This Is What Happens When Real Women Try Pinterest Hair Tutorials
So how easy are most hair tutorials, anyway?
Jamie tried the The Half Up, Half Down tutorial:
Get the full instructions here.
Jamie’s results vs. the tutorial’s results:
Jamie says: “I was expecting it to be harder than it was. The directions make it seem more complex than it is. Only problem was it wasn’t very stable. Don’t think it would last more than an hour or so.”
Arianna’s results vs. the tutorial’s results:
Arianna says: “The instructions on my tutorial were really tricky, to the point that I enlisted help and she also couldn’t figure out what exactly we were supposed to do. But I kind of just winged it based on the pictures, and it came out pretty close? I literally cannot remember the last time I did anything other than a messy bun with my hair, so I had very low expectations.”
Anne Helen’s results vs. the tutorial’s results:
Anne Helen says: “I only watched the first part of the tutorial in order to get a sense of how she was sectioning — and then I just started pinning. I knew that the bobby pins would show and decided not to care. It took about five minutes total. Important note: I use hair powder (I use Bumble & Bumble) in my hair every morning; if I hadn’t put something in for texture, this definitely wouldn’t have stayed.”
Chelsea’s results vs. the tutorial’s results:
Chelsea says: “I’m not particularly great at being patient with hair stuff, but this turned out OK, I think. I didn’t use dry shampoo, which would’ve helped a lot with teasing (I also wish they had a tutorial on teasing for novices like me — I had to enlist the help of Jamie). I also didn’t curl my hair, so that may have affected the way the ponytail looked. I had to do a lot of rereading the instructions, but I think if I did it again, it’s actually really simple/I may do it better and maybe could’ve used a few less instructions.”
Susie tried the Top Knot tutorial:
Susie says: “The tutorial was pretty easy — it took about a minute longer than simply pulling my hair back in a regular bun. I’m not sure I would wear this style again, but I might consider trying out more hair tutorials to mix it up.”
Erin’s results vs. the tutorial’s results:
Erin says: “I had very real flashbacks to every middle school dance I’ve ever gotten ready for while attempting this hairstyle. It looks easy, but before I knew it half an hour had flown by, I had done and redone my hair four times, and all the other girls were out taking their photos already. What I finally achieved (after a co-worker intervened with some dry shampoo and calming words) looks less boho-chic than the inspiration photo, but it looks like a hairstyle nonetheless — a little Martha Washington for my taste, but still, a hairstyle. That’s closer than I ever got in middle school.”
Tasmai tried the Messy Fishtail Braid tutorial:
Tasmai’s results vs. the tutorial’s results:
Tasmai says: “As someone who NEVER tries fancy styles on my hair (it’s not worth the time), this tutorial was easier than I thought it would be. I had to watch the video about four or five times, but I think the result was close to the one portrayed in the tutorial. Now I can add this to my arsenal of styles that includes a top knot, ponytail, and regular side braid.”
Ann Marie’s results vs. the tutorial’s results:
Ann Marie says: “It was hard at first, but once I saw the hairstyle coming together, I actually started to really like the result. The tutorial was pretty easy to follow, but if you’re someone who doesn’t do fancy hairstyles too much, it’s hard to know that I should’ve teased my hair to make it really go bump.”
Alex’s results vs. the tutorial’s results:
Alex says: “Honestly, it wasn’t hard to do at all. The only thing I felt I needed was another mirror to see the back of my head, so that I could line up the braids better, and make it look more like the picture. I wish I had something to curl my hair with a little bit, to make it bouncy like hers — mine turned out more messy than I like it, but overall, I’d try this out for work tomorrow!”
