am sure someone will have some good advice!

PS: I am in Colorado too :waving:

[AJoifulNoise]

I've been able to do exactly two perfect french twists in my life. Out of the hundreds of times I've tried. No advice, here. But definately understanding. You aren't alone!

[lizzyjo]

I came here to say pretty much the same thing - I've done exactly one perfect french twist in my life and I had no idea how I do it because they usually turn out looking, as you said, like a conehead.

Check out this page. She has directions and troubleshooting tips for the french twist.
http://www.haarkram.e-something.de/start.html

[OhioLisa]

Cinnamon Hair has some great instructions for a french twist on her website. As far as the "slicked back" problem, you could put a little pouf in front, secured with a barrette or clip, then just style as usual.

[LeaM07]

I stink at these too, but I did manage to get it to work once using a technique Hypnotica posted about a few weeks ago.

Here's the original thread:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=8385

And her demonstration video:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=8474

This helped my blobs on top and took out some of the bulk (so it didn't look like I had a football tucked away inside).

Good luck! :flowers:

[Pinga]

I have had very few successful french twists myself, so I'll be watching this post for advice. Part of my problem is finding the right hair toy to secure it properly. Just when I think it looks okay, I put a comb or hair pins in and it self-destructs.

To get a little lift in the front, I part my hair on the opposite side of where it natually tends to part. I also found this article by Nightshade http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=87

[frizzinator]

It takes a lot of practice to consistently make a perfect french twist. I like to have several accessory options because sometimes a previously dependable hair accessory will suddenly quit working and you will need to attach the french twist in a different way. It's depressing to create a masterpiece and then not be able to secure it.


When I make a french twist without combing first, my hair looks less slicked back.

I use french twist combs, ficarre clips and forks to hold my french twist.

[nmarie33]

Thanks for the links guys, I'll have to mess around with it a bit more when I get home! Glad I'm not the only one who is baffled by this style - looks like it should be so easy!

[lora410]

Try twisting it slowly and not to tight. Also try twist from the neck area up. I miss making french twist :(

[Cg]

Boy, are you not alone! I can make a beautiful French twist, but once I "secure" it, it almost immediately slips undone. Nothing holds, nothing. Not French Twist combs, not Ficcares, not forks, not spirals, not 1000 Amish pins, not GripTuth clips....

Is it possible some people are just not destined to wear this elegant style?

[Eastbound&Down]

A lot of my friends from back home are starting to post pictures of their new super cute pixie cuts getting ready for summer and I'm getting the itch!!! HALP!! I KNOW I'll regret it immediately, but there it is anyway.

[CatsAndCoffee]

I can't do a French Twist to save my life. I love the look of them. It's usually my go-to style for formal events as my hair is perpetually "medium length" and can't do much else. Hairstylists get it done within minutes (with a lot of hairspray, but still). I just ... can't.

The only time I've ever been able to do one was when my hair was 4 days dirty with leftover hairspray and wand curls plus dry shampoo. I managed a sort of "messy look" French Twist (a bit like this:http://www.twistmepretty.com/2014/03/textured-french-twist-day-7.html). It was cute, but far from sleek and elegant. I think they're deceptively difficult.

[cathair]

I'm another person that can't make a French twist. I cannot find a place of the ends to go, it baffles me. Flipped cinabuns I can do though. They have a similar shape to them, so they fill the French twist void for me :) Perhaps worth a go if you can make the twist.

[Ingrid]

My advice would be to twist slowly and not too tightly. When it's secured, you can pull a little at the hair at the front to make it more puffed up :) When using a clip to secure it, try to get it through the bulk of the hair in the twist as well as the hair closest to your scalp.

[hobbitlocks]

I only recently managed to get a french twist to work. So about a 2/1000000 success rate :) I think it's a style that's actually easier with shorter hair, but I didn't branch out to higher quality hair toys until my hair was longer. For me, the only thing that holds a french twist is a big, sturdy french twist comb.

[Gaalsong]

The title of this thread made me laugh. I can make a french twist maybe once every 50 times I try it, and even then, it's no guarantee it'll look nice once I secure it. "What the hell" is frequently running through my head while trying to create this look. Thanks for making my day, nmarie33!

[Arctic]

I don't have problems making or securing mine, I just don't like how the top of the twist looks 99% of the time. I tend to like the "done by a hair stylist" look more than quick versions. I have also lately felt that my hair is too sparse for this style.

[akuamoonmaui]

Try twisting it slowly and not to tight. Also try twist from the neck area up. I miss making french twist :(

Ditto this.

And lots of practice.

I can't do them anymore either, hair seems to be too long and I'm in the same boat now, too. I/it just looks silly, or bad, or a fail. :rolleyes:

[Stormynights]

I hope I can explain this so it makes sense. I can't make a video but maybe this will be easy to understand. Part off the top section and leave it out, then make a loose loop at the neckline and twist the loop upward letting the length of the hair slide upward as you twist and keeping it in the fold. When you get it as high as it needs to be just tuck any left over ends inside the twist and secure the top. A fork going downward through the twist, spin or amish pins or whatever works for you. Now arrange the top so it suits you. I hope this helps.

[meteor]

I find this style extremely tough to achieve on thick or long hair... (in fact, I couldn't do it either :oops:)

I did see some pretty helpful tutorials though:
by Firefromwithin:
Double french twist base - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg1gpkwJXOo
Easy french twist - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCZ1ZxnB_vA
French twist with loop - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nyDmSNsR74

And if it's still impossible to fit all hair into a French twist, check out this way of first twisting hair with the Pha Bun-twist and then just wrapping the remaining hair around it or try to tuck it under (if it fits, of course): http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=136296

Hypnotica's Flipped Bun (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOkNd5T5m_Y) can help create a bit of that French twist feel, or Torrinpaige's Inverted Nautilus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4HV5KRxVEQ)