GRITTY PRETTY

How To Nail The Slick Bun Without Damaging Your Hair

by ROSE GARNETT

Our favourite beauty trend to come out of the 2020s? Embracing greasy, dirty hair and turning it into the ultimate ‘clean girl’ hairstyle by simply slicking it back into a chick bun. Gross girls unite! We love anything that can help us prolong a hair wash. And while the slick back style a la Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner is easy to achieve in theory, there are some tips and tricks to keep in mind to ensure it doesn’t put too much stress on your delicate strands. No one wants to wake up one day with a receding hairline because they donned a slick Rick look one too many times.

The Brush An artist is only as good as their tools—and the same can be said for slick bun enthusiasts. Without the correct hair brush, you could find yourself ripping, tearing and breaking your hair off while trying to get that perfect high-bun angle (more on that later). So, invest in a proper smoothing brush to gently sweep your strands into the preferred spot and ensure your hair is pulled back in an even way (which will give the appearance of thicker, shinier hair).  Our favourites include the Base Camp Beauty Smooth Finish Bristle Brush, the Rory Rice Boar Hair Bristle Brush and the Denman Natural Bristle Single Nylon Quill Medium Grooming Brush.

The Slicking Mechanism Almost more important than the tool is the mechanism chosen to slick the hair back and achieve that put together look. Many reach for gel to give that wet look, but this can become damaging and stressful on the hair when it is applied in such huge amounts. After all, it is sitting in the hair for upwards of 12 hours, so you want something that will keep it sleek but will also nourish at the same time.  Our advice? Look for a nourishing hair mask or serum to keep your hair back. As it is sitting in your roots, it’s best to opt for something lightweight and workable (i.e. not your ultra-nourishing, once-a-week hair mask).

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