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My first Grace Kelly hair tutorial this week is her back-swept  look. This look also works well for a Mad Men inspired Betty Draper hairstyle.  I really thought that my hair would be too short for this look but it worked out pretty well! This style would be beautiful on shoulder length hair as well.

Grace Kelly inspired outfit via Va-Voom Vintage




I'm using large pin curls for this tutorial. All are stand-up pin curls, meaning they stand away from the head instead of laying flat. This is a ridiculous looking pin curl set until you brush out.

Grace Kelly hair tutorial via Va-Voom Vintage

Start by sectioning hair into 4 parts.
The top- from hairline to the back of your crown
The sides- from the hairline to about an inch behind the ear
The back- from the top of your crown to the nape of your neck.


The back (green ) section- I don't have much hair so I did  two medium sized pin curls at the nape of my neck, both rolled up and one row of two pin curls for the rest, both also rolled up. Sorry, gals! I was getting ready for work while I did this and the back is a hot mess. See, not all pin curls are always perfect but they work out just fine when you brush them out.

Grace Kelly vintage pin curl hair style how to


The top (shown in white arrows)-  I wanted these pin curls to be pretty big so I used a cold curling iron to help roll it to uniform size. Two goofy looking pin curls in the front, both rolled back. Section the rest into one row, 3 large pin curls. The top two are rolled towards the back of the head. The last one at the top of your crown is rolled forward, towards the front of your head.



The sides (in red arrows)- separate this into two sections.

The hair in front of your ear is broken into two sections, to be rolled into two large pin curls, rolled up and back

the rest is one row of 3-4 pin curls, alternating rolling one up, one down, one up and so on. This will form a nice wave when we brush out.

Grace Kelly vintage pin curl hair style how to


Next, I went to work. I looked like George Washington with this crazy pin curl set so I tied on a scarf to not feel so silly.



 Once dry (the next morning for me), remove the pin curls and brush it all back, smoothing out any frizz and breaking up the curl. I used the tiniest dab (dime sized or smaller) of Garnier Fructis Bold It! Power Putty. I'm sure that any creamy styling putty or even an anti frizz serum would work to keep it all sleek and smooth. Just rub it in your palms and run your fingers through your hair.

Grace Kelly hair tutorial via Va-Voom Vintage


 Next I used some of these duck bill clips to hold the sides in place. My hair has a habit of falling forward so this helps. If you don't have these clips, a few bobby pins would be fine.

how to do easy classic grace kelly vintage hair style tutorial


Give it a good coat of hairspray, especially on the sides and top, allow the spray to dry and remove the clips






My outfit today was inspired by Grace. Grace was always effortless, classic and simple in her looks.
 It's very cold here so I wore one of my favorite grey a-line wool skirts which is always a classic, a pussy bow blouse with understated floral print and pistachio green cardigan. Grace kept her accessories to a minimum -unlike myself who tends to go overboard. I wore my pink Lucite bangle as my one flashy accessory, accompanied by a string of creamy delicate pearls, over-sized tortoiseshell sunglasses and a large navy handbag. Practical flats and belt to cinch in the waist completes the look.

how to dress like Grace Kelly


  Outfit
60's pussy bow blouse- thrifted, salvation army
modern green cardigan- thrifted somewhere!
belt-thrifted, st vincent de paul
 new black flats-walmart
vintage lucite bangle-antique mall
vintage navy handbag-thrifted, value village
faux pearls-thrifted, st vincent de paul
vintage sunglasses-gift from my best friend for my birthday