Oscars Hair Trend: How to Rock the Red Carpet Ponytail, Courtesy of E! Style Collective

Learn a few tips to getting effortless red carpet hair

By Megan Vigil Feb 23, 2015 9:30 PMTags
Dakota Johnson, 2015 Academy Awards, Hair, BeautyJason Merritt/Getty Images

Trust us—red carpet hair doesn't have to be a big deal. 

With the influx of the no-makeup makeup look and norm-core fashion, hair has also taken an effortless turn. It was interesting to see one of the biggest events in Hollywood, with leading ladies strutting their stuff while rocking simple 'dos.

The Oscars red carpet saw actresses like Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Dakota Johnson and Leslie Mann sporting some serious pony love.

These effortless updos give us regular Janes a chance to mimic our red carpet inspirations at home without a celebrity stylist. Here are a few tips to recreating an award-winning ponytail.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

For mimicking the Mann-do or the Dakota-pony, we'd recommend starting off with second-day, unwashed hair infused with a dry shampoo to begin your voluminous style prep. 

Decide if you want your hair straight or curly. Johnson and Dewan-Tatum's tails had some "lived-in" bend to it, whereas Mann's had super-thick spirals bursting out everywhere,

For the slight-bend, use a flat iron or large curling wand to curl large chunks of hair. Don't curl to the very ends and tease hair at the roots. If you're opting for the tight curls, grab your curling wand and get busy filling your head with your desired tendril level.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Next, pick your part—or a lack thereof depending if you're doing bangs or slicking hair straight back. Actresses Jennifer Lopez and Gwyneth Paltrow took a more manicured approach to their looks and wore slicked-back styles with deep side-parts.

Pull the hair back into your height choice. Is your pony going to get low, high or mid-range? Depending on the finish you're looking for, we recommend using a boar brush to set hair into place.

If you're going slick, prepare hair with a styling balm or pomade and press the brush firmly against the scalp before slicking the hair into a rubber band.

For the messier finish, lightly graze your brush over the outermost layers of the hair to secure with a band. Use hairspray to set.

This look is perfect for shopping with friends, a dinner date with someone special and—as we saw last night—a date with Oscar.