It's the small triumphs in life *g*

[sholio]

I finally learned to updo my hair with pencils!

Okay, yes, I know it's a silly thing, but I've had long hair for most of my life and had always assumed that doing up a bun with pencils/chopsticks was a) quite difficult and b) would be prone to falling out.

But it's neither! I found a video on Youtube that shows how to do it, and tried it, and -- it's super fast and every bit as secure as a ponytail with an elastic band. I'm actually really surprised at how securely two pencils can keep all my hair in place. I've had it like that for a couple hours now, just going about my normal day's business, and it hasn't shown the slightest sign of slipping.

(The video is this one, except that I tried what she does at the end, and it doesn't work for me AT ALL -- falls right out. But if you stop right before her final step and, instead, shove a second pencil through at right angles to the first one ... voila, it's solid as a rock. At least, it worked once. *g* Maybe I should make sure that I can repeat the effect before I get too cocky.)

Comments

[monanotlisa]

Oh, man, ALWAYS wanted to learn!

Will watch this on the eee (that can still play vids without crashing, yay for great ASUS vs. crappy DELL hardware).

[sholio]

Good luck! :D trobadora in the LJ comments said that the one-pencil method in the video works great for her, but I couldn't get it to stay put without adding a second pencil.

I always wanted to learn too -- I think it looks really neat -- but I thought it would be complicated and hard. It's not!

[ratcreature]

I've also always assumed this to be complicated! I will have to try this some time.

[arduinna]

Oh, interesting - that's a completely different method than the one I know. I know how to do a bun on top of my head (or on the back, but with my hair it holds longer on the top). You pull your hair up into a ponytail in one hand, then twist it till you've got a rope, sort of, then wind it into a bun (the direction of the twist gives you the direction of the bun). Then use two hairsticks (I use the shorter, tapered kind) at angles to each other, poking them through an edge to gather some hair and then flipping them around and pushing them completely through the bun near the skull to grip it.

Holds my long, perfectly straight, fine hair fabulously. I learned about them at an SF con years ago; the woman selling them promised a very dubious me that they'd work, and did my hair up with a pair I picked out, and damn if she wasn't right. I've even worn them out dancing, and at the end of the night my hair's still up. \o/

I still use scrunchies for everyday running around, but if I'm dressing up, it's hairsticks all the way. (The smaller sticks often have decorated ends, which makes them great for dressing up with.)

I'll have to try that chopstick method, though - it'd be great to have something else I can make my hair do. *g*

[winter_elf]

LOL! I can't seem to hit a convention *without* someone selling hair sticks. I have very thin/fine hair, so I need a pretty heavy duty long stick - but I've got some friends who can use anything to stick her hair up - including the fancy hairsticks.