Here's How to Get Kate Beckinsale's Signature Ponytail, Straight From Her Pros

People
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When it comes to her hair, Kate Beckinsale knows better than to fix what’s not broken — which is why you’ll see her in her signature perky pony time and time again. (And for good reason: It’s the definition of #hairgoals.) So we tapped her pros to find out exactly how to master the glamorous (and perfect-for-summer) style that she pulls off so effortlessly.

Kate Beckinsale Ponytails
Kate Beckinsale Ponytails


“Kate has tons and tons of great hair,” hairstylist Nicola Clarke tells PeopleStyle of the ponytail (left) that she created on Beckinsale for the Dior Cruise 2017 Collection Show. “I think it’s about getting texture into the hair, getting enough bend in the hair so it’s tousled and the wave is good. Once you’ve got the right texture, the ponytail is easy.”

Smart , funny and god damn beautiful @katebeckinsale at the #diorcruise #bleniumpalce @dior make up @adambreuchaud nails @kimtreacynails hair by @nicolaclarkecolour @colorwow #kalecocktails

A photo posted by @nicolaclarkecolour on May 31, 2016 at 10:31am PDT

RELATED PHOTOS: Kate Beckinsale’s 25 Most Major Ponytails

After giving Beckinsale a smooth blowout, Clarke wrapped sections around a medium-sized curling iron for a few seconds, and set each curl in a clip before misting it with Sebastian Shaper Zero Gravity Hairspray. “Then we put it up in a high ponytail,” Clarke says, adding that her client is hands on — literally. “She normally arranges the ponytail how she likes it. It’s a three-man team: she holds the base of the pony up and [makeup artist] Adam [Breuchaud] holds the length while I secure the bungee elastic.” Once the ponytail is in place, she rakes the Color Wow One Minute Transformation Styling Cream through the waves to seal the deal.

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For her more casual look (right), hairstylist Laini Reeves says, “The key points to achieving a cool ponytail like this is in the preparation.” First, she applied mousse from roots to ends on Beckinsale’s wet hair. Then, using a Conair Conditioning hair dryer on full blast, she bent the hair into the direction that she wanted it to sit.

#Repost @teamid with @repostapp. ・・・ #KateBeckinsale looking gorgeous at the @newportbeachff last night as she was honored with the Woman of Distinction Award on behalf of her performance in #LoveandFriendship. : @laini_reeves : @adambreuchaud

A photo posted by -and-glory @SOMETHINGARTISTS (@laini_reeves) on Apr 24, 2016 at 2:10pm PDT

“Blow dry the roots with your fingers in the direction of where the ponytail will be,” to get the shape perfect, she explains. “So the front and sides go back and the nape goes up. Once the hair is dry, use a round brush to smooth the ends.”

Then, Reeves backcombed Beckinsale’s hair at the crown to give it some lift, secured the hair in place and curled the ponytail and her face-framing pieces that she pulled from the pony. But the key to a lifted, bouncy tail? Reeves’s trick, which she calls “getting J.Lo-ed”, is back-combing the ponytail to give it more height and thickness.

For more on Kate’s ponys, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE, on stands now!

— Jillian Ruffo, with reporting by Jackie Fields