One of my favourite beauty looks is the perfect winged eyeliner. Perhaps it was my love of Brigitte Bardot, but I adore a cats-eye liner. It was one of my first beauty trends and I’ve rediscovered how wearable this look is.

How to wear a winged eyeliner for day

• Draw your liner thin along your lashline and just add a small flick at the end
• Keep the rest of your look natural – conceal any blemishes and wear a pink or natural blush
• A pale pink lip is perfect for day, though you know I also love a red lip!

Eyeliner pens – Splurge vs Steal

Do you have trouble drawing on liquid eyeliner? Try an eyeliner pen.

My long time favourite eyeliner pen is the Chanel Ecriture but I was recently sent the Maybelline Master Precise Liner and I’m pretty impressed. It has a finer tip than the Chanel and wears well all day. It’s a total steal.

Looking for more eyeliner inspiration? Love this illustration by Michelle Ricks from Ever & Wright.

What’s your favourite product for winged eyeliner?

Happy Big Hair Friday!

Loving these beauty shots from Marie Claire Latin America featuring model Carla Crombie shot by photographer Vladimir Marti. Styled by Gerard Angulo with makeup and hair by Raquel Costales.

Hope you’ve got a beautiful weekend ahead xx

Images Fashion Gone Rogue

Now you know the trick for the perfect curly hair ponytail, this curly hair tutorial will show you a simple twist to dress up your ponytail.

Although I encourage you to get out of your ponytail rut, I still wear a ponytail but I like to give it a slightly different twist.

This easy hairstyle tutorial is great for curly and straight hair. By leaving the side sections of your hair out of your ponytail, you can twist them back over the top to create an interesting detail.

Curly Hairstyle Tutorial – The Twist Over Ponytail

Step-by-step:

1. Separate 1-2 inch sections of hair on either side of your face and pull the rest of your hair back into a ponytail. I recommend a hair bungee for curly hair (less pulling and tangles) but you can also use a hair elastic.
2. Take the left section of hair and twist it up and back and twist it over the top of your ponytail. Pin in place with bobby pins.
3. Repeat with the right side, twisting your hair up and back. Loop it over your ponytail and pin in place with bobby pins underneath. You can leave the ends of these twisted sections loose and they can blend into your ponytail.
4. To emphasise the twisted sides, you can use some bobby pins to keep the twists in shape.

Why not try braiding the side sections for a different look. How do you give your ponytail a twist?

One of my most frequently asked questions is “where do you find ideas for your hairstyles?”

Honestly I find inspiration everywhere. I love creating shapes with hair, and thinking about new ways to wear a style.

Every season I’m inspired by the looks on the Fashion Week catwalks. They really are the creative centre for hair trends. Sometimes the initial looks can seem unwearable but you can take elements of them to inspire your everyday styles.

Schwarzkopf have also been looking to international fashion weeks to define the key hair trends for 2013 and have put together these four amazing looks –

Clockwise from top left: Big Bob, Fringer, Gloss and Sleek Colour

I was invited to the unveiling of the Schwarzkopf Looks for 2013 at the equally stylish Eau de Vie in Darlinghurst. Grant Withnell, Technical Stylist for Schwarzkopf had spent all day recreating the cawalk looks on some seriously gorgeous models but I got the inside scoop on how to do these looks in your own hair.

Can you guess which look I was dying to try?

The Big Bob of course!

Grant went all out on the night to create the biggest bob he could. He used 5 sets of hair extensions and 5 hair donuts to make this gravity-defying hairstyle! Though I can tell you this style is achievable in your own hair, without any extensions. With just a few product tricks you can get some fabulous volume in your hair.

I’m sharing my full tutorial for this hairstyle over on the new Schwarzkopf Style Studio blog.

Click here to see my hairstyle tutorial for the big bob!

Have you ever faked short hair? Which is your favourite trend from the Schwarzkopf looks?

This post was brought to you by Schwarzkopf

For those days when your curls are looking pretty good, but it’s too hot to leave your hair out, a simple ponytail is the solution. But a ponytail is not always that easy in curly hair. By the time you’ve dragged your hair through an elastic it doesn’t look so good anymore.

Let’s face it, how many of us wear a ponytail as a fall-back hairstyle most of the time? But how do you secure your ponytail in place? This simple tool will change how you wear your ponytail.

Instead of your regular hair elastic, use a hair bungee to create the perfect ponytail for curly hair.

The bungee wraps around your ponytail so there’s no pulling at your hair. You can make it as tight as you need so you always get the right tension in your ponytail. Hair bungees great for high ponytails and for long hair. I’ve used hair bungees from the Evo Mister Fantastic styling pack for this hairstyle.

Curly hairstyle tutorial: The Curly Ponytail

Step-by-step

1. Gather your hair loosely where you want to position your ponytail. A high ponytail is more fun and sporty, while a low ponytail is more classic.
2. Take your hair bungee and hook one end into the underside of the top of your ponytail. Wind the other end around until it’s tight and hook it in place to secure your ponytail.
3. Gently loosen the hair above your hair elastic by pulling it out just a little. I like to see the texture of curly hair and think it looks better if you leave this style with a softer, more relaxed finish.

See my latest tutorial for curly hair – the double bun here.

How often do you wear a ponytail?

