The LOOK: How to Create the Perfect Top Knot Bun for the Holidays
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Frank Barbosa, GoLocalProv Style Expert
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Simple yet elegant, the top knot is a modern day classic. Photo: In This Fleeting Moment/Flickr
Are you looking to change your hair from drab to fab this holiday season? Here’s an easy step-by-step guide to create the perfect top knot just in time for that special holiday gathering or party.
1) First, I like to start with texture and shine by spraying the root area with Rene Furterer Naturia spray for clean volume with some texture. Then, from mid- length to ends, use a shine serum or cream.
2) Next, using a flat iron or curl wand to seal in shine while creating texture. My favorite flat irons at the moment are from Sultra, which you can find at Sephora. Then break up by running fingers through your hair.
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3) Gather hair up to the top of your head, secure while twisting hand around pony, but do not pull pony through elastic banding using hair pins. Rather, secure different pieces into shape with a chopstick or tail comb lift hair around hairline to soften look. Next, spray lightly with hairspray. I would use the Rene Furterer Vegetal hair spray, which is totally workable.
Final Thoughts
Simple yet elegant, the best thing about this look is that it marries a myriad of looks and is super easy to do. It’s also customizable and is great for casual days or special events. The top knot is a new classic!
From Sex and the City 2 to Rachel Getting Married, from The Sorcerer's Apprentice to Bride Wars, Frank Barbosa has styled some of the biggest celebrities in film, TV, and theater. He's just finished styling on location alongside film stylist Alan D'Angerio on the film, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, starring Jennifer Garner. He's been in the industry for 17 years, moving from hip neighborhoods in Chicago, to Boston's Newbury St, to Bellevue Avenue in Newport. He maintains that his real passion, though, is being behind a salon chair at Frank Antonio Hair and Makeup in Newport.
Related Slideshow: 2013 Gift Guide: Great Gifts for Her
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Charm Bangle
Are you looking to find a memorable gift for that special woman in your life? Why not get her a customizable charm bangle bracelet from Alex and Ani? Bracelets come in either gold or silver, while Alex and Ani offers a nearly endless variety of charms. From spiritual symbols to birthstones, Alex and Ani allows you to pick the charm the best embodies special someone.
Price: $28
Buy it from: Alex and Ani has five retail stores throughout Rhode Island. Click here to find the location nearest you or shop online at alexandani.com.
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Cozy Accessories
Warm her up with a gift of comfort and joy. Check out the vividly hued hats, scarves and gloves at Karol Richardson in Newport. This joyous boutique will find you pondering between eternity scarves and fingerless mitts by Wooden Ships in great crayon colors sure to brighten up her dreary winter day.
Price: $32-$52
Buy it from: Karol Richardson, 24 Washington Sq., Newport
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Gorgeous Lingerie
Whether it's a nightgown for Mom or a sexy bra set for sis, a well-crafted piece of lingerie is an utterly luxurious gift. But don't leave yourself off Santa's list. Let a stunning lace chemise find its way into your shopping bag when you search for girly gifts for others. You will get thanks galore on Christmas Eve!
Price: $28-$198
But it from: Deborah Winthrop Lingerie, 424 Thames St., Newport
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Beautiful Jewelry
Who doesn't want a little bling under the tree on Christmas morning? Flatter her with your best-things-come-in-small-packages sensibility and choose something unique from this lovely little shop. Our suggestion would be a gemstone necklace or ring in their signature lollipop colors. It doesn't have to be fancy; just sweet and adorable.
Price: Beginning at $900
Buy it from: Tiffany Peay Jewelry, 3851 Main Rd., Tiverton Four Corners
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Perfume
Think outside the perfume box this year and fete her with a special “niche” fragrance that is out of the ordinary. Mignonette carries Caron perfumes from the old world Paris perfume house. If nothing tickles your fancy, splurge on Caron’s beautiful and extravagant powder puff instead.
Price: $40-$85
Buy it from: Mignonette, 301 Wickenden St., Providence
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Skin Indulgences
Farmaesthetics is Rhode Island’s pride and joy as a premier natural skin care line. What we love about it is its greenness, localness, AND sophistication. Show her you understand her needs with their Seasonable Salt Cabinet web special. Make her long winter baths spa-worthy right at home while you take on the kids and their new toys. Or shop their inspiring Newport store and come away with their Big, Beautiful Box of Everything. She may just find a big, beautiful way to thank you!
Price: Bath Salts Gift Set $25; Big Beautiful Box of Everything $275
Buy it from: Farmaesthetics, 114 Bellevue Ave., Newport.
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Fanciful Evening Bags
With New Year’s Eve looming, a darling evening bag is a coveted gift. These are not your mother's bags—most are handmade and textural with velvety fabrics, feathers, and sequins. But if you think an unpretentious bag is the chicest, a black envelope of boiled wool with a little tone-on-tone lace lets her get her Chanel on! It will look gorgeous tucked under her arm for that midnight champagne toast.
Price: $18-$50
Buy it from: Blue Hydrangea, Main St., Wickford.
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Compact Beauties
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Price: $89-$295
Buy it from: Nordstrom, 6 Providence Place, Providence
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Luxurious Facial Cream
Enter Roses - not the flowering variety but the bare essence of the thirty roses that go into each tube of Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream. This lush emulsion has a major cult following and for good reasons: the delicate rose fragrance will delight the senses while the cream protects delicate outer skin against harsh winter weather. She’ll toss it in her bag for those outdoor Kennedy Plaza skating sessions. The entire Hauschka celebrity-endorsed line will be a welcome sight under her tree.
Price: Rose Day Cream $42.95
Buy it from: All That Matters, 315 Main St., Wakefield
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Ultimate Splurge
This gossamer sweater may be the ultimate in plush decadence but what better way to say I love you than to wrap her shoulders in its filaments of sparkly warmth? The neutral grey go-with-anything hue will look party lovely over a winter white dress on New Year’s Eve or with a tank and jeans on the couch before the fire. Wherever you clink your champagne glasses and share that midnight kiss, you’ve given her a piece that will stand the test of time. And isn’t she worth that?
Price: Blissful loveliness for $1,500.
Buy it from: R.G.E., 1775 Bald Hill Rd., Warwick
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