Wednesday 16 December 2015

Cosplay hairstyles - Fem!Tenth Doctor updo

Another cosplay hairstyle post, this time about the updo I go for when cosplaying a genderbent version of the Tenth Doctor from Doctor Who.

 Seeing as I can exactly have sticky-uppy hair in Tennant's way with knee-length hair (most unfortunately xD)...
..I usually go for a gelled flipped bun with volume at the front and ends out of the bun - A mix of sleek and 'casual-messy' that I feel would suit a fem!Ten very well (if she had long hair, that is):

 
And it actually looks a bit like a long hair version of Ten's 1950s pompadour in The Idiot's Lantern:



Depending on the day, I get a more dramatic pompadour (never up to Missy's standards because that would be too much for Ten, of course) or a more subtle one. 
  • I used:
-A 2-prong wood hair fork
-Bobby pins 
-Spin pins and/or open bobby pins to secure the updo
-Hair rats (synthetic clumps of hair to create volume. You can also use rats made of your own hair)
-Hair gel
-Hairspray
-Backcombing comb
-Tangle teezer (to undo the backcombing without harming the hair) and a baby brush (to brush away the hairspray)
                                    
Regarding hair fixators, in my day-to-day styles I avoid hairspray and other strong fixators. I  use light fixators, such as aloe vera gel, daily because of static and flyaways, and sometimes a bit of hair gel, in some specific cases (French braids or side braids, usually and not always). At the moment I only use hairspray for some cosplays, where I need to secure a style for a shoot or a whole day in a convention. The build-up is easily removed next time I wash my hair, and given that I have greasy roots, applying hairspray sporadically to my hair (minus the lower length, hairspray in the ends is a huge nope) actually doesn't dry my hair out, so yay. Not a fan of applying tons of hairspray, though (and I hate that smell, why, gods, why), and I think it's completely unnecessary and harmful for the hair to use hairspray and other alcohol-based products in a daily basis. So for  me, it's just for sporadical cosplay events.

As for backcombing, it's also a sporadical thing for me and limited to cosplay events. I don't think that sporadical backcombing in the root area harms my hair (emphasis on sporadical, every few months, for example), especially when I use the Tangle Teezer in order to undo the tangles safely without breaking the hair. I usually avoid backcombing, but there are cases, such as front pompadours (especially dramatic ones, such as the one Missy from Doctor Who has), where I find it necessary, especially considering my fine-textured straight hair. A backcombed base also helps the hair stay in place with the added boost of the hair rats (hair rats on their own can work for some hair types, but I definitely need some backcombing to keep the hair up).  I go for pretty light backcombing for the Tenth Doctor's pompadour, though, nothing overly dramatic.
But I strongly advise not to backcomb the length and ends of the hair - that hair is more delicate and can easily break. Backcombing often is also harmful because it can easily destroy hair thanks to continuous mechanical damage.  
  • Steps (will be uploading a video tutorial in the near future):
1. Creating volume at the front:
-Separate a front section of hair and backcomb it lightly (optional) with a backcombing comb. Add a hair rat/hairpiece under it, securing it to the scalp with a bobby pin if necessary (I don't have to do this with a backcombed base). I used a larger piece in the centre and two smaller pieces on each side, all covered by the hair I had sectioned.
-Create more volume and further secure the floss by puffing the hair up and keeping it in place with bobby pins.
-I fixed the 'pompadour' with hairspray and a bit of hair gel, especially because I was going to spend the whole day at a convention and needed the volume to stay in place.


2. The flipped bun:
-Comb your hair up into a high ponytail, smoothing the sides and nape section and avoiding the frnt section you have just added volume to.
-Without tying the ponytail with an elastic, begin twisting the hair into a flipped bun, leaving the ends out of the bun before flipping the bun up. Secure it with a fork or the hairtoy of your choice, plus add spin pins and/or open pins to further secure it where needed.
-Because Ten's hair is always gelled, I added some hair gel to smooth the sides and get the ends a bit sticky-uppy :)
-Add some more hairspray to the whole look if needed (I did that because of the convention), and it's done!


Pic gallery:




 


 
A more dramatic pompadour:

And a very subtle version, with hardly any front volume:


And finally, here's another version with a less dramatic pompadour in a non-cosplay context (open in new tab for larger pic):


SwordWomanRiona / rionashairblog.blogspot.com.es

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4 comments:

  1. It's a very elegant style, for certain. ♥ ♥ ♥
    But you make a terrible guy, you're far too pretty, LOL

    Have a blessed Christmas and a year of success in 2016!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you :) Happy new year to you as well :)

      I would like, however, to point out something about the phrase "you make a terrible guy, you're far too pretty". This is a genderbent cosplay, so technically I'm a female version of the character, but forgive me when I say that I resent being told that I can't do crossplay (cosplaying a character as the opposite gender) because 'I'm too pretty'. When I cosplay I do it for fun, and my appearance, sex and gender (I'm non-binary) isn't that important to me. Sex, gender, race, age and appearance shouldn't matter when it comes to cosplay, in my opinion.

      Also, I especially like doing genderbent cosplays based on a character who is originally male because male characters are usually way more empowered than most female characters (unfortunately many female characters are lacking in that respect), plus they get to wear clothes which are both stylish *and* comfy, which is another plus :)

      Also, aren't males allowed be 'pretty' too? (or 'attractive', if one thinks that 'pretty' is too 'girly' a word (I don't agree) :/). Are you implying that David Tennant isn't 'pretty' xD?!

      I know that you had good intentions when you wrote this, and I genuinely thank you for the compliment, but I just wanted to clarify why that phrase bugged me.

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  2. Totally understand. Wishing you a large collection of "pretty" guys for 2016. Have an awesome 2016 and thanks for sharing. ♥

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for understanding and thank you :) I have no wish for a 'collection' of guys, though, the 'pretty guys' vs 'pretty girls' part of my former comment simply aimed to comment on that double standard ;)

      Delete