Elizabethan Contemporary Bun

Hellen's feedback was very helpful and using a bun in my final design was an element that I definitely want to use in my final design. 

My New Elizabethan for the final assessment is Rihanna, so I started researching her hairstyles. Every time she shows up on the Red Carpet, or any other events, she is most likely to have a different hairstyle and colour. From what I've seen, lot of her hairstyles involve curls, braids and buns. I actually couldn't find any examples of her having crimped hair, guess it is something that she doesn't like to wear but the tiny frizzy curls in this image kind of look like the hair has been crimped. Also, this was actually a wig, and wigs were very popular in the Elizabethan times.

Rihanna at Gucci and Roc Nation pre-Grammy party at Soho

Hairstylist: Ursula Stephen

Photographer: Jon Kopaloff

(2011)

(http://main.stylelist.com/2011/02/28/rihanna-hairstylist-ursula-stephen-hair-secrets/ -date: Nov 20th)

Rihanna wearing a high sleek bun

At the premiere of her film Battleship

(April 10th 2012)

(source: http://www.stylebistro.com/lookbook/Rihanna/LP9RUgvS3LJ/Hair - date: Nov 20th 2014)

 

Rihanna wearing a fishtail braid

At Nivea 100th anniversary celebration in Milan, Italy

Photographer: Vittorio Zunino Celotto 

(May 5th 2011)

(source: http://www.stylebistro.com/lookbook/Rihanna/7ibTvvIso_O - date:Nov 22nd 2014)

(source: http://blackhairmedia.com/hair-care/dressy-protective-style-braided-bun-updo/attachment/rihanna-braided-bun-updo-hairstyles/ -date: Nov 27th 2014) 

First two designs

So the first design (the one on the left) is a combination of a bun and straight hair falling at the back. The bun would be created with curls and the bun would be done with the technique that did in one of our first lessons; the bun without a donut. So it would be big but without a padding. I'd use pearls as decoration.

The second design is a high bun, done just like the one in the first design. The hair would be crimped only at the roots, to get volume, but the hair used to create the but would be straight. Also there would be some curls around the bun and a french plait going across the head.

1st design (left) 2nd design (right)

(Nov 10th 2014)

 'Final design' and partners work
This was my favourite design that I've created and I gave it to my partner to try and do it on myself.
I wanted her to make a high sleek bun and crimp the hair that was used to create it. To decorate the hair I decided to use two braids that go across the head, starting from behind each ear and ending on the other side. I gave her my pearled necklace to decorate the bun with.

'Final' Design

(Nov 15th 2014)

Making a sleek ponytail (bun) was very time consuming and it took her a lot of time and patience to make it perfect. I decided to take the chart home to make a little change and make it a bit easier for her.

Final Design

This is my final design. The changes I've made are very little but make a difference. I decided that I wanted her to crimp everything. Then to make a high ponytail and leaving to sections for the braids behind each ear. I told her not to brush my hair until it is tied up, so that there is a little bit of difference in the texture. I wanted the bun to be big, backombed and made our of 4 sections. The same necklace was used as decoration. 

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/grammy-performers-2011-rihanna-med-sun-grammys-performance-article-1.139045 (date: Nov 20th 2014) 

Inspiration And Research For The Final Assessment

This is a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I that I chose to be my inspiration for both hair and makeup. The name of the portrait is "Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I"; oil on canvas (c. 1592) and the artist is Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger. 

In this portrait Elizabeth is older and that was the time when she wore wigs all the time, and her hair was always up.

Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I

(source: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marcus_Gheeraerts_(II)_-Portrait_of_Queen_Elisabeth_I_-_WGA08657.jpg - date: Oct 10th 2014 )

Thinking about the hight, curls and having most of the hair up, but also combining Elizabethan elements with contemporary ones I've created a few designs. I've also found some contemporary hairstyles in the Cosmopolitan November 2014 issue that I wanted to include in the looks...

 A high bun

 Waves

 Curls

 Wavy hair and plaits

Plaits

Design No.1

For this look I'd use a big padding and crimp the hair to get a lot of volume. The rest of the hair would be in a low but but it wouldn't be crimped, but sleek and round and the hair would be straight. A plait that goes across the root of the fringes at the front would be used to decorate the hairstyle.

