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 - Style 1 - Ava Gardner

So - this week I attempted hairstyle 1 – the Ava Gardner – a delightfully tousled and casual, yet glamorous looking number that just screams 50s starlet.

It was a VERY easy set as the only bit you need to be strict about is the standing curls on the top of the head.  These are rolled toward the part.  The rest is just curled any old how.

The brush out was easy, just a gentle brush out all over, then isolating the fringe section and styling as you please.  

So - here are a two frankly terrifying pictures of me with no make up and my hair in curlers.  apologies for the yellow light, it was dark when I took these, I'm really not jaundiced - honest.

you can see the top curls are standing and rolled toward the part.  the back is, frankly, a mess - but it did say to not use any particular pattern.  I used the same rough setting all week.

Results:

Monday: This I styled closest to the image in the setting pattern, bearing in mind my hair is somewhat longer than Ava's.

First I took out all the pins and brushed the back and sides out loosely.  Then, for the fringe, I left it do what it wanted - given this was the first attempt.  It wanted to wave so I went for a very defined wave effect, brushing the fringe out fairly heavily over my hand until it formed one big wave and placing it where I wanted, holding the wave down and then spraying madly.  I like this as it incorporates a finger wave effect but with some volume.

Tuesday: I tried a looser effect, so set it back dry and didn't spritz with water.  I then just brushed it out loosely and came out with this somewhat Marilynesque curly top.  Not perfect by any means but I think that's the point really, some 50s outfits do requite a much less set look.

sometimes you feel an ass taking pictures of yourself and then this happens

Wednesday: was my favourite though - same set only brushed under at the back over a round brush and the top pin curls made into curls around the face instead of a wave.  These were just shaped with my hands and sprayed into place.  I added serious height here with a little backcombing as I was feeling a bit flamboyant!

I was lazy the rest of the week and put my hair up.  I know, I'm bad but 3 days in a row is a good long slog for me!

Verdict: 
I like this set - it is nice to know that one can get so many looks from one very simple and very quick to put in set.  I think the standing pin curls at the fringe could easily be replaced with rollers to be honest.  This is a set I'll definitely use again.

Let me know what you think.  Which looks do you prefer?

This week I am going to work on the next set in the book - the Hedy Lamarr.

This is a centre parted style - I haven't really done a centre part since I discovered vintage several years ago.  Centre parts always make me think of the 70s.  Not my favourite era, and so I am nervous of this one.