Tips for the Perfect Messy Updo

Whether your hair is thick, thin, curly, pin straight, or frizzy, there are a few universal tricks to keeping your hair in place whatever the texture. Messy updos are a go-to hairstyle for formal dances, and one of my favorite styles to do. Why? THEY ARE SO EASY, and they allow you to be creative and play around. Not only are they easy, but if you pin the right way, they are durable and will stay looking good whatever your evening may bring. So here are they key tricks to taking that big wad of hair and turning it in to something elegant.

          Tip 1: Curls DO NOT need to be perfect. When you are curling hair for an updo, the only layer of hair that really matters is the top layer. Save time and energy and do a half-decent job---its okay!!!

Tip 2: Separate your hair into two sections horizontally. Take the bottom half and secure it in to a ponytail with a little clear elastic rubber band. This tip is helpful if you or your client has thick, or a lot of fine hair.

 Tip 3: Before bothering with the top layer, begin to pin the pieces of hair in the ponytail. My favorite technique for thin hair is to take a curled piece of hair by the very tip, and push the piece of hair toward the head while holding on to one tiny strand. (think of how to tease) the curl will form a perfect ringlet that you can pin directly to the head.

Once all of the curled pieces of hair are pinned to the head, they should form a bun. It is better to keep them pinned close together so your updo does not take up the entire back of the head.

Tip 4: Once you finish pinning the ponytail (base of the bun) release the top layer of hair and touch up any curls that might have fallen.

 Tip 5: TEASE. Go to town on the top layer of hair, but don't forget to run through a teased section to keep the lift but to prevent any knots or "birds nests" that might have formed along the way.

The rest is really just art. Play around with the top piece of hair and structure them into the already formed bun. The goal of the "messy" updo is make it look effortless. Don't be afraid to let some pieces hang freely.

Things you will need:  

Curling Iron

Bobby pins

Elastic hair tie 

Hair Spray

Teasing Comb

Date Party Curls

Every sorority girl will experience a date party at some point throughout her four years at college. Semi-formal date parties have a very mixed interpretation, but most girls tend to lean toward leaving their hair down. This hairstyle is simple and easy because the curls are loose and fall well. It is full of volume and bounce to make your date drop his jaw. Enjoy!!

Step 1: Blow dry your hair straight
Step 2: Section hair using a clip, and begin to curl the bottom layer of hair by taking a 1 1/2 inch wand and turning it upside down as you wrap hair
Step 3: After you finish the first layer, make sure to hairspray the hair, and take the hair in your hand and scrunch it
Step 4: Section the next layer of hair, repeating Steps 2-3
Step 5: Once you reach the top layer, make sure you are wrapping the hair away from the face. I use a separate iron with a clamp for the bangs and the front pieces of hair.
Step 6: Tease. Take the top layer of hair and use a small teasing comb to tease hair toward the root. Once the hair lays flat, take the pick-comb and comb through the tangle without undoing the volume.

Braided Crown Updo

I found this updo for my senior prom this year and I absolutely loved it. It was my third prom, and I wanted to do something completely different and more personal to my hair. When I found this picture, I had no idea how to create the look because you can't find a picture of the back of the hair. I ended up with a small bun at the back, and I was very happy with the similarity between the picture and the finished product. For those of you who would like to skip the experimenting, I will provide the steps to successfully create this look.

Step 1: Curl your hair to give it some volume and texture. Loose curls work best... use a 1 1/2 inch curling iron for best results.

Step 2: Part your hair deeply to one side. You will be braiding both sides separately, but the deeper part gives the front the crown effect. 

Step 3: Begin by taking 3 small strands of hair from the deep part and braid them together. Keep adding hair from the top and bottom as you normally would a french braid. Make sure you add loose strands from the top. This look is very messy, so the looser the better.

Step 4: Once you have french braided all the way to your ear, stop taking sections from the bottom of your braid, and only add pieces when you can take them from the top. This will give your braid definition. (continue loosely)

Step 5: Once your reach the back of your head, braid the extra hair normally and secure with a hair tie.

Step 6: Repeat the same process with the other side of your hair. Make sure that you keep a level hand when you are braiding both sides, the higher up the braid is on you head, the more likely your braid will look like the picture.

Step 7: Once both sides are braided, take the braids and tie them together in a knot. You can do this multiple times depending on the length of your hair. Take the knots and pin them close to the head because you don't want the bun to be very noticeable. 

