Dream Doll Hair Is the Grown-Up Version of Your Favorite Childhood Pastime

Luckily, Hair.com ambassador Bradley Leake is an expert in crafting dollhouse-inspired looks that can be replicated on our own real-life locks, giving our dolls a run for their money. Here, he shows us three whimsical hairstyles that take us right back to our childhood bedroom.

What is dream doll hair?

Dream doll hair is characterized by medium-length to long hair that’s styled to be bold, flirty, and feminine. Envision lots of movement and volume, whether in the form of free-flowing strands, a teased half-up, half-down style, or a flippy ponytail. When worn all down, dream doll hair is a bouncy, airy style that you can easily run your fingers through, created using lightweight products that won’t weigh locks down.

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How do you get dream doll hair?

An arsenal of salon-grade products (all outlined in each look below), teasing combs or brushes, and the right hot tools can help get you one step closer to achieving dream doll Hair.

We love a bouncy blowout, creating full, flirty waves with a curling wand, or using a versatile tool like L'Oréal Professionnel’s Barbie X Steampod Hair Straightener + Curling Iron to procure a smooth and sleek look. Wondering what the Steampod is? This steam-powered flat iron straightens or waves any hair type two times smoother* and two times faster (compared to Steampod without the steam and comb) with high-shine results and 91 percent less breakage (after 15 uses with steam and integrated comb vs. Steampod heating plates alone). From beach waves to pin-straight strands, the Barbie X Steampod allows you to explore various dream doll styles while keeping your hair healthy-looking and free of damage.

If you need inspiration to make your dream doll hair come to life, keep scrolling for three easy Leake creations we love.

3 Dream Doll Hairstyles to Try Now

Loose with a Slick Middle-Part

Show off your length and put your facial features front and center by pairing a slicked-down middle part with smooth, cascading hair. Of course, no voluminous dream doll hairstyle would be complete without a bumped-up crown.

Step 1: Apply a heat protectant like Biolage Professional Thermal Active Heat Protectant Spray throughout the hair, then run your flat iron or Barbie X Steampod from the mid-shaft to the ends of the hair to get rid of frizz and flyaways. When you reach the ends of the hair, subtly curl them in toward your face to create some movement.

Step 2: Make a middle part, then use a small teasing brush to sweep back, and then tuck your strands behind your ears, securing them with a bobby pin. Rub a dash of Redken Max Sculpting Gel between your fingers and lightly smooth them over the tucked strands to hold them in place.

Step 3: Finally, tease the crown of hair to add some extra volume to your ‘do. Liberally mist Redken’s Dry Texture Finishing Spray onto the teased section of hair to give it staying power.

Pumped-Up Side Pony

Creating a deep side part gives your face a slimming effect as it sweeps diagonally across your face, while a sassy high ponytail adds volume and helps hide second or third-day hair.

Step 1: Create a deep side part, then apply dry shampoo or a texturizing spray like L’Oréal Professionnel Tecni.Art Next Day Hair Dry Finishing Spray to wavy unwashed hair before pulling it up to the high point of your head. Be sure to leave out a thick face-framing tendril on the heavier side of your part line.

Step 2: Leake has a genius tip to help give the base of your ponytail the appearance of all-day lift. Enter: The hair bungee. Watch the video above to see how it’s done!

Step 3: Lightly tease hair at the base of the ponytail for additional oomph, then lock it in place with some more of your texturizing spray.

Teased Half-Up, Half-Down

Can’t decide between the all-up or all-down looks above? A half-up ponytail with romantic waves is the perfect middle ground to sweep your hair off your face while letting your long locks fly free.

Step 1: Work a bit of Shu Uemura Art of Hair’s Essence Absolue Nourishing Protective Hair Oil through the hair to add instant movement and shine.

Step 2: Carefully part hair horizontally across the crown and slick back hair to create a small half ponytail; tie it with an elastic. Ensure sleekness of your half-up pony by spritzing Matrix Vavoom Triple Free Extra Dry hairspray all over the top of the head.

Step 3: Using your Barbie X Steampod or a large barrel curling iron, curl the ends of the hair and pin them up until they cool. After curls set, shake hair out and enjoy the perfect bouncy texture. Give strands another spray of your Matrix Freezing Spray, if desired.

Find these products and more items to live out your dream doll hair fantasy on Hair.com.