The ponytail is undoubtedly the most ubiquitous hairstyle on the planet, we thrash it at the gym and in the shower, in the garden, in the kitchen, on a run, on a commute and on bad hair days. It’s like an old friend that doesn’t ever demand anything from us, a comfy pair of sneakers. Then along comes Bella Hadid and her perfect pony showing us how it’s done and reminding us that we probably do need to put in a bit of quality time with our old friend ponytail.

IT’S ALL IN THE PREP

Before you snap your hair up into an elastic band spend some time prepping for the texture you want. Whether it’s straight, beachy, bouncy or tousled, pick up a heated tool and invest the time to style it right.

STICK TO THE BASICS

Choose a product and stick to it. There’s no need for things to get complicated. Use hairspray for natural volume and shine, salt spray for a matte tousled ponytail, serums for smoothing, gel for a sleek finish and paste for high definition texture.

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR PONYTAIL SHOULD GO?

Take your bone structure for a test-drive by tying up your hair in a few different places, high, low, at the crown, or to the side and see which you like best. Taking selfies will do the job too.

GETTING ALL YOUR HAIRS TRAVELLING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IS ESSENTIAL TO A GREAT PONYTAIL

Use a comb or a boar bristle brush or your fingers to gather up your ponytail making sure they are stroking your scalp right up to the point where your elastic will be. Once you’ve snapped on an elastic use a blow-dryer to gently blow the flyaways into place, or out of place depending on your personal taste.