 Design No.1

(Oct 28th 2014)

Design No.2

This is a typical elizabethan heart shaped hairstyle. For this I'd use two big pads to make it quite high. Again, the rest of the hair would be in a low bun, but a bit different one than in the hairstyle before. To decorate the hair there are two plaits that go from each side through the centre of the 'heart'. To make the design contemorary I thought it would be better not to crimp or curl the hair, but to keep it straight but big.

 Design No.2

(Oct 28th 2014)

Design No.3

Trying out a different way to incorporate the heart shape; 1/3 of the hair would be straight and covering the two pads and the rest big, curly and backombed. 

 Design No.3

(Oct 28th 2014)

Design No.4

Here I wanted to try an assymetrical look but it is my least favourite design. Padding would be used on one side and the rest of the hair down and frizzed with the frizzing technique that we did in Hellen's lesson.

 Design No.4

(Oct 28th 2014)

 Design No.5
Again, a heart shaped look. This time half of the hair would be up and the rest of the hair frizzed but not brushed through, I'd like to keep the nice waves created with that technique. To decorate the hair there would be a plait going across the front of the head.

 Design No.5

(Oct 28th 2014)

 Look No.6
This is a much more contemporary look than the other ones I've created so far. Fringes would be crimped and covering a pad at the front and the rest of the hair in a high sleek pony tail. Tiny little curls would be used to decorate the hairystyle at the front.

 Design No.6

(Oct 28th 2014)

Design No.7

This is also a very contemporary look. The hair would be up in big bun and only the hair in the bun would be crimped, the rest straight and sleek. There would be a plait that goes around the bun and tiny little curls at the front.

 Design No.7

(Oct 28th 2014)

I showed my designs to Hellen in one of the lessons a few weeks ago and she found the idea of having a bun in my design very interesting and said that that is an element that she hasn't seen anyone else have yet. I actually thaught that my design with the bun one one of my favourite ones and I was happy when I heard that. I decided to continue my research and create more looks...

Wiggle Plait & Backcombing

These are the last two techniques that we did before getting into creating our looks for the final assessment. 

Wiggle Plait
This technique is very simple but also very effective. With these plaits you can create a pretty hairstyle that will look like you've spent ages to create, when in reality, it's so easy and quick. 

You start with a normal plait. Don't make it too tight, but not too loose either. Then you hold one section and push the other two up. That creates nice 'wiggles' and then you can plait it again to make it longer or just pin it. I wouldn't use less hair than I did in the image below as I think it looks better with this size or even bigger plaits, rather than with tiny ones.

 Normal plait

Wiggle plait 

Backcombing

Backcombing is mostly used to give body and volume to fine hair. It is importaint to backcomb the right side of the hair. Always brush the hair before washing, if not, you will end up with a head full of knots! 
First we did structure backombing, which is used to create big voluminous hairstyles. You hold a section and with a comb, gently press the hair down, going from the roots to the ends. If you do this the right way, you should be able to brush the hair as quickly as you backcombed it. Also, it always looks better if you cover these sections with hair that wasn't backcombed to give it a nice smooth finish and for it to look like it has natural volume.
We aslo gently backcombed the hair. This time we did it from the front, rather than from the back side of the section. This creates a smoother finish, but gives the hair less body. 

 Backcombing by partner's hair

 Hair after backcombing (front)

 Hair after backcombing (side)

 Hair after brushing out the backcombed sections

Backcombing from the front

13th Nov 2014 (all images above)

A Period Elizabethan Hairstyle

This week we did period Elizabethan hairstyles on our partners. It had to be heart shaped and decorated with curls/plaits.
For my look, I decided to crimp the hair that I used to hide the padding with. Then I curled the front and put the rest of the hair in a simple bun. I am very happy with my final look, but I think I could've hidden the hair under the padding, rather than just pinning it at the back. Also it would look better if I made it a bit more symmetrical. 

The hair before crimping and curling

The hair after crimping

Placing the padding 

Placing the hair over the padding 

Curling the front of the hair

The final look

6th Nov 2014 (all images above)