Hollywood Hair - Part 3 - The June Allyson or, the Perils of the Pageboy

Setting pattern Sunday is here again!

Last week brought me the June Allyson do, a very girlish innocent pageboy style that, frankly, I don't really like.  I love the pageboy generally, there are some lovely ones out there, but this one, with its swept back fringe, is just ugly to my eyes.  Far too "teen" for my tastes.

Also, I'm rubbish at pageboys.  I've tried every setting pattern, online tutorial and bit of help and advice out there but I always end up with more of a "roll" than a smooth pageboy.  Le heavy sigh.   Other people seem to find it easy.

Anyway - I thought I'd give this a go anyway, to try and practice my...ahem...skills.

The set itself is fairly simple.  Two large curls on top which are directed away from the face and then two rows of forward facing curls around the head.  Shouldn't be a problem you'd think.  Well, I beg to differ as I'd managed to lose the majority of my pin curl clips somewhere in the flat so had to use rollers in the back.

So, I slept in the set as usual and then came ...the brush out.  Now, please do not laugh.  I can hear you, I can, that was definitely a snigger....

Results:

Monday: Absolutely shocking isn't it?  I cannot believe I actually went to work like this but after 15 minute just concentrating on the back I just stuck the fringe up and had to run and get the train.

Ugh.

Tuesday: Day two - this set is supposed to be better on day old hair and I had found my pin curl clips and reset it much more tightly with curl creme.  I had thought this looked better, if a bit artificial.  A tad concerned it was too wiggy I had even asked my half slumbering boyfriend if he thought I looked too "Amadeus" - he grunted in the negative.

Stepping out into the Hackney morning I realised however, from the sideways glances of passers by, that asking a half asleep man anything is always, always an error.  I looked like I was wearing a periwig.  The final pic is me at work, with washed out lighting, purely for your viewing pleasure.

Wednesday and Thursday:  I cheated and didn't reset the damn thing.  I just brushed into the below cheat style.  I was too disheartened.

Friday: Reset it again with a wet set, paid more attention to placement, to the brush out and even placed a hairnet over it to keep it "together all day."  It came out the same as day 1, only neater.

Saturday:  Another day 2 hair attempt. I finally -almost- cracked it.  I brushed it out in two layers, the bottom first, slightly backcombing the lower layer, and then the top layer, curling it over the bottom.  Then, after this I pinned back the fringe.  I looks much smoother and neater with some structure to it and I think this is because I have layers.  Pageboy dos are typically better for blunt cut hair, I've read.

Yes, same jumper.  I'm lazy.

why does one eye look so much bigger than the other?

Verdict: A bloody nightmare.  Especially for a do that just doesn't suit me.  This one has been a real learning curve - or learning tangle.  I really think this is a do that works much better with rollers, and I'll be trying that once this 50's project is over in another....seven weeks!  Blimey - what have I signed up for?

This week I'm skipping the next do in the book as it is another pageboy - I'll revisit it in a few weeks when I've regained some faith in myself!  Instead I'm going to try a very casual centre parted style - the Cyd Charisse.

It is set dry, to minimise the curl and just add body.  I think it looks like a lego helmet.  Time to set!

Hollywood Hair - Style 2 - Hedy Lamarr

Another week has gone by. however did that happen.  It seems time spins faster an faster as one gets older.

This week I have the results of hairstyle two, the Hedy Lamarr.  I was somewhat dreading this one as it is a centre part and a look I have tried to avoid since starting out on my vintage journey years ago.  Centre parts always remind me of the 70s - not a look I want to put with my hand knits and pearl earrings.

I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised with the results of this as the week progressed.  Especially as my hair is the opposite of Miss Lamarr's - blonde, fine and pin straight rather than thick, dark, curly and medium weight.  Ho hum.

The set for this was a little more involved than for the previous do.  The hair was first given as neat a centre parting as I could manage and then four stand up pin curls were rolled up and away from the forehead.  Two rows of standing curls then went down each side of the face, rolled down and each pinned with a single bobby pin.

The back hair was set in two rows of flat pin curls, as if for a pageboy.

Here are the compulsory setting pictures, I look proper sulky in these.  Well, it was bed time and I had to try to sleep with those darn side curls in.

The brush out was fairly simple as the end result, from looking at the picture, is a fairly sexy tousled do.  Not overly "set" looking and thus very 50s.  I literally just brushed it all through and let it sit where it would.

