July 11
For those of you who can’t make it to Blowdry! or just want big hair on the cheap, our Beauty Thrifter, Meghan, has teased out her tried-and-true tips for channeling a classy poof:
- Trying to tease too much hair at a time is the number one mistake beginners make. Start with small section of hair, teasing it at the roots, then work your way around the crown, flipping each section of hair forward when you’re done with it. Once you’ve finished one row, work your way back, again, teasing small sections at a time. I save my sides for last since they usually need just a small amount of teasing.
- Start a few inches in front of where you want your volume to be. I used to start teasing right at the crown, leaving me with a flat crown and puffy back-of-the-head. Now I know that in order to get sassy crown volume, I basically need to start back-combing the hair right behind my bangs.
- Go big! It’s easier to brush out extra volume (is there such a thing?) than to add more once you’ve finished teasing. Voluminous hair styles are dramatic and attention-getting–don’t be afraid!
- Practice makes perfect. Like any skill, teasing takes time to master. Watch videos on YouTube (this one really made sense to me when I was learning), try a few different combos of product and combs and in no time you’ll be pumping up the volume like a champ.
Don’t be such a tease! What tips did we miss?
Filed Under: beauty thrifter, big hair, meghan mcandrews, snooki poof
Hello lovelies! I'm Elizabeth Dehn, a beauty writer + lifestyle editor who's equally fanatical about lip gloss as juice cleansing. I live in Minneapolis with Mr. Bets and our white lab, Molly Thomas . . . 
I am so trying this! I am loving the Brigitte Bordot/big hair vibe!
I always hear the term “crown” – but never a photo or good definition of what/where exactly the crown of your head actually is?!
Anneesha, good question! The crown refers to the area of the upper back of the head, starting right about where your head curves downward. This diagram is pretty helpful if you’re the visual-learning type: http://www.hairfinder.com/info/anatomyhead.htm. Hope that helps! XO
Totally trying this….I am a slave for volumizing ideas :)
tried this out yesterday. um, thank you for solving all of my hair problems. seriously, thank you.
OMG thank you for the “map” of the head! Big helpful.
What is best use, a comb or a brush.
I love love this look. Its a way to get your hair up on a bad weather day for hair. and still look very sexy. Thanks for this!
Jamie, its best to use a comb you could go to the store and buy one, my friends and I call them teasing combs because they work the best for teasing hair.
[...] Wire Bow Barrette (on sale for $10). I’d pair it with jeans, a concert tee and a messy teased half-up, half-down hairstyle. [...]
I started using this a couple of days ago, and now I have short strands of hair that are about a inch long, and I am not for sure if my hair broke or if it is just growing there. Hah, am I doing something wrong while teasing
Are u spose to use powder or hair spray w the tease?
[...] Beauty Bets shows how you can tease up your hair to add maximum [...]
What type of brush should I use?!
A teasing brush is definitely a must – they perfect for teasing AND smoothing after you’ve reached your “goal height” :) I love this one, and it’s just $5: http://www.amazon.com/Spornette-Little-Wonder-Teasing-Colors/dp/B000I82POI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363897917&sr=8-1.
You can definitely find a similar one from Conair at Target, too!
I want to tease, but I thought it causes breakage. I have thin and fine hair, so breakage looks extra bad on me :( Thanks!
Am I just doing it wrong, or is breakage unavoidable?
Hey Melanie, unfortunately yes, breakage is unavoidable when achieving big-hair styles. You can minimize breakage by: 1. keeping hair healthy (take a multi-vitamin, deep condition regularly and trim your ends) 2. using a heat protectant before styling with hot tools or blow drying and 3. brushing teased hair out gently, starting at the bottom and working towards the root. Use a soft-bristled brush and take your time! Good luck!!