The Hair Academy

FINE HAIR SECRETS 👀 How do you keep thickness in a half-up hairstyle when your client has super fine hair?

One of the biggest giveaways is around the ears. You take too much hair into the half-up section and suddenly there are only a few little curls left underneath + the ear keeps popping through 😩

Texture powder can help stop the hair separating, BUT there’s only so much product can do.

Sometimes the answer is actually really simple: leave more hair out! 🙌🏼

Especially directly above the ear, I’ll adjust my sectioning + add more hair back into the downstyle so it looks thicker and fuller. If you have enough coming back from the front section - The client won't even notice and you'll still have a traditional half up look!

It’s these little adjustments based on the hair in front of you that make SUCH a difference 🤎

Save this for your next fine-haired client!

✨ Comment COURSE for more info on my online + in-person hairstyling courses.

The final “puzzle piece” of this Loop Bun Upstyle 🧩✨

This is where I take that last side section + make it look like it was ALWAYS meant to be part of the style.

I’m activating a little more texture, then blending that section into both my crown + bun so everything connects and flows together — rather than looking like separate pieces stuck onto an upstyle 🙌🏼

It’s these little finishing details that make such a difference to the final result 🤎

Want to learn this Loop Bun Upstyle in depth, step-by-step?

✨ Comment COURSE and I’ll send you more info on my hair education!

More product doesn’t always = better hold 👀

Texture powder has CRAZY good hold… but at what cost? 😂

For loose curls + waves, I DON’T love loading the mids/ends with product generally — because I teach you how to create hold through using the correct technique for the hair type you’re styling.

And I especially hate using texture powder through there.

Why? Because the hair still needs to MOVE 🙌🏼 If the wind gets to it, your client needs to be able to run their fingers through it, move it back into place + still have beautiful hair… not a bird’s nest 😂

A little dry shampoo or texture spray can give you that extra thickness if that’s what you need WITHOUT taking away all that movement. 🤎

It’s not just knowing what products to use… it’s knowing WHEN + WHY to use them.

You learn all about this + so much more inside my Downstyle Mastery Course ✨

Comment COURSE if you want more info on our in-person or online courses!

It’s all in the ELBOW 👀

The angle you hold your curling wand can make SUCH a difference to how smoothly the curl flows.

Watch this to see my best practices for creating curls with your wand to help reduce flyaways + create smoother, cleaner curls 🙌🏼

Want to learn more?

✨ Comment COURSES and I’ll send you info on our online + in-person hair courses!

Want to become a professional Hair & Makeup Artist in Brisbane? 👀

Learning incredible hair + makeup skills is ONE part of building your career… but knowing how to actually get clients + turn enquiries into bookings matters too.

That’s why our Brisbane Hair & Makeup Course doesn’t stop at teaching you the practical skills.

Our Pro HMUA Certification includes the Beauty Business Intensive — so you learn how to build, market + grow your business alongside your professional hair and makeup training. 🤎

✨ Comment WAITLIST for VIP first-cohort offers for our upcoming Brisbane Hair & Makeup Course!

The KEY to making your upstyle work? Get your crown section right FIRST 🙌🏼

Where you position your crown sets up the entire upstyle for success — the shape, balance, volume + where everything else needs to sit.

Get this part wrong and you’ll spend the rest of the style trying to fix it 😩🙅🏻‍♀️

This is exactly why I teach my upstyle courses. Instead of guessing where everything goes, you have a clear plan to follow from the very beginning.

✨ Comment BLUEPRINTS and I’ll send you my foolproof Upstyle Blueprints + video tutorials FREE!

Something BIG is coming 👀🤎

The MeaganEllise Pro HMUA Academy is coming soon ✨

Hands-on, in-person professional hair + makeup education designed to give you the skills, confidence AND tools to actually start your career as a Hair & Makeup Artist.

Want to be the first to know when enrolments open?

✨ Comment WAITLIST to get VIP discounts for our very first cohort.

Ever wondered why you get MORE flyaways when curling with a tong vs a straightening iron? 👀

It actually makes total sense when you understand what the hair is doing around each tool!

And knowing little things like THIS is what helps you choose the right tool + technique for the result you actually want 🙌🏼

Save this one 🤎

Struggle to flat wrap without it turning into a twist wrap? 👀

Here’s the flat wrap tong technique in real time + slowed rightttt down so you can actually see what my hands are doing to keep the hair flat as I wrap it around the tong/wand.

Also.. Stay until the end — I show an actual clear slow-mo using my left hand too!

Save this one for your next practice session 🤎

✨ HOT TIP for smoother straightener curls 👇

If your straightener feels jerky as you move through the hair — or you’re getting those annoying little lines — check the angle of your straightener.

For a volume curl going away from the face:

👉 Right side: straightener tip points UP
👉 Left side: straightener tip points DOWN
(Swap this if you’re left-handed!)

And here’s the part that makes it sooo much easier: use your elbows to keep the angle.

Tip UP = straightener arm elbow DOWN, cool-tip arm elbow UP.
Tip DOWN = straightener arm elbow UP, cool-tip arm elbow DOWN.

Think: one elbow up, one elbow down. 🙌

This helps you keep that beautiful angle AND glide smoothly through the hair instead of that stop-start jerking motion.

Save this one for your next straightener curl practice 🤍