Results:

Monday: This was the brush out of the first attempt set pictured above.  The one problem I did have is that the standing curls on the side got flattened somewhat as I slept and so there wasn't as much volume as I'd have liked.

Tuesday: Day two - and I just reset the same way, dry, with a little Boots Curl Creme.  Of course, not being a wet set it came out softer but I think you can still see the basic structure of the set.

I ended up sticking the back up, as you can see.  I was wearing an Edwardian jumper and it just didn't look right down.

I took a couple of days off setting as I was too late finishing exercising on Tuesday night to have time for it to dry.  The next real set was Thursday night and worn to work on Friday.  I cheated a little here and did the standing curls with rollers rather than pin curls and I have to say I much prefer the result.  It helped as I did not flatten the curls as I slept and so they had the required volume and definition.

I can definitely see myself wearing this one again, I had a lot of compliments at work with this do.

Verdict: An easy set but, if planning to sleep on it, it is easier done with rollers than standing pin curls, especially on fine hair.

The next on the list is a very innocent looking pageboy, the June Allyson.  I find pageboys rather difficult so am going to try and do this one every night this week.

Eek, best go stick my pin curls in.

Hollywood Hair 1952 - the project

I’m back already – I know – shocking right?  Told you I had a lot to write about.

I just want to bring you in on a little hair project I’m currently working on.  Via a lovely blog which I have completely lost the name of (put your hand up please if it was you-hoo) , I recently had the good fortune to stumble across this little beauty.  A full copy of a 1952 book on pincurl sets.  Now, I’m not a 50s girl by any stretch, but I could not turn up the chance to perfect my pin curl technique on these simple looking patterns.

So, over the next couple of months I plan to work my way through each and every one of the styles in this book.  Some will suit my hair type and others won’t, I am sure, but the practise will do me good, give us all some laughs and I, and maybe even you, will learn some pincurling tips along the way.

All you really need for any of the styles in this series is:

• setting lotion (anything will do - I'm currently using Black n' Sassy)
• Spray bottle
• rat tail comb
• pin curl clips and /or bobby pins
• a bristle brush of some kind
• hairspray
• patience

So gather your supplies and perhaps we can work through this together.  I'd love to see how others get on with the same patterns.

The first pattern in the book is the Ava Gardner.  I'll update you on Sunday with my thoughts and my results with this pattern and details of the next on the list!

Leading lady hair: The Lady Eve (1941)

As mentioned yesterday I was rather taken with Barbara Stanwyck's hair in "The Lady Eve" and wanted to give it a whirl myself.

It is a fairly simple do that looks a lot more elaborate than it really is:  a curled back hanging loose, two small side rolls, and a tumble of rolls at the top.

I started by cutting my bangs, which were about 8 inches long, to about 5 inches - though shorter would work too.  You could do with longer hair but it would need a lot more grips to hold.

I then wet set my hair, without setting lotion as I didn't want any crispiness, and separated it into four sections with a rat tail comb: a rectangular top section, the sides and back.

I set the back in pink perm rods, only rolled to the nape of the neck and rolled under.  I then placed two upward and forward facing pin curls on each side section and the top was set in as many pink perm rods as I could fit on the top of my head.

(Look at my glaring eyes.  Mwahahahahahaaa)

I then stuck a hairnet over the back and went to bed.  I woke up next to a kitten - say hello to Baby Gene:

The key to this hairdo is in the brush out - it needs to be done section by section.  I started by brushing out the back section and lightly brushing it under.

I then took out each side, brushing out lightly in an upwards direction and then I teased the section before smoothing the top and rolling (I always roll over an old mascara tube) and fixing with a bobby pin.

Side section before brush out - not very promising looking eh?:

Once both sides were rolled I very carefully removed the rollers at the top.  It is essential to try and keep as much curl in this section as possible, so just sliding the rollers out so the hair stays in little sausage shapes is best.

Sides rolled with top section rollers removed:

And now I was almost done - for the final stage I split each top curl into two, re-rolled each half over the good old mascara tube and sat the curl on the head.  (You would want to pin each one of you were going out dancing but I didn't bother as I'm just staying in).  I also took a little from each front roll and arranged slightly onto the forehead, these were fixed with pins hidden in the hair.

I then gave it all a good hairspray and tada!

I'm rather pleased with it, though of course it looks more detailed on my hair as blonde shows every little curl.  Now to find somewhere to go so that I can show this off.  Ah, the supermarket, oh, the glamour!