Upstyling: 3 Tricks For Adding Texture & Volume

Styling & Updos: 3 Tips For Creating Texture & Volume

Whether you’re creating a textured chignon or a romantic bridal updo, two things will take your upstyles to Pinterest-worthy level: texture and volume. So while sharing her best-kept styling secrets at an education event hosted at The Salon at Ulta Beauty (just one of the perks for Ulta stylists is being able to attend small hands-on classes with the Pro Team), Pro Team Member Danielle Keasling (@danielle.keasling) shared how to add both when strands need a boost. Keep scrolling for the tips!

Products Used

Styling

Style Link Volume Builder Volume Mousse

Matrix

Styling

Style Link Height Riser

Matrix

1. Prepping Fine, Silky Smooth Strands

It’s pretty well-known that thin hair and freshly washed strands struggle to hold a style because they lack grit, so here’s Danielle’s trick for adding some much-needed texture: Spray Matrix Style Link Volume Builder Volume Mousse into dry hands and rake it through the hair, ensuring even saturation. Then, use a blow dryer to dry the product and to add instant texture. “It literally takes me three minutes at the very beginning of an upstyle and it’ll save me so much time,” shares Danielle.

Note: The blowout doesn’t have to be perfectly executed with a round brush. Instead, Danielle says to just grab a power brush and quickly work back and forth.

2. Danielle’s Rule Of Thumb When Applying Dry Texture Spray

Dry texture spray is a great product for giving silky strands some hold, but does the hair feel wet every time you use one? It’s because you’re too close to the head. So next time you’re applying a dry texture spray, remember Danielle’s rule of thumb: Stand at least the can’s length away from the head, if not further. Why? Once dry texture spray is released from the can, it needs time to dry before it settles on the client’s head.

3. How To Fake Volume

Let’s be real, very few clients have the perfect length and density for recreating a Pinterest-inspired updo. So how do you add volume when her strands tend to fall flat? Fake it til you make it. (Note: While Danielle demonstrated this technique on an undone, textured chignon, it can also work for any kind of unstructured updo.) Once the style is halfway complete, here’s what she does with the remainder of the hair:

1. Start by separating a 2-inch section of hair and move it out of the way. This is what Danielle calls a veil, aka her “safe piece” that she can manipulate later to hide any disconnection.

2. Then, standing to the right of the client, take the remainder of the hair and divide it in two to set yourself up to create a two strand twist.

3. Now to create the twist. The left hand will always do the twisting and the right hand will always do the holding. So twist the hair in your left hand away from the center and then fold it over the right strand and switch which hand is holding which strand. Repeat until you run out of hair.

4. Secure the hair in an elastic, apply some Matrix Style Link Height Riser and pancake the twist.

5. Hide the twist in the style and secure with hair pins first to place it and then add some bobby pins for security. “In reality, you want to try and get this securely pinned as much as you can without using tons and tons of pins because the more pins you put in, the less you’re going to be able to pull and rouge this,” shares Danielle.

Pro Tip: If you need volume or need the hair to stick away from the head for some dimension, opt for a twist. If you want flatness, create a braid.

Tap through the slideshow below for a BTS peek at the event!

CLICK HERE to watch an infinity braid & upstyling tutorial from @annette_updo_artist!