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HAIR STRIKES BACK

Star Wars hairstyles – from Princess Leia’s buns to Rey’s Force Awakens triple knots

The characters from Star Wars are often seen at fancy dress parties

AS fans all over the world celebrate Star Wars day on May 4th we take a look at some of the iconic hairstyles from the films.

With three trilogies spanning decades, there has been a leading lady in each set of films with a unique look.

Star Wars looks are often recreated at fancy dress parties

YouTube/Kayley Melissa
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Star Wars looks are often recreated at fancy dress parties

Princess Leia

Played the late Carrie Fisher, the franchise began in 1977 with Episode IV: A New Hope, followed by Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi in 1983.

The films became a cult-hit, with Princess Leia one of the most recognisable characters thanks to her long-white dress and two side-buns.

Replicated countless times at Halloween and fancy dress parties, here’s how to get her signature hairstyle.

It’s easier to achieve the look if you have long hair, but there’s also a trick for making it work on short hair too.

Princess Leia is one of the most recognisable looks

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Princess Leia is one of the most recognisable looks
  • Brush your hair and make a parting down the middle, and separate your hair into two equal sections.
  • Put your hair into two high pigtails and tie with a hairband.
  • Either plait or twist one pigtail, then wrap it around the base of the pigtail to make a bun – to resemble cinnamon swirls – and then tuck the end under the hair.
  • Secure the hair in place with pins, and you’ll need a lot to ensure the bun doesn’t come apart.
  • Repeat on the other side and spray with hairspray to finish.

If you have short hair, repeat steps one and two but for step three you’ll need two bun shapers.

  • Pull one of the pigtails through the bun shaper, and spread the end of your hair around the entire bun.
  • Try to get cover the bun shaper evenly, and then roll the bun and your hair towards your scalp.
  • Tuck in any loose bits of hair which may have escaped, and secure in place with lots of bobby pins.
  • Repeat with the other pigtail and finish with hairspray.

Padmé

Natalie Portman starred in the prequels

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Natalie Portman starred in the prequels

The second instalment of the films was released in 1999 and starred Natalie Portman as Padmé.

Episode I: The Phantom Menace was released that year, followed by Episode II: Attack of the Clones in 2002, and in 2005 Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was released.

Near the end of episode II, Padme visit a gladiator ring with an intricate bun.

Again this look is easiest if you have longer hair, but you can always add extensions.

  • Begin by gathering all your hair into a high ponytail, and secure with a tie.
  • Take a small section from the pony tail and twist it into a coil, applying a little gel or wax to help hold it in place.
  • Once twisted, pin the end of the to a random point around the circle of the hair band, and if your hair is very long you can also pin down the middle of the twist.
  • Keep repeating the same twist and pin motions with all sections of your hair, and spread out where you fix the ends to get an even distribution.
  • Once you’ve used all your hair adjust the twists if necessary.

Rey

The latest film starring Rey is due for release in 2019

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The latest film starring Rey is due for release in 2019

The latest trilogy was released in 2015 with Episode VII: The Force Awakens, followed by Episode VIII: The Last Jedi in 2017, and the third instalment is due for release in 2019.

These films saw the introduction of character Rey, played by Daisy Ridley.

The character has a signature triple bun look, which is fairly easy to recreate and can be achieved with hair that’s shoulder-length or longer.

  • Firstly section off a portion of hair just above your forehead, typically where a fringe would go, and tie it off and smooth it back, copying how Rey’s hair is smoothed back.
  • Take out two small pieces of hair just above each ear and make sure you don’t tie these up.
  • Now section off the top third of your hair – using the tail from your front section – and begin tying it up as if you were creating a pony tail.
  • But before you pull your hair all the way through on the last tie, leave it in a medium-sized bun, recreating Rey’s look.
  • Use the remaining hair to wrap around the hair tie to hide it.
  • Repeat this with two remaining sections of your hair.
  • You can twist the two side pieces of hair to keep them in place, and secure the look with hairspray.
Daisy Ridley, aka Rey from Star Wars- The Last Jedi, in Wiley video for Lights On looking very different to how she does in movie