5 new hairstyles to try for Spring Racing (that look tricky but aren't).

By NAT HAWK

Oh, spring. My favourite time of the year for so many reasons.

It’s warm but not too hot, the crazy Christmas season is not yet upon us, and – best of all – it’s spring racing season.

I’m lucky enough to live close to the racecourse and my girlfriends and I are there whenever possible. We dress up, we put our wedges on (no heels in the grass, thanks), we stock up on champagne and we get ready for an incredible day out. Then we toddle home at 6pm to sober up and get our beauty sleep.

After so many days at the races, I’ve perfected a hair and make-up routine. It’s too expensive to go and get it done every time, and besides – I have super-tricky hair that is easily damaged and easily tangled.

As you can imagine, this kind of hair doesn’t really make friends with hairdressers. I’ve had so many try to give me a pretty up-do, or try for a fun curly hairstyle, only for everything to fall straight out. 800 bobby pins and entire cans of hairspray are generally required to hold anything in place.

All that hairspray and all those bobby pins generally mean that I’m combing my hair out for days afterwards, trying to get rid of all the tangles – and losing/breaking/killing a lot of hair in the process.

So I’ve conned a friend into demonstrating a bunch of hairstyles that are relatively easy to do, but look fancy enough for a day at the races. Also – they won’t destroy your hair. As a general rule, just make sure you’re using a really nice quality shampoo and conditioner – something with keratin is ideal as it repairs any damage you might do, and prevents split ends from occurring.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Dove. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words. 

1. The ponytail – with a twist.

This is a great hairstyle option for a slightly edgier look – and it’s SO easy. Tease your hair at the crown, then pop it up in a ponytail – just leave out a small strand of hair that you can then wrap around the elastic band to hide it.

I don’t have naturally wavy hair, so I make sure to braid my hair the night before and I then sleep on it – it gives it a nice wave without requiring any actual styling tools.

2. The sock bun.

All you need for this is a donut hairpiece – they’re sold all over the place now, try Priceline or a cheap jewellery shop. Put your hair in a ponytail, pull it through the middle of the donut, and then pin your hair all around the donut. It’s such a classy look, it takes less than five minutes to do, and it won’t do any damage to your hair – I don’t even use any hairspray.

3. The fishtail braid.

This is an eye-catching style that keeps your hair out of your face for the day, but still looks really pretty.

Gather all your hair to one side as if you are doing a low side pony tail. Then simply fishtail braid the entire length and tie off with an elastic band. Don’t know how? I promise it’s simple.

Start by splitting the hair into two sections. Take a small piece of hair from the outside of one of the two main sections and bring it to the inside of the opposite section. Then take a small piece of hair from the outside of the other section and bring it to the inside of the opposite section, then pull tight. Keep taking small pieces from each side into the inside of each section to create the fishtail braid.

4. The half-up, half-down.

This is a great option if you’d like to wear a fascinator but want something pretty at the back of your head. All you have to do is take a section of hair from each side of your head and pin them across the head, one at a time (maybe get a friend to do it for you, to make sure it’s nice and neat). It’s especially pretty on really long hair.

5. The side pony – with a twist.

I love a side pony – it looks fantastic from the front, and if you add in a little twist, it also looks gorgeous from the back. This style works with straight hair, although it also works well if you have a little bit of volume and wave through it – add a bit of hairspray to keep it all in place, too.

Which hairstyle are you going to try out this spring racing season? 

Here are some celebrity styles we’re loving for spring…