Let’s face it: Brigitte Bardot was the true originator of the Bumpit. But her signature teased hair treads a fine line between sex kitten and Snooki. To find out how to replicate a Bardot bump that’s more sexy coquette than Jersey Shore, the Cut turned to hairstylist Michael Angelo of Wonderland Beauty Parlor.
Step 1: Start by separating a small four-inch portion of hair from the crown of the head, being sure to leave some face-framing pieces. Spray it generously with hair spray, in this case Oribe’s Superfine Hairspray. Note that for this style, to avoid “Gym, Tan, Laundry” connotations, your hair should have some texture, whether it be slept-in mussed curls or loose, relaxed beach waves. Some bangs also couldn’t hurt.
Step 2: Start by slightly back-combing the roots of the hair you’ve set aside to create volume in front of the crown. Don’t back-comb too much or your bump will look overly voluminous. Angelo suggests not back-combing more than two or three times.
Step 3: Now comes the crux of the Bardot look. Twist the hair over the section you teased and then push it slightly up to create the pouf.
Step 4: Pin the style into place. You can play around with how high or low you want the pouf, depending on your face type. If you have a longer or more angular face, you’ll want to place the pouf a little lower. If you have a rounder face, go higher to draw attention to the eyes and cheekbones.
Step 5: You can also play around with inserting a hair ornament into the base of the pouf, leaving out a few face-framing pieces. In this case, Angelo inserted Jennifer Behr’s Victoria Comb.
Step 6: The finished look.
