Do you do the poodle do?
The poodle do? No, not that 'do' or 'poodle' - I am talking
about the 1940s and 1950s updo hairstyle which was made iconic from the likes
of Betty Grable and Lucille Ball.
The poodle hairstyle got it's name from the fact that the
tight curls placed on the top of the head resembles the exaggerated poodle dog
haircut.
A style that I initially was apprehensive about, has quickly
become one of my go to all weather styles, and made even quicker and easier
using Grip Tuth Combs.
The easiest way to create a poodle updo is to start
with a full head of curls. Instead of brushing out the ringlets, you simply
place and secure them to the top of your head, brushing up and smoothing the
sides and back until you have a crown of curls. You can either secure the curls
by creating a base 'ring' of bobby pins or the easiest solution is to use Grip
Tuth Combs. I use the regular 2 3/4 inch on the sides and the 4 inch Frenchy
combs for the back. For the shape of my head, these pretty much line up next to
each other to create a solid foundation between the smooth sides and back and
the free flowing curls. Then you can pick out and finger coil individual curls
and secure with a bobby pin for more definition, or just loosely pin the mound
of curls into shape - how I do mine honestly depends on the length of my hair
and the tightness of the spiral curls.
If you have a non-distinct hair colour, you can also use
a hair piece to create a poodle
updo, simply by creating a high bun and placing the curly piece on top -
something that I loved as a quick hair solution with my black hair.
Pictured above (captured by Pandom Images in all my daggy
glory!) I have created this hairstyle using a hair piece. The lovely Lucy Luxe
beside me also loves the poodle updo - but if it was her real hair that night
or a piece, only she can tell us!
There are two main reasons why I have developed a love and
appreciation for this vintage hairstyle.
It is (almost) weather proof - being up and off your neck,
this hairstyle is great for hot summer days. You can choose to really layer on
the hairspray too so those curls aren't going anywhere!
Day 1 curl set style - I will often autopilot to this
hairstyle for day 1 on a curl set. It is super quick to do on a freshly unwound
curl set and it essentially maintains your curls in their formation (almost)
for another day which results in an extra day or two of curls at the end of
your curl life cycle.
Check out this tutorial where I show you how to create the
classic poodle updo using Grip Tuth Combs:
So tell me - do you do the poodle do?
Just starting on your pinup journey - download A Beginner's Guide to Pinup
Renae xo