I've never wanted to stick flowers in my hair as much as I did when I looked at this picture. And OK, Candice Swanepoel (that's her, above) could probably make a paper bag look sexy, but the rest of us have actually got a shot at pulling off flowers in the hair, like the ones she—and Chrissy Teigen, Georgia May Jagger, and Selena Gomez—all wore at the Met Gala. And since I've got some slightly less glamorous parties coming up, I found out exactly how to wear flowers in the hair so they look this hot, rather than hippie.
1. Pick your flower. You want something with a sturdy stem and strong petals that won't wilt and look sad, like orchids (which Teigen and Gomez wore) or (my personal fave) gardenias, like the ones in Swanepoel's hair. They also happen to smell amazing, and "it's a wonderful feeling being enveloped in that every time you move," says hairstylist Italo Gregorio, who did Swanepoel's hair for the Met Gala. "I never use just the flower—a few small, delicate green leaves gives a more natural effect. "I kept the flowers in place with bobby pins, carefully placed below the chignon," he says. (Mist the bobby pins with hair spray first so they stay put all night.)
2. Chill the flowers before you wear them. It sounds like a little thing, but placing cut flowers in water and refrigerating them overnight makes the buds "look fresh and crisp the next day," says New York City florist Miho Kosuda.
3. Keep things subtle. The more flowers you wear, the more eccentric the look feels—but a bun with two flowers on one side is always pretty. "Part it on the side for a softer feeling," says Gregorio. To get your hair as smooth and shiny as Swanepoel's, he suggests mixing mousse with one drop of serum in your hand (he likes Wella Mirror Polish Shine Serum), combing that through wet hair, and blow-drying it straight with a big round brush. Then double down on the shine factor: After securing Swanepoel's chignon with bobby pins, he smoothed Wella Smooth Brilliance Shine Pomade over the hair with his fingers.
4. Remember, it's a head-to-toe look. In other words, don't wear flowers with a sparkly, sequined dress. They work really well with delicate fabrics, like lace, especially if you "keep the silhouette sleek. Otherwise you'll wind up looking fussy," says stylist Anita Patrickson.
With reporting by Sophia Panych
Get even more romantic-hair inspo:
• 10 Romantic Hairstyles You Need to Try
• The 13 Prettiest Date-Night Hairstyles
• The 9 Most Romantic Hairstyles of All Time
