The buzz on the catwalks is that soaring beehive hairstyles are back. Here are expert tips to build the upstyles from scratch, or fake it 'til you make it. She may not be the greatest role model in other ways, but Amy Winehouse's famous beehive hairstyle hairdo has spawned copies the world over. 

Video how to: Amy Winehouse beehive hairstyles >>

In the UK, the look tends to be dishevelled, while in the fashion capitals of Europe, Paris and Milan, it's ultra-elegant, prim and pretty - more Mad Men than mad mess.

Leading Australian hairdresser Caterina DiBiase says beehive hairstyles are set to be the hottest hairdos at this year's spring racing carnival. Of course, you can head to the hairdresser for a perfect coiffure or, with a little practice, a can of hairspray and a teasing comb, master beehive hairstyles yourself at home.

Take inspiration from the 2010 winter fashion shows or go wild a la Lady Gaga or Winehouse beehives hairstyles, where mistakes make the look.

The Beehive Hairstyle Big Tease

When you wear your hair straight, it's slip you want, and silicone-based smoothing and straightening products are ideal for that. But, for teasing, you need resistance, so avoid anything with silicone.

Start with a mousse, preferably a formula that gives root boost or added volume, because it will provide enough resistance to help your beehive hairstyles last for hours.

Mousse can be used on wet or dry hair, but many hairdressers say you'll get best results with yesterday's hair. Dry shampoo, a powdered spray that requires no water, can also give hair the extra grab it needs to stay up high.

To begin, apply a generous amount of mousse through your hair, from roots to ends. Dry it off with a blow-dryer and tease it using a fine-tooth tail comb. Work section-by-section along the top of your head, starting at the roots and teasing along the length of your hair. To avoid your new beehive hairstyle looking like a mushroom, don't tease the sides, only tease along the top.

Beehive hairstyles and how to cheat

You don't need masses of long hair to create a beehive hairstyle - you can cheat. If you have long hair that won't stay up, use a donut; a ring-shaped mesh padding. Building your bun around the donut will give you more control over the shape and create the illusion of volume.

DiBiase separates the top section of the hair first and then the sides (this will be the hair you'll see outside the beehive). The remaining bulk of hair is tied into a high ponytail, threaded through the donut, teased and pinned.

Next, she teases the top section of hair, gently brushes it out, pulls it over the bun and pins it at the back. Finally, she folds the side sections around the bun and secures them with pins. To soften the cone-shape effect, use a headband, as at Prada.

Another cheat is to use hair pieces. Jessica Simpson's hairdresser, Ken Paves, has a product range called to help create beehive hairstyles HairDo, which includes a Headband Extension to help create the perfect beehive hairstyles.

You can tease the synthetic hair up or wrap it over a donut to create high hairdos with relative ease. It comes in 12 shades and is heat friendly, so you can safely use a blow-dryer or iron on it.

At DiBiase's Heading Out salons in Melbourne, you can pick up both synthetic ($80) and real hair ($300) extension pieces that will do the job.

Crimp control

For a generation of sleek fans, getting enough texture into the hair and managing it to create a voluminous bun can be tricky. If that's you, invest in a crimping iron. A trade secret with session stylists, crimping adds volume and makes hair easier to tease and shape your beehive hairstyles.

You can let the texture of the crimping iron show, as the A.Concept models did on the catwalk, or leave the hair along your hairline uncrimped and use the iron only on the interior hair to add all the volume you want. Finish with a few fine tendrils pulled out around the hairline.

For your basic beehive hairstyles

The beauty of a beehive hairstyle is that you can make it cool and messy or neat and chic. Whichever way you want it, here's how to get started. Look in the mirror and run your finger around your hairline, about 3cm in.

Brush all that hair forward (this section will be used to laminate the teased bulk of the bun). Tease the remaining hair from roots to ends, then arrange the teased hair into a loose bun. Put in a few pins at the back to help maintain the general shape.

Using a soft bristled brush, gently brush the hair you've separated around the front and pull it over the teased hair. Tuck the ends under the bun and pin in position. DiBiase starts with the front section, pulls it over the crown and pins it. She then folds the sides over to make it look neat at the back - a little like a French roll. l SM

Lets Rock'n'roll

For height without the formality of a beehive hairstyle, try a rockabilly do. You don't want it to look brushed, so do it all with your fingers, says DiBiase. For that raw-texture look, apply lots of mousse or volume spray through towel-dried hair and then blow-dry using a diffuser or scrunching tool as you go.

Next, section off a triangle at the front and pin it out of the way. Pull back the sides and pin, leaving the loose hair to fall naturally.

Release the triangle section and pull it forward. Use a comb to lightly tease it. To make the quiff, hold this section of hair with one hand, twist it, push it forward, then fold back and pin. Gently rub the hair at the front with your fingertips to loosen a little, then set it with a generous amount of hair spray.

Beehive hairstyles tool kit

1. HairDo Headband Extension
2. Redken Body Full Volume Amplifier
3. Redken Forceful 23 Super Strength Finishing Spray
4. Brushworx Taylor Madison bristle brus
5. BaBylissPRO Ceramic Super Crimper
6. Dress Me Up Hair Donuts for beehive hairstyles