You would think throwing my hair up in a pony tail would be an easy task. Well, I guess it is. But, throwing it up in a pony and having it actually look like I didn’t sleep through my alarm clock, but instead had the time and ability to style it is a whole other challenge. Luckily, there’s help with that in NYC. The John Barrett Salon (which lives on the 8th floor of Bergdorfs) now has a pony  tail bar. I know, it sounded ridiculous to me too. But since I was smitten with their braid bar, I decided to give it a shot.

First of all, you instantly feel fancy walking into Bergdorfs, having someone ask if you need any help, and saying oh no thank you, I’m going up to the salon. Just like the braid bar, when I arrived I was given a lookbook of countless pony options. Kayley, my stylist, helped me pick a horse. I mean, pony.  Then she got busy and in 15 minutes my hair looked like this:

The Braid Bar is still my favorite, because the style lasts for several days. This is perfect for an event when you don’t want to have a real “up-do.” For those of you not in NYC or not shelling out 50 bucks for a pony, Kayley offered the following tips for those trying it at home:

1. Blow out your already dry hair to smooth it out. If you have bangs or layers in the front, focus on those sections. Blow them away from your face.

2. POOF is good. Kayley said that a nice poof in front of your pony helps elongate your face, so don’t be afraid. Comb it back and then tease it up. Hairspray is key here.

3. Pull all of the hair from just above your ear line and below into the pony tail and tie with an elastic. Use the top half of your head of hair and brush it to one side and twist it around the elastic, covering it. OR if you want to put all your hair in the ponytail, make a braid with a small amount of hair on the bottom of the ponytail  and wrap that around the elastic, covering. Pin it in place.

Here’s a how-to from The Beauty Department:

Is your head spinning? Mine, too! Coming soon will be Part 2 of Hairstyles So Easy, You Can Do Them on the Subway and until then, head over to John Barrett’s Pony and Braid Bars.