Estella Practice (1st Attempt)

The biggest issue facing me for the creation of my Estella was in regards to the models hair which at

the time was an unnatural pillar box red on one whole side of her head. Obviously in regards to Victorian beauty conventions this would not have been appropriate for the character portrayal and therefore it was important for me to figure out a way of hiding the hair colour. Fortunately due to the other half of Lily's hair being black in colour I was able to use some black hair extensions and a carefully positioned lace scarf to both hide the red tones and add enough length to create a traditional young Victorian hair design using braids.  From my research I understood that Victorian children's hair was often kept in a rather simple styling and adorned with hair pieces and ribbons to add an element of decoration if the child was from a higher social class. Therefore this was something that I wanted to include in my own final look. One of the key hairstyles that was fashionable within the early Victorian period was that of the side braids, made famous by the Queen herself at the beginning of her reign. This hairstyle was not only simple enough for a child to wear but also meant it was appropriate for my model as it would also me to conceal the hair pieces that I would have to add to the hair. As I presumed that this hairstyle would be relatively simple to create I decided to use one of the braids that I had used for a previous hair experimentation called a basket braid. This was a slightly more elaborate style of plaiting and would therefore add an extra element of decor to the styling.

Obviously as this was my first attempt at creating the hairstyle it turned out rather messy, my biggest issue was concealing the bright red fringe that was at the front of my models hair however once I have figured out the most appropriate position to place the hair extensions then I will have no problem neatening up the plaits. Overall I was pleased with how the hair turned out for a first attempt as it shows that my concept will work and the hair extensions supply enough length on the other side of the head to create an even style. The next step will be to combine the hair with the makeup look and improve the whole styling together ready for my final assessment.