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The Perfect Party Ponytail for Those Sweaty Nights Out

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Maryland chapter.

I don’t know about you, but when my hair starts to stick to the back of my neck while I’m dancing the night away, it instantly ruins my entire vibe. After years of thinking that my hair would never look good in a ponytail, and suffering through sweaty nights out looking like I had just gotten out of the shower, I am now a changed woman. I have full faith in the party pony. Although it may seem like a difficult style to perfect, it’s actually a lot easier to achieve this look than you may think. It is the perfect hairstyle for when your hair is feeling greasy when you’re in a rush, or if you’re just looking to switch up your look. Ariana Grande, the queen of the party pony, popularized the sleek ponytail look, and she has shown the world that ponytails can work for any occasion. Contrary to the belief that ponytails make your head look bigger, they actually pull your face back and can make your face appear slimmer. If you’re the type of person that is breaking it down on the dance floor every night, or if you’re just too lazy to go through the blow-drying and straightening process, the party pony is the perfect option for you.

Photo Credits: Giphy.com

1.  Start with greasy hair

A party pony can be achieved with clean hair, but starting with greasy hair makes it 10 times easier to achieve the sleek look. As gross as it sounds, the grease acts as a glue and will help you lock in all of those baby hairs.

Photo Credits: Sojournbeauty.com

2. Flip your head over and brush downward

Flip your head over, and before trying to pull all of it together, simply start brushing your hair down while getting rid of any knots. When you brush downward, your hair will get used to being in that direction, and this will make it easier for you to pull all of your hair together.

Photo Credits: Simplysona.com

3. Pull all of the hair together

While your head is still flipped, pull all of the hair together and use your brush to make sure every strand is accounted for. Keep pulling and brushing your hair together in a downward motion until it feels like there are no bumps or knots.

4. Return to a standing position and perfect

Be careful as you start to stand up, you may get a little dizzy, and you don’t want to ruin your hard work by falling over! When you stand up, if there are still bumps, use your brush to brush the sides of your hair first, while still holding your hair together in the ponytail, and then brush the back upward as well. Once the ponytail is up to your standards, use your ponytail to secure it.

5. Hairspray it up baby!

Baby hairs and flyaways are inevitable, so you’re going to need to use a lot of hairspray to get that sleek look. However, you don’t want to make your hair rock hard in case you end up wanting to take your hair down throughout the night, so try to find a medium hold hairspray. I recommend the Garnier Fructis Style Volume Anti-Humidity Hairspray. It is a level three on the style-hold spectrum, and the anti-humidity will keep those frizzy baby hairs from popping out.

Photo Credits: Garnierusa.com

6. Wrap a small strand of hair around the ponytail

If you’re going for a more formal look, take a small strand of hair from your ponytail and wrap it around the ponytail. You can then secure it with a bobby pin behind the ponytail to hide the ponytail and achieve a sophisticated, put together look.

Photo Credits: Misstressextensions.com

Ally Regan

Maryland '20

Ally is currently a Junior at the University of Maryland, and she is majoring in Communication on the Public Relations track. She loves singing, dancing, acting, fashion and playing around with new makeup/hair products. Honey mustard also holds a special place in her heart. In her spare time, you can catch her spending time with friends, taking naps and spending way too much money on coffee and food.