Lazy, Yet Pretty: Shopaholic Hairstyles
Updated: Mar 16, 2023
Shopaholics, I remember the day I became obsessed with the real life Barbie Doll from The Upper East Side of NYC, Serena van der Woodsen. She was a girl who had blonde locks that seemed to go on forever and in high school, I was committed to looking exactly like her. So I did what any wannabe Barbie Doll would do and began to master the hairstyles that she had made look effortless. As I recall this time period now, many years later, I realise that a hair and makeup crew would've worked on Serena's hair for hours to present viewers with the final look. But luckily, you have an insider who learnt to re-create the prettiest hairstyles in the laziest ways before being privy to such news.
HAIR, HAIR TIE PONYTAIL
Perhaps Serena's most iconic hairstyle to date was the hair, hair tie ponytail. It's so lazy that I don't need to lazy-fy it for you, Dolls. After putting your hair in a ponytail, all you do is take a thin section of hair, wrap it around the hair tie and pin it with a bobby pin to create the illusion of your own hair acting as a hair tie. This is personally my favourite look for aesthetic and practical reasons and it's a look I wore most days in high school just like Serena did!
STEP 1 - PONYTAIL
STEP 2- WRAP A THIN SECTION OF HAIR AROUND THE HAIR TIE & BOBBY
FINAL PRODUCT
CLAW CLIP PONYTAIL
This hairstyle is incredibly elegant and requires little effort. I could never understand how to use all of the fancy hair tools in the pharmacy so instead, I used the only tool that didn't look too daunting as a means of recreating Serena's looks- the claw clip. It's an incredibly versatile tool but the laziest use of it, in my opinion, is the claw clip ponytail.
STEP 1: LOW PONY
STEP 2: TWIST HAIR & CLAW
FINAL PRODUCT
P.S This hair look is perfect for a night out as it keeps all of the hair off your neck and face whilst maintaining a fun & pretty going-out look.
UPPER BUN
One of the girls in my class at primary school always wore her hair in a flawless bun. I would stare at the perfect ball in awe considering whenever I'd tried a bun, it looked nothing short of messy. With time, I learnt that the way to make a bun look neat was to first straighten my hair so that no curly strands stuck out and to position it above mid-hight but below top-of-the-head height. It looked the most professional in that position.
STEP 1: MID-HIGH PONYTAIL
STEP 2: SECOND ELASTIC
FINAL PRODUCT
STRAIGHT HAIR
Most of Serena's hairstyles in Gossip Girl were styled with her wavy-to-curly hair. Therefore, when it was straightened, her beauty became exceedingly noticeable. Each strand was extended in length and I was ever-so-envious of the pristine condition of her ever-so-long caramel locks. Since, I have fallen in love with straightening my hair. Although, I must admit that it's a guilty pleasure. I am guilty of heat damage but pleased with the extra length. I also receive many comments about my tiny, pink, Shopaholic straightener, Dolls... SPOILER ALERT! It has been totally worth the investment.
FINAL PRODUCT
WAVY HAIR
Need I say more other than making my hair wavy is as close to Serena's natural Barbie state as I will ever get. I owe my ability to create this look to my mother who gifted me the waving wand for Christmas last year!
FINAL PRODUCT
My sweet Shopaholics, I hope my guide to embodying the beauty of Serena van der Woodsen inspired you to be adventurous with your beautiful hair. Although I think that it's important to draw beauty inspiration from our idols, I think it's equally important to draw beauty inspiration from ourselves. Never underestimate your uniqueness, Shopaholics... uniqueness that comes from individual style, features & years of accumulated beauty knowledge. Be the Barbie Doll you've always wanted to be, Dolls... It's never too late.
Kisses,
COS x
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