Hip hip hooray, it's my birthday today and I get to blow out twenty-nine candles. Last year it was a small cake with my parents, but this year I'm going to celebrate it the old-fashioned way with friends and family. The appointment for a makeup look has already been made at M.A.C. Cosmetics and the black dress is already hanging ready for me. And I am so happy that I had a masterclass in hairstyles from Floor Kleyne last week, so I can do my hair a little differently again. This top stylist (with the most beautiful locks herself) can do anything with hair, really something to be jealous of. She had a number of great hair tips that you will definitely benefit from. And of course, I will share those with you. Here they come.

Braids without an elastic
I almost never wear a braid, but when Margot Robbie suddenly had a few casual braids hanging by her face on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, I suddenly wanted that too. The braid just didn't have an elastic at the end, how does it stay in place so well? Here's how it works: you make a small braid, take some hairspray and apply a layer of spray locally at the bottom of the braid. Then you use the straightener. Floor did this with the latest Dyson Corrale at 185 degrees Celsius, then she gently squeezed the straightener open and closed, but only at the end where the hairspray is. You might hear a little crackling (you may have used a bit too much spray), but that's not harmful to your hair. Et voilà, your braid stays in place without an elastic. I think I'm going to do this for my birthday. Isn't it just too fun?

Bangs à la Brigitte Bardot
For everyone with a flat fringe or short layers at the front of your face, this is the tip to create wild bangs. You don't do this with a hairdryer at all, in fact: you do it with a straightener and then it's quite easy. You take a section of about a centimeter from your fringe or lock and then you style the section exaggeratedly to the right with the straightener. Then you take a new section and style it exaggeratedly to the left, and you repeat this with all the sections. Once you've styled everything, you run your fingers through it to make it a bit messy and before you know it, your flat and boring fringe has been transformed into cool bangs.

Image: David Stegenga