Curly Half-Up Ponytail with ghd Purple

If you’ve read my blog for a while (*cough* and if not then why not, hey?) then you might have heard me rave about ghd before – in fact, more than once. I’ve been a long time advocate of the brand and, while I know other electrical brands have upped their game over the last couple of years, for me ghd are still the ONE. Clearly plenty of other people agree, as this ghd are celebrating 16 years of giving all of us those good hair days – and to mark their birthday, they’ve released one of their bestselling stylers, the IV, in a limited edition Purple finish. 

I was kindly sent the new IV Purple Styler* recently to try out. For the past couple of years I’ve been using a V styler, which is technically the next model up from the IV so I was interested to see how they compared. And I can confirm, the original’s still got it going on (insert sassy click of the fingers here, girlfriend).

Smooth plates that glide through hair with ease, contoured edges that allow for curling as well as straightening, as well as whole host of extra features including a 30-minute sleep mode – ahh, what’s not to love about the ghd IV? And we also can’t deny that this new purple finish looks absolutely FIT. Nope, no other words will do – it’s a fittie.

Although they’re called Stylers now rather than straighteners, I know that a lot of people still haven’t really got used to using their ghds for creating curls or waves. While I’m definitely no pro when it comes to styling (I doubt the back of my hair has ever been fully straight tbqh), using ghds to curl is one of the few hair techniques that I’m proud to say I’ve mastered. So for anyone who’s unsure how to create curls without a wand, I’ve put together the little guide below.

A curly half-up ponytail is one of my go-to hairstyles. It’s relaxed and fun while still looking quite ‘put together’, and also keeps those annoying side bits of hair out of your face. I like to use a clear elastic or nude hair bobble for my little pony (excuse me while I stop laughing at ‘my little pony’), but you can use a jazzy scrunchie if you want to go for full ’90s vibes.

Curly Half-Up Ponytail Tutorial

Step 1: Section the top layer of your hair off with a clip.
Step 2: Take a section of hair around two inches wide and clamp the plates down. You can use a smaller section if you want smaller, tighter curls, but I’m a fan of a loose wave so keep the sections pretty wide.
Step 3: Keep the plates closed as you move the styler down the section of hair, twisting it away from your face as you go.
Step 4: Continue this method until the end of the hair and then release. Leave the curl to cool and repeat this all around your head.

Step 5: Let your top layer of hair down and repeat this process all around your head.

Step 6: Once the curls have all been left to cool, lightly brush them through with a Tangle Teezer to soften them. No Honey-Boo-Boo ringlets here.
Step 7: Take a front section of your hair in a rough triangle shape from your forehead backwards. You can go as far back as you like depending on how big you want your ponytail to be. Secure this with an elastic.
Step 8: If needed, curl smaller sections of your ponytail for added bounciness.

Aaaaand you’ll be left with a little something that looks like this (red tassel earrings for extra sass are optional but highly encouraged). A big thank you to ghd for supplying me with their lovely new styler!

Are you a fan of ghd? Let me know in the comments!

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