Love, Caroline Blog: Top Knot Tutorial from a Friend

Hello everyone over here at Caroline's place! I'm so happy Caroline asked my crazy butt to guest post...and a little touched that she trusted me to do it! Ha! Bless your heart, Caroline! I'm Lindsey and I blog over at High Heels and Training Wheels. I blog a little about style, a little about beauty and a lot about saving money. We po' folks need to look nice too, right? Today I'm giving you a tutorial on an easy top knot that works wonderfully for this unruly mess of hair on my head. You've got thin hair? You've got thick hair? I got you covered, girl!

Ok, so I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here. There are tons of top knot tutorials all over the internet. Problem with that is, we all have different types of hair and they don't work for everyone's type....or skill set. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. I've experienced many failed attempts. So I'm trying to make it a little easier for those of us who are inept at these so-called "effortless" knots. I have incredibly thin and fine hair. But I have mass amounts of it. So I have to treat my hair as being both fine and thick. It's a gift, I'm just lucky like that. Other top knots have been too loose and had no volume because of my hair being thin and others have not been able to hold because I just have too much hair. This will work for literally either type. This method is goooold! (Are you reciting the Velveeta commercials too?) I've learned the tools you use can really make all the difference. Here's a couple things I use that I think help make it go from impossible and doable.

I use a soft bristle brush instead of a paddle brush to make my ponytail smooth. It helps to make it a little tighter. I also use it to tease my hair instead of using a comb. It gives a little more volume and a little less "rat" like a comb gives. Anytime I've teased my hair with a comb, it's just a big, tangled, lumpy mess and it's impossible to brush out. This works a lot better than a comb, especially if your hair is thin.

I do a braid in my top knot and I use the clear elastics at the end of the braid. It's strong enough to hold really well but small enough to hide easily. I feel like it holds a lot better to have some sort of band instead of relying solely on bobby pins. These work great for both fine and thick hair.

These made all the difference for me!! Because of the mass amount of hair I have, I could never get any "updo" to stay. It was always falling out. The small bobby pins just can't handle my hair but these super large bobby pins make any style possible and they'll hold all day. If you have thick hair these are invaluable. These pins are a beast! If you take away anything from this tutorial, the big pins are key! A small change like this can make the biggest difference!

Because I have such fine hair, it always slides out. Even just a simple ponytail will fall quickly. The rubber on these makes them stays put and my ponytails will stay tight but they don't damage or break my hair. These are another must!

Get to the tutorial already!

So the way I do the topknot is a little different than others but that's the point. It's what works for me and the thing does not move. I've even gone to sleep without taking my hair down and I woke up with it still in place. That's how good it is. As with any top knot, just start pulling your hair into a plain high ponytail. Tease the heck out of that thing with the bristle brush. It will give your top knot more volume but it also helps it stay and not come loose. If your hair is thinner, tease it more and if it's thick, tease less. You get the idea.

1. Divide into 3 sections and braid the ponytail loosely. Secure with the clear elastic holder.

2. Lightly tug on the braid to give it a little more volume and texture and to make your knot appear fuller.

3. Wrap the braid around the base of your ponytail like a bun and pin the clear elastic under. Pull on it and shape it how you want. Throw a few more pins in to secure it and boom! That baby ain't going nowhere. The teasing and the braid keeps it tight but it gives the appearance of a loose and full top knot. I guess it's technically cheating but no one needs to know, right?

It's securing it with a pony before you "knot" it and braiding that really gives you hold. You can spray it if you want. I never do and I never have a hair out of place so it's up to you. If you'd like a looser appearance, adjust your braid and pull on it more before you wrap it, it will still hold. I've woken up the next morning and it's a looser but equally awesome look.

Day 2 hair

I really don't recommend sleeping in a ponytail, it's murder on your hair, I'm just plagued by laziness. My point is it can look great both tighter or looser.

I hope you give it a try! Stop by High Heels and Training Wheels if you do and let me know how it turned out! And a big thank you, again, to Caroline for allowing me to visit!!