Mariska Hargitay Hairline Pompadour How To

Mariska Hargitay Hairline Pompadour How To

Mariska Hargitay (born Mariska Magdolna Hargitay on January 23, 1964) is noteworthy for taking her tresses to new heights with an ever changing array of hairline pompadour she wears with a range of hair lengths, textures, colors and styles.

You might not initially think of Mariska as someone who rocks hairline pompadours, but if you go back and check out her various hairstyles over the years you will see a variation of her hair bumps.

I especially love when she creates a hairline bump which shows off her highlights and lowlights.  Who knew that when Elvis first showcased his greased back pompadour that someday it would be recreated in a beautiful and graceful manner on a gorgeous celebrity like Mariska?

Hairline Pompadours Are Hair Bumps

Hairline pompadours are also known as hair bumps and were popular recently of Snooki  (Nicole Polizzi) on MTV's Jersey Shore and her various hair bump configurations.

Mariska Hargitay is best known for her role as New York City sex crimes Detective Olivia Benson on the NBC television drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a role which has earned her multiple awards and nominations, including an Emmy and Golden Globe.

For a night out on the town, adding an extra dose of hairline height creates a more glamorous look.  A medium-sized pompadour can make any hairstyle look super-chic.  The key is to keep is age and hair type, texture and style appropriate.  You can combine a hairline bump or pompadour with an updo, a half up or half down do or even when wearing hair completely down.  The options are endless.

Avoid A Too High Pompadour

The key to creating a successful hairline pompadour is to avoid making it too high.  If it looks like something is hiding inside, than the pompadour is too high.  A pompadour shouldn't be higher than the total length of the forehead.

Remember if a hairline pump or pompadour gets too high you could become a cone head.

Who Can Wear A Hairline Pompadour?

Anyone, male or female of any age can wear a hairline pompadour.   Will it look great on everyone?  Probably not but every person should evaluate their current hair type, texture and goals to determine if a hairline pompadour would work for them.

Ideally a pompadour requires that there be a fringe or bangs already cut at the hairline.  If the hair is currently all one length a hairline bump may be more challenging to create. If hair at the hairline tends to frizz, this could also be an issue to consider when opting for this type of hair look.

Hairline Pompadour For Naturally Textured Tresses?

Hair which is naturally wavy or has some bend may be easier to work with since naturally straight hair can sometimes be slippery.  Naturally textured curly or coily tresses might not be ideal for creating a hairline bump.  Since naturally textured hair is often not conducive to a fringe, it may be difficult to style a hairline pompadour.

Pompadours or hairline bumps, when done correctly can help add height to a round face and elongate a short forehead.

How To Steps

Listed below are the steps to creating a hairline pompadour or bump like Mariska Hargitay wears in the image at the top:

1.  Whether your hair is freshly washed or not, be sure to have a good dry shampoo available to spray or sprinkle onto your  tresses to achieve instant traction at the hairline.

Note: Many people don't realize that by first prepping your hair with dry shampoo (my favorite is from Rene Furterer) you instantly give slippery hair some grip and added texture.

2.  Section out the portion of hair at the hairline you wish to create into the hairline pompadour.  Keep the rest of your hair pulled back into a bun or ponytail to allow focus on the the area at the hairline.

Note: Optionally you can go with a wide or narrow pompadour depending on your individual hairstyle goals and hair texture.  If you have a pre-existing fringe or layered hair along the top of your head you can play with a variety of pompadour looks.

3.  Separate the target area into 1" sections.  Back comb each section with a 100% boar bristle brush, a teasing comb or similar.

Continue to separate the entire area into individual 1" sections until the entire area is backcombed to the desired height.

Once you have your goal height then use your fingers or the palms of your hands and lightly smooth the area into a bump design.

4.  Optionally you may or may not decide to pin the area with bobby pins the same color as your hair.

If your fringe is long enough you may simply wish to spray it with a hair spray to hold it firmly in place.  The front of your hair should have a bump of back combed hair which has the top hairs smoothed down to create a chic look.

5.  After you have created your hairline pompadour finish styling the rest of your hair into the desired style.

Finish The Hairstyle

Optionally you may wish to amp up your look by sliding a thin headband between the hairline pompadour and the back of your head.  This works to hold the hairline pompadour in place and also adds a nice contrast.