When it comes to chic, easy hairstyles, the humble ponytail is often overlooked. Sure, bubble braids, messy buns and baby braids are super-cute, but they also require some practice and can sometimes be a little fiddly.
Ponytails, on the other hand, are quick, easy to execute and pack one hell of a chic punch.
And while sleek, liquid ponytails have long reigned supreme, there’s a new pony on the block, and we are here for it. You see, for too long those with curly hair have have been left out of the pony narrative. To achieve the super-long, sleek and shiny ponytails that have graced our feeds for years, curly hair requires a lot of heat and styling. But now, it’s time to let those curls do their own thing.
These are the best curly hairstyles for rocking big, bold, curly hair
In fact, curly ponytails are all over our feeds right now, and they look seriously good. From tight coils and defined corkscrew curls to undone waves and tousled textures, there’s a curly ponytail for every hairtype.
Influencer Joyjah Estrada, for example, has styled out her natural curls by scraping them back into a high ponytail and styling out her edges for a fierce look fit for basically any occasion. For added lift, she has also wrapped a section of hair around the securing hairband.
If you don’t have heaps of time to spend laying your edges, Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock proves that a tightly pulled look is equally as cool. Wet hair at the roots to get a slicked-back look and set with gel. If you want a fuller or longer ponytail, try clip-in hair pieces – they’re seriously easy to use.
And if your hair isn’t naturally curly, fear not, because you can get in on the look, too. Take inspo from the king of ponies, Chris Appleton (he’s responsible for Ari, Kim K and J. Lo’s iconic ponytails).
“First of all, follow your cheekbone to give you the perfect position for your ponytail. Spray with hairspray throughout the roots and snatch into a half-up style,” he says. Then, curl the back of the hair (the bit not in the ponytail) with tongs and curl the ends of the ponytail, too. This half-up-half-downstyle creates the illusion of a super-thick, voluminous ponytail. See how he does it here…
It’s so chic in fact, that even Beyoncé is a fan of the look – and it looks seriously great with her honey blonde chunky highlights.
If your hair is already full of volume and either has a natural wave or is mostly straight, you can save yourself some time by tonging the hair while it’s in the ponytail. We’re loving this nostalgic power pony created by celebrity hairstylist Justine Marjan, below. Leaving two, face-framing pieces at the front is giving us serious nineties vibes.
If braids are more your thing, why not try a half-braided, half loose ponytail as worn by influencer Lesley Buckle?
And for those that prefer a low-maintenance, undone look? Take inspo from the low, textured pony hairstylist Jennifer Yepez created on Anitta. Tie the ponytail at the nape of the neck, pull out loose strands around the face and use a texturising spray in the ends.
Half-up, half-down hairstyles are ideal for those days when you just CBA with your hair, but still want it to look chic
