The flower braid
Pull your hair to one side. Gather a handful of hair from the opposite top-front section, just above your temple.
Weave the hair in a plaiting motion down and around the bottom of the head (1).
Gather more hair into each strand as you plait, working it across the back of the head to the opposite side, plaiting all the way to the end and then fixing it with a small hair tie (2).
Gently twist the plaited hair around itself and up on to the side, fixing with pins to finish (3).
Marquee Hair, Eastern Mangroves Promenade, www.marquee.ae (02 449 4044).
The messy-chic
To begin, lightly curl the bottom of the hair (1).
Next, separate the hair into four sections, with the largest sections on top and below, and two smaller sections on the sides. Backcomb the hair around the middle of your head (the top of the bottom section) – this will help to give the pins something to hold on to (2).
Twist the front pieces back and pin them to the backcombed hair (3). Next, pick a small bunch of loose hair and fasten the ends of the hair around the pinned section, repeating this until all the hair is up. You’re aiming for a loose, messy look, so twist and pin at different angles.
Artistic HairSalon, DusitThani, Muroor Road, (02 444 6876).
The convertible
This style is a versatile one.
To begin with, curl the hair with a curling iron (1).
Gather a thin section of approximately 10cm of hair across the crown and backcomb it, then leave a layer of hair and backcomb the section above (2).
This is to give the hair body and to help grip the hair pins. Now pin the front section back, on to the hair you’ve backcombed, pushing it up just under the crown to help elevate it (3). Now you have a choice: either leave it as it is for a stylish down-do, or loosely gather the hair and wind it gently up, looping it around and pinning it gently on the head. This can be fixed loosely for a soft look or tighter for a sleek style.
Artistic Hair Salon, Dusit Thani, Muroor Road, (02 444 6876).
The neo-French twist
Pull the hair back into a tight mid-height ponytail. Leave out approximately 4cm of hair on each side of your head (1).
Comb the hair flat, then take one loose piece and twist it tightly and wrap it around the ponytail, pinning it underneath (2).
Do the same with the other side – take it across the top of the ponytail and loop it underneath. Now, thread a hair pin on to the opening of your hairnet and pin it under the ponytail. Place the length of the ponytail into the hair net and wrap the ponytail around the base and up into an S shape, pinning it to the head (3). Curl and pin the top in place.
Hairwaves by Charbel, Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan, (02 681 9579).
