Jazz singer Amy Winehouse is almost as famous for her hair as her wild child ways and her music. She’s also something of a trend setter. Her trademark beehive hairstyle and Sixties make-up have launched a retro revival. HILARIE STELFOX asked stylists at a Huddersfield salon to recreate the Amy Winehouse look.

THE BEEHIVE was a popular hairstyle of the Sixties.

Achieved through lots of back-combing and lashings of lacquer, it was an icon of the decade, and a style that has been revived in the 21st century by singer Amy Winehouse.

We asked stylists Jane Prentice and Julie Hanley of the Vanilla salon in Aspley how Amy’s style can be recreated.

Our volunteer models were Paige Taylor, 16, and Ruby Wright, 14. Paige, from Almondbury, is about to take a beauty therapy course at the White Rose School, while Ruby is still a student at Shelley College but wants to go into the beauty industry.

Ruby has naturally long hair and Paige is currently wearing hair extensions. Long hair is a must for a real beehive.

“Hair extensions mean that even girls with shoulder-length hair, or shorter, can put their hair up. In the Sixties they used hair pieces on top if they didn’t have enough hair,’’ said Jane.

First stage in the creation of a beehive is to give hair the body it will need to stay in place.

Jane and Julie swear by Redken’s Spray Starch, a styling product that protects against heat and maintains curls and waves. “Hairspray doesn’t really work so well, but the starch prevents hair from going flat in a hot atmosphere and leaves the hair looking shiny,’’ explained Jane.

Large Velcro rollers are also essential for creating body and lift. After spraying the girls’ hair, the stylists used rollers to lift sections of the hair on the top of the head.

To create the rounded shape at the crown, the hair is then back-combed and pinned, with smooth hair drawn from the front and sides to cover it. “Back-combing can damage your hair but it doesn’t need to if it’s done properly,’’ added Jane. “It’s best to ask your hairdresser how to do it.’’

Amy Winehouse wears her hair in a beehive on top and allows the rest of her hair to tumble down her back, sometimes curled but usually casually dishevelled.

Paige and Ruby were given a lightly-curled look, using GHD straighteners and more Spray Starch.

Hair dressing, as opposed to cutting or styling, is becoming increasingly popular among women of all ages. The rise of the school prom in recent years means that teenagers are now interested in glamorous ‘put-ups’ and hair dressing, while the popularity of Strictly Come Dancing has also influenced trends towards sleek styles and neat chignons.

“We get a lot of women who want the Audrey Hepburn look for parties and weddings or just a night out. Everyone wants sleeker, smoother styles now. The spiky look has gone,’’ said Jane.

The Amy Winehouse style might be overly dramatic, but it can be adapted to suit the individual.

In fact, we thought that our models, with their more wearable, less extreme beehives, looked better than the celebrity original.

Once the hair had been pinned into place, it was time for beauty therapist Michaela Cadogan, who has a salon at Vanilla, to get to work.

The key to 1960s make-up is definition around the eyes. False eyelashes, fluttered by every top model in the Sixties, are now firmly back in fashion. (Kate Moss was even accused of wearing them while advertising mascara).

In the 21st century, however, women can choose stick-on strips, which now come pre-glued, or individually applied clumps or lashes.

Both our models were given false eyelashes and heavy eye-liner, a key to the Amy Winehouse look.

Michaela advises beginners to use the strip lashes because they are easy to apply and to stick to eyeliner pencils unless they have a very steady hand. Individual lashes really need to be applied in a salon. Liquid eyeliner gives a better, sharper result but it needs a lot of practice to perfect the technique.

Our transformation of the girls from students to celebrities shows the dramatic difference that hair and cosmetics can make.

And if you don’t want to go for quite such big hair or such heavy make-up, this is a look that can be updated and modified for a Saturday night out 21st century style.

-  Would you like a celebrity make-over? Write and tell us which celebrity you want to look like and why. The staff at Vanilla will do their best to recreate the look. Send us your details and a photograph to: Celebrity make-over, Features Department, Huddersfield Examiner, PPO Box A 26, Queen Street South, Huddersfield HD1 2TD, or email me at hilarie.stelfox@examiner.co.uk