4 Chic Ways to Style a Claw Clip

September 16, 2022

By: Sarah Ferguson | Makeup.com by L'Oréal

Claw clips are not the first ’90s beauty trend we expected to make a comeback, but we’re not mad about it. Since they started to pop back up, we’ve accumulated quite a few — in all different shapes, sizes, colors and patterns. Whether your hair is on the oily side, you’re having a lazy day, or you just want a chic and easy way to get hair out of your face, a claw clip is the answer to your problems. Here, hairstylist Jasmine Burnside is sharing four modern ways to style a claw clip.

How to Do a Half-Up, Half-Down Hairstyle With a Claw Clip

STEP 1: Section the Hair

Section hair by creating a center part and leaving out pieces around the face for softness. Then, gather your hair starting from the top of the ears to the mid-crown of the head.

STEP 2: Start Teasing

Tease the gathered section at the root to create volume and texture.

STEP 3: Twist and Pin

Twist the hair at the back of the head and pin where you want the clip to sit. “This gives it extra security and makes the style easier to hold,” says Burnside. Then, clip over where you pinned the hair (Burnisde used the Kitsch Open Shape Claw Clip).

person wearing half-up half-down hairstyle with a claw clip

How to Do a Messy French Twist Ponytail With a Claw Clip

STEP 1: Follow the Directions Above

Follow steps one and two from the half-up, half-down tutorial above. To get some extra volume in your hair for a purposefully-tousled look, add a few spritzes of the Redken Dry Texture Finishing Spray to your hair.

STEP 2: Continue Twisting

Instead of stopping when you’ve twisted half of your hair, continue the motion down the head to the nape of the neck, pinning with U-shaped pins or bobby pins as you go to secure it.

STEP 3: Clip It

Apply the gold clip at the nape of the neck and keep the ponytail loose.

person wearing a messy french twist ponytail with a claw clip

How to Do a Sleek Twisted Ponytail With a Claw Clip

STEP 1: Slick Your Hair Back

Mist your hair with a leave-in conditioner like the Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Intensely Smooth Leave-In Conditioning Cream and comb hair all the way back. Then, use a pomade or a product that has hold and comb the hair again to get it to lay flat against the head.

STEP 2: Gather and Twist

Gather the hair in the middle of the head and comb it back as if you were creating a ponytail. Twist it up into a figure eight-type formation.

STEP 3: Add the Clip

Once flat to your head, take a large claw clip and attach it to the twist at the midsection of your head. If you have a lot of hair and you can’t get the clip to hold, you can try securing your hair into a ponytail first.

person wearing a sleek twisted ponytail with a claw clip

How to Do a Double French Twist With a Claw Clip

STEP 1: Create a Half-Up, Half-Down Twist

Gather the hair from the top of your ears up into a half-up, half-down ponytail. Secure with an elastic. Flip the ponytail inside of itself to create a textured look.

STEP 2: Add a Claw Clip

Secure a claw clip over the hair tie to hide it.

STEP 3: Create Another French Twist

Create another French twist with the remaining lengths. Secure it at the nape of the neck with an elastic and then wrap a small section of hair around the base and tuck it into the elastic at the underside of the ponytail.

person wearing a double french twist with a claw clip

Photography and Hair Styling: Jasmine Burnside