Duchess Meghan loves the care-free bun, Molly-Mae Hague piled her hair up high on Love Island, and Mollie King has been giving us major bun-spo on Instagram with her cool-girl looks. It's official: The hairstyle of the summer is the bun. If, like me, you haven't mastered this look, don't worry, ghd's Creative Artist Patrick Wilson has given the BEST tips and tricks for being brilliant at buns. And he should know! Whether he's backstage at Fashion Week or doing creating amazing looks for celebrities such as Maya Jayma, Romee Strijd or Mollie King, he has all the answers when it comes to hair.
Patrick Wilson backstage during LFW
Patrick tells us that it's not as simple as piling your hair on your head and fixing it with some kirby grips. First, you have to figure out which bun will suit you. "An important thing to remember is that different buns suit different face shapes," he told us. "While a low bun can make a round face look plumper, a high bun is less flattering on a long face."
If you have an oval face, you're quite lucky. You can pull off a fair few bun looks. "Low, high, central, side, with bangs, without - every hair bun would complement the oval face shape. Just ensure the front is dressed to complete the look."
Square shaped faces have equal width of forehead, cheekbones and jawline. "Sport a hair bun slightly lower or higher than your jawline," Patrick suggests. "Also, side-swept hair or side bangs would look most flattering with the look as it cuts the edges down."
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Diamond face shape? "Hair swept nicely in a twisted bun would look best as it would show off your wonderful cheekbone structure. You can also work with bangs and side parting to make face look shorter."
And if you have a heart-shaped face - where your forehead width is longer than the cheeks and face narrowing to the chin - you would suit a mid-height bun. "This is your best bet as it will balance your chin and bring attention to the lower part of your face," Patrick says. "Tease your hair and tie a bun at the middle of the head with a puffed-up mid-parting."
Jodie Comer styled by Patrick
Right, you've decided on which bun to do. Now, what about hair prep? "With any hair up it’s all about the preparation," he told us. "I usually prefer to manipulate next-day hair."
If it's freshly washed, you might need to add product. "You really need to recreate that feeling [of next-day hair] and movement into the hair before pinning it up on shaping it into a bun.
"My favourite way to prep would be by giving the hair some guts at the root so start by adding a moose or root lifter, and then blast drying hair upside down using the ghd air (£99). If you need more body to the hair, use the air hairdryer with diffuser head (£15), working in circular motions. This will give the hair more body, life and movement."
Mollie King styled by Patrick
The next step it's all about building texture. "My go-to tool for this is the ghd curve soft curl tong (£120). Working kinks and bends through the hair allows the hairstyle to stay secure throughout the day and also makes it look less polished and more cool girl vibes.
"With a top knot, the best thing to do is place your hair into a high ponytail using your hands to shape the pony. I always tell my clients to do this without using a brush to start with. This is because you will try too hard and it then becomes too perfect. We want it to look cool, effortless and slightly undone."
Molly-Mae Hague
And don't forget the finishing touches before you put your bun into place. "Add a dry texturising hairspray to the length of the pony and a small spritz of hairspray for added grit. Next, twist into a knot shape and secure with pins and grips."
How about Meghan's regal bun, what would Patrick suggest for that? "Meghan’s go-to hairstyle has a refined look, perfectly shiny and structured, while the loose bangs gave it that necessary touch of ease and frame her face to flatter her makeup. Markle's updo perfect balances between formal and 'just throw it in a bun' which is the key to this look. For a more polished bun like Meghan's, the key is shine but also framing the face to flatter and complete the look."
Duchess Meghan
If you'd prefer to have a low bun, as seen on the likes of Rochelle Humes and Jodie Comer, Patrick recommends backcombing.
"I would prep the same way, but when it comes to the actual hairstyle, you want to add some lift at the crown. Don’t backcomb with a tail comb though, use a dressing brush and it will give a softer finish to the style. Afterwards, pull into a low ponytail and secure with a bungee hook. My favourite way to give that added volume to the textured bun is to plait the length of the ponytail and then twist into a bun shape."
MORE: The many buns of Meghan Markle
Rochelle Humes styled by Patrick
If you'd prefer to look like you haven't really tried too hard, Patrick says: "To finish off, loosen the style with your fingers, pulling out any bangs or softness around the face."
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