Buffy the Vampire Slayer was and probably still is a heroine to many '90s kids all over the globe. There were so many things to love about her: Her kick ass fighting skills, her witty quips, and her iconic '90s inspired Buffy the Vampire Slayer hairstyles. I want to say that I always loved this show, but there were times when I was so terrified by it that I almost didn't like it; Buffy and I had a love/hate relationship.
For instance, do you remember that episode where there's a witch on the loose and at the end of the episode her spell backfires and she becomes trapped in a trophy? You'd think that this would be a happy moment, but the freakish special effects showing the trophy with panicked human eyes and making muffled screams/pleas is just bone chilling.
As a kid with a super overactive imagination, these Buffy the Vampire Slayer moments made my brain go into overdrive, and had me picturing the nice bus driver's face morphing into a vampiric smile or getting freaked out that someone had a voodoo doll of me. It was a similar story with The Witches — the movie based on Roald Dahl's novel — it used to scare the crap out of me but I just couldn't stop watching it. Remember the girl trapped in the painting and the freakish way in which the protagonist is transformed into a mouse? It still gives me the creeps.
Although I'm sometimes not a huge fan of the scary Buffy the Vampire Slayer plot lines, one thing I will always admire is Buffy's epically '90s hairstyles. To find out how they'd hold up in 2015 and to see if a mere mortal could pull them off, I recreated a selection of her most memorable hairstyles at home.
Before
This is my normal, just washed and blow dried. As you can see, it is naturally straight and rather long (I'm thinking of having a good few inches snipped soon). I was super excited to conduct this hair experiment as I think Buffy is a legendary style icon of the '90s.
However, I was a little nervous about the fact that I don't have any bangs and my hair is more or less the same length, which is very different to Buffy's super layered look.
1. The Classic Buffy
More often than not, Buffy was seen with her hair down, worn in a center parting, and looking very sleek and straight. Here she is pictured looking very Britney–esque, with choppy hair layers and holding a wooden stake. Unfortunately, I did not have a stake lying around so I opted for a chopstick as my prop. Although with it actually being made of plastic, I'm not sure how useful it would be in a fight against a vampire.
To achieve this look, I left my hair down but messed it up with my fingers a little to try and give it a textured appeal like Buffy's 'do.
Verdict: This style would look much better with the addition of '90s "Rachel" style layers. I am actually seriously considering going for this look on my next trip to the hairdresser's, as I think it's such a youthful look that would take a lot of the weight out of my barnet.
2. The Up/Down '90s 'Do
Another classic style of the 1990s was the up/down hairstyle worn by an array of our favorite teen icons such as Sabrina the Teenage Witch. It was cool because it was quite a blasé style and showed that the wearer could look pretty while seemingly not taking long to style her locks.
To create this look, I brushed back the hair around my hairline and created a high ponytail with it. I then pulled the hair around my face slightly loose so that it had a more relaxed feel. After this I grabbed my Hard Rock Cafe stirrer as I didn't have a lollipop in the house to pose with.
Verdict: This style is OK. If it were a flavor of ice cream, it would definitely be vanilla.
3. The Low Ponytail
The low ponytail was another of Buffy's favorite looks. It makes sense really; if you're kicking monster butt, you're gonna' need your hair out of your face. I totally fluked this look with my roots that seriously need dyeing, because they're just like Buffy's dark roots! I was going to put ketchup on my knife but I thought that may be going a bit too far.
Verdict: I don't know how she does it but Buffy manages to make even a plain, low ponytail look glamorous. On me, however, I think it detracts, rather than adds anything to my appearance.
4. The Messy But Cute Up Do
I think I like this Buffy look the best. She's usually always wearing quite an edgy or tomboyish look when fighting evil, so in her downtime it's nice to see her embracing her feminine side. To achieve this look, I pulled my hair into a high ponytail and separated the "tail" in two. I pinned the two sections behind so that my hair looked shorter. Lastly, I pulled the hair on the top of my head forward and messed up the sides a little.
Verdict: I like this look, although I think I messed mine up a bit too much. The key is to balance on the line between bed head and chic — and let me tell you, it's a very fine line indeed.
5. The Glamorous Waves
As far as I'm aware, I think this image is from one of the later series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as her hair is a lot longer than in the first series. Plus, it appears to have changed as Buffy's character evolved; from a naïve teen to a strong, young woman.
To achieve this look, I dug out my trusty heated rollers. I utilized these as, with my hair being so long, I knew they would just curl the ends and leave the top straight, just like Buffy's style.
Verdict: This is an easy, glamorous look to take you from day to night with little retouching.
Be preened and prepared to vanquish evil at a moment's notice in Buffy the Vampire Slayer hairstyles.
Images: Phoebe Waller; 20th Century Fox Television; Giphy
