Alright, so I got this idea in my head the other week. You know how you see an old music video or a picture and think, “Hey, I remember that look”? Well, I saw some classic George Michael footage, probably from his ‘Faith’ era, and that hairstyle just stuck with me. That volume, the highlights, the way it was kinda swept back but still full. I thought, why not give it a try?
Getting Started: The Plan
First thing, I spent a bit of time just looking at pictures. Lots of them. Needed to figure out exactly which version I was aiming for. There’s the earlier, fluffier Wham! hair, and then the slightly shorter, more structured look he had later. I decided on something closer to the ‘Faith’ album cover look – bit shorter on the sides, decent length and volume on top, definitely needing that textured, highlighted appearance.
Next step was the haircut. Found myself a barber who seemed like they knew their way around styles that weren’t just a basic buzz cut. I took a couple of pictures with me, pointed at them, and said, “Something like this. Need the length on top, shorter sides, make it look… you know, like that.” He kinda nodded, grabbed his scissors, and went to work. Lots of snipping, especially on top to get layers in for volume. He used thinning shears a bit too, trying to get that softer edge, I guess.
The Styling Challenge: First Tries
Okay, haircut done. Looked decent leaving the shop, but the real test is doing it yourself, right? The next morning, I got out of the shower, towel-dried my hair so it was damp, not soaking.
Products I grabbed:
- Some volumizing mousse
- A hairdryer (obviously)
- Hairspray for the finish
I worked a good blob of mousse through my hair, mostly focusing on the roots and the top section. Then came the tricky part: the blow-drying. I remembered seeing stylists lift the hair while drying, so I started doing that, using my fingers mostly. Tried to direct the heat upwards and backwards. It felt awkward. My first attempt? Not great. Kinda flat in places, too puffy in others. Didn’t have that smooth sweep back.
Figuring It Out
Didn’t give up though. Next day, I tried again. This time, I used a bit less mousse. And I changed my drying technique. Instead of just randomly pointing the hairdryer, I leaned forward, drying the front section kind of upside down first to get lift at the roots. Then, I stood up straight and used my fingers to comb it back while hitting it with the dryer. Focused on getting the front bit up and away from my forehead.
It took a few more tries. Realized I needed to get it almost dry before trying to shape it properly. Once it was mostly dry, I used my fingers to push the top back and kinda pinch the sections to give it texture. A quick blast of medium-hold hairspray all over seemed to lock it in better than the super-strong stuff, which just made it crunchy.
Getting Closer
After about a week of messing with it every morning, I started getting something that actually resembled the pictures. It wasn’t identical – my hair isn’t exactly the same texture, and I skipped the highlights for now – but the shape was there. The volume on top, the way it fell back, it felt pretty good. It definitely takes effort, more than just a quick comb-through. You gotta use the product, use the dryer properly. It’s a whole process.
So yeah, that was my little experiment trying to capture that George Michael vibe. It’s a cool style, very of its time but still kinda sharp. Takes some work, but it was fun figuring out how to actually make it happen on my own head.