Katherine Chloé Cahoon

So I get that the whole point of the Golden Globes was to honor Hollywood talent, but I’m among the many who became wrapped up in the fashions, hairstyles and makeup. The awards may have taken center stage at the ceremony, but so did the parade of elegant low buns.

Presenter Margot Robbie fielded a teleprompter malfunction, but there were no glitches when it came to her appearance. Flawless! She and Anna Gunn – of best drama  series, Breaking Bad – radiated in their Swan Lake-esque hairstyles and fitting, off-white dresses…which just happened to be the colors of traditional tutus.

In high school, I trained with American Ballet Theatre and performed in Swan Lake. The hairstyle for that production was meticulous. We were required to attend a seminar to learn how to create it, and our execution had to be approved by the artistic director before we could set foot on the stage. So when I saw Margot and Anna, I instantly assumed that their hairstyles were takeoffs on the Swan Lake bun. The ballet version is parted in the middle with hair swooping over both ears and feathers edging them, but these celebrities opted for side parts, and their embellishments were earrings.

From my ballet days, I got so used to throwing my hair in a bun that I could do it in less than a minute without a mirror. Here are a few tricks I picked up that you can use to pull off these celeb looks with ease.

If you want to mimic Margot, begin by parting your hair on the right. Swoop your front left hair across your ear, put your front right hair behind your other ear, and then pull all of your hair into a low ponytail about an inch from the nape of your neck.

Second, twist your ponytail around your index finger. Start at the elastic and continue to the point where your hair ends.

Third, begin circling your twisted hair around your elastic. Note: it is always easier to circle in the opposite direction of your part. Since Margot’s hair was parted on the right, I circled to the left.

Continue circling until you have a seamless loop.

Last, insert pins into your bun. You want enough to secure the look, but not so many that they show. I placed mine about an inch apart. This look is sleek. Go heavy on both hairspray and shine spray. You’ll notice that Margot’s hair was luminous.

If you’d like to get a gown to compliment your Swan Lake updo, check out Macy’s mega sale today, Wednesday January 15^th. Seriously, several dresses are half off. I found this winter white one there. It has a bit of lace that adds to the mystique of any Swan Lake-inspired hairstyle. Even if you don’t have a formal event right away, by shopping now you can save some serious money. After all, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner!

Anna Gunn’s updo was similar to Margot’s; however, she placed her bun lower on her head, parted her hair on the left, and swooped both front sections over her ears in loose wisps before wrapping them around her bun.

To replicate Anna’s look, place the base of your ponytail so that it touches the nape of your neck. Leave out two hunks of hair in the front on either side of your part.

Curve the hunk of hair on the right over your ear and wrap it above your bun. Pin the strands in place. Then do the same with your left side.

With this style, your hair will look beautiful from any angle, coming and going.

In the past two days I’ve ran the gamut of hairdos from the middle-parted recreation of Amy Adams’ lovely Golden Globes look, to Margot’s right-parted bun, and Anna’s left-part. I’ve gone from plaited buns to sleek, and then wispy ones. I think my hair could use a break from being push and pulled to and fro, but it was worth having the fun of creating these classic looks 🙂