Photos: Jane Houle
Topknot 2.0: A Cotton Candy Bun Tutorial

Prep:
This look requires texture. Spray a texturizer on damp hair and blow dry with a Mason Pearson brush. Hairstylist Travis Speck recommends Sally Hershberger Supreme Root Lift Spray.

Style:

  1. Gather hair into a high ponytail at the crown and secure with a bungee—a piece of elastic with a hook on both ends. Mastering a bungee will give your ponytails and updos editorial polish as they allow you to achieve incredibly smooth and secure shapes. Anchor one of the hooks to the roots right up against the scalp then twist several times around and secure the other hook to the elastic.
  2. Build mass. This look requires you to backcomb the length of the hair starting at the base. Travis recommends finding a teasing brush made of bone for more efficient teasing. Backcombing involves taking small sections of hair and running the comb against the grain of the hair.
  3. Wrap the teased length of hair using the motion of a “U-turn” to create a desirable shape. Secure with bobby pins or hair pins, with hair pins being the preferred choice as the larger opening of a hairpin allows for a more gentle touch. If you desire a smaller bun, simply wrap the hair more tightly.

Thank you Travis Speck of the Sally Hershberger Salon for helping us create this chic, airy bun!