So, my hairstyle today is as painfully accurate as I could make it! It is based off the "Octavia" hairstyle (popularized by Augustus' sister). This bust at the National Roman Museum is also rockin' this 'do:
The plaque below the bust says this about the hairstyle:
This distinctive hairstyle reflects the fashion exhibited by Roman matrons between the end of Late Republican and early Imperial period, and was favored by Octavia, sister of the emperor Augustus. This hairstyle divides the hair in two masses. The back portion is tied in a bun on the nape of the neck, while the front portion is divided into four strands two of which form a small knot (nodus) over the forehead, while the remaining two strands fold back over the head and are tied to the bun at the back.
So I used those as instructions for how I did my hair! First, I separated my bangs from the rest of my hair and pulled the majority of my hair into a bun. Now, with hair as thick as mine, the bun was quite the challenge.
It's still not perfect, but it's the best I could do. It took about a thousand bobby pins, a ton of hairspray, and two elastic hair ties. I don't know how the Romans did it! Of course, they had slaves to do their hair (at least the aristocratic ones did), so that probably made it easier.
So, after I had the bun, I separated my bangs into four strands like the plaque said. I wrapped the two on the sides around my head and around my bun. I had to pin them to keep them in place.
Then came the nodus, and that was super fun.
I took a foam curler, placed it at the base of the strands (on top of my head, just above the forehead) and folded my hair over it. Then I bobby pinned it into place, used hairspray liberally, and carefully removed the curler.
I hope you guys like this -- I worked pretty hard on it!
Comparison between me and the statue