Welcome to a week of hairstyle tutorials for curly hair!

My hair is naturally curly. You can read my tips for styling curly hair and my curly hair routine, and I love wearing my curls out.

However I usually straighten my hair for my hairstyle tutorials and there are a few reasons I do this. It’s easier to photograph, and clearer to show the steps in straight hair. Sometimes it can take a few attempts to get all the photos for a tutorial, and straight hair is easier to keep styling. If I keep touching my curly hair, it gets frizzy and the curls go out of shape.

These tutorials are great for second (or third!) day curly hair. If you have straight hair, you can also give them a try!

I’m starting this week of curly hair tutorials with the Double Bun. Why do one bun when you can do two?

The double bun is a great style for all hair types. In fine hair, it gives the illusion of volume. Conversely in thick hair, it balances out the weight of your hair.

The Double Bun is best suited to medium length hair. You can do this hairstyle in hair that’s as short as a lob to around bra strap length hair. You’ll need strong bobby pins, and for longer hair you can also use larger hair pins and a couple of hair elastics.

Curly hairstyle tutorial – The Double Bun

Step-by-step:

1. Twist the front of your hair back. If you have a fringe / bangs, you can leave them loose or twist them back into the hairstyle. I like to keep a little height at the front of this hairstyle, so you can backcomb your hair if you want more height.
2. Section your hair for the first bun. Gather approximately half your hair at the back of your head. For longer hair or thick hair, your can secure this section with a hair elastic for added hold.
3. Twist the section around to form a bun. Secure the bun with bobby pins or hair pins.
4. Repeat with the rest of your hair, twist it up and around into a bun. Pin in place with bobby pins. If you have thick or long hair, remember you can secure it in a ponytail for extra hold.

Do you think two buns are better than one?

Happy Friday!

What a busy week, and I’m so glad to see the weekend. Is it weird that I’m looking forward to the weekend so I can catch up on work? There’s just so much happening right now and at least my email slows down on Saturdays so I have time to catch up.

To all the mothers, I wish you a very happy Mother’s Day for Sunday! Sending love and hugs to those who are missing their mums xxx

This week has been a little quiet on Hair Romance but I have a whole week of tutorials coming up that are all in curly hair! Look out for a new curly hair tutorial every day next week!

Hope you have a beautiful weekend xxx

My hair is getting quite long now, isn’t it? I took this photo last week after getting my hair done at Stevie English Hair.

I love the colour and Stevie and the team have done a great job keeping my hair in good condition despite the heat styling and stresses I put my locks through. (I had a great in salon treatment that I’ll post about soon.)

But as much as I love this colour, I feel like it’s time for a change. Hair is supposed to fun, right?

I had intended to make a change at this last appointment but I chickened out. I’ve developed a bit of an emotional attachment to my hair and I was nervous about changing my hair. Now, if you love your hair, you shouldn’t change it just because, but it’s not like me to keep the same style for so long.

So I decided in the chair that I wasn’t going to chicken out of making a change at my next appointment.

I’m booked in for Friday 7th June and I’m not coming out with the same colour.

The only question is, what should I do next with my hair?

Tell me, what colour do you think I should try next?

I know it’s hard to describe hairstyles in words, so please link to a pinterest pin or an image in the comments if you can x

Although it doesn’t feel like it, winter is about to hit the southern hemisphere.

The end of summer comes with a sigh of relief as we see the end of humid weather in Sydney. But as we turn the heaters on, there are other stresses that affect our hair. In the same way I start using a richer moisturiser for my skin, you also need to think about changing up your hair care routine for winter.

Hair Romance chatted to celebrity stylist David Babaii about his tips for winter hair care:

Why do we need to change our hair care routine in winter?

Our hair structure changes when it’s exposed to different environments, and this is why it’s important to update our hair regime according to the different external conditions, just as we would with our skincare.

We heat-style more in winter which makes our hair more prone to damage, so we need to counteract this by using more hydrating products.

What extra care steps should we take in winter?

Swap to a shampoo and conditioner for dry hair, and use a nutrient rich oil as a deep conditioning treatment and styling aid (like David Babaii Miracle Elixir).

Conditioning is very important, but you must be careful not to over condition. Be plentiful with conditioning product, but make sure you rinse hair well. There’s nothing worse than limp, flat hair from residual conditioner.

Any tips for reducing static in our hair?

Have a beauty regimen for your hair, just as you do for your skin. Make sure you are using quality tools and products on your hair to keep strength at its optimum.

Prep hair with a conditioning leave in anti-frizz treatment before heat-styling to protect against humidity and make smooth sleek locks last. Finish off your blow out with a cool heat setting on your dryer to extend the life of your straight style.

Thanks for the style tips David and you can connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.

Do you change your hair care routine in winter? What changes do you make?

This week Birchbox asked me to guest blog for them and to share some of my top hair tips and tricks. I couldn’t wait to talk more about hair and here are my guest posts:

• Start looking after your hair with my top 5 tips for washing your hair. Are you making these simple mistakes?
• I share my love for braids with the 4 braids you must try right now.
• Check out my fool-proof fishtail braid tutorial.
• Good hair starts with what you eat so here are the top 10 food for healthy hair. Are you eating these foods?
• And as always on Big Hair Fridays, my tips for how to get bigger hair!