Step 8: To finish the look, be creative. Take a comb with a pointed end and pull some pieces gently from the braid to add texture and depth. The messier the better. If you have short pieces of hair in the front, pull them out completely. Just be careful not to pull too hard and be cautious not to mess up your work. 

Hope this helps! Comment if you have any questions or need further instruction.

Curly Prom Updo

This is one of my favorite prom hairstyles of all time. I think the simplicity of the updo complements this one shoulder dress, and it is incredibly easy to pin the hair using a special technique. If you have thin hair, this style is perfect to give you extra body and easy hold.

Step one: Curl your hair using a 1 inch curling iron. I used a wand to create this look.

Step two: Separate your hair in to two sections, a top section and a bottom section. The majority of your hair should be in the bottom section.

Step three: Using a clear elastic pony tail holder, secure the bottom section in to a pony tail just above the base of the neck.

Step four: (pin the top section out of the way for later use.) Begin taking small individual curls from the ponytail, and grab the very tip of the curl with one finger. Take a very small strand from the curl between your fingers and push the rest of the curl toward the head (a teasing motion). This curl will shrivel in to a ringlet.

Step five: Once you "tease" the curl, secure it in place with a bobby pin. Repeat this process with the rest of the pony tail, positioning the curls the way you like them.

Step six: Once your ponytail is pinned and transformed in to a bun, take the top section of hair and pin the remainder of your hair around the bun without teasing. This will create a very full effect for those girls who have super thin hair.

Double Twist Bun

     I love playing around with braids and twists when creating a fun, new bun hairstyle. They can easily add uniqueness to an ordinary bun. This is a hairstyle I created using mainly twists fastened and secured with bobby pins.

Step 1: (from top right to bottom left) Separate two fairly large chunks of hair from the front section of your head, and fasten the rest of your hair in a ponytail at the base of your neck.

Step 2: Pick a front section of hair, and begin by separating two small strands at the top close to your eyebrow. Begin to twist the two pieces, adding in hair from the bottom each time you wrap. This should create a very defined twist. Secure with a hair tie and repeat with the other chunk of hair.

Step 3: Take the ponytail, separate it in to two sections, and twist the pony as well. I left hers without a hair tie, but if your hair doesn't naturally stay, use one to secure the end.

Step 4: take the ponytail and wrap the now twisted tail around to form a bun. Secure the inside with bobby pins and try to flatten out the edges of the bun with the use of bobby pins.

Step 5: This is where it gets "complicated" (not really) take one of the twist and position it over the bun, securing the twist to the head at the right angle. Once it is secured, take the piece that is still dangling and pull it back toward the side it came from. Wrap that piece around the bun and secure the end with a bobby pin somewhere beneath the bun hidden.

Step 6: Repeat the same process with the other twist. You have some freedom to play with this look, but it works great for a shopping trip or a fancier prom/formal event.

Dutch Braided Bun

My friend Molly has the best hair I have ever worked with. It is thick, curly, and the prettiest blonde color. She has the type of hair that can go 3 or 4 days without washing and that makes me super envious. This hairstyle is super simple and came to me one day while I was just messing around with her hair. Its super easy, and it is great for those days when you are like Molly and want to skip the wash!

This hairstyle is basically just a dutch braid that is wrapped in to a bun at the end. I began braiding at the top of her head and instead of braiding one strand over the other, I pulled strands toward her head and under the braid. This technique is used to get that "raised" look. Once I ran out of hair to add in, I braided all the way down and wrapped the braid to create a bun in the center of her hair. I literally fastened this with one single bobby pin, but pin according to texture and thickness.



Then voila you have a functional and very casual updo that is both stylish and comfortable!

French Braided Bangs

When I had long hair, I made the mistake of cutting my bangs. Bangs look great on some people, but I just thought they were annoying and unnecessary. I tried and tried to tuck them behind my ears but seconds later they would fall back in to my face. I looked for a solution to get them out of my face, and I found this cute, functional hairstyle that did the trick. 

Step 1: Part your hair to the middle of your eyebrow.

Step 2: Separate a small section of hair from the opposite side of your part and begin to braid this section normally.

Step 3:Take the new braid and flip it over to your part, you will use this braid as one of your three strands to begin french braiding, and it will help add extra volume to the beginning of your braid.

Step 4: with the three strands, begin french braiding. Make sure you are keeping the strands you add in loose to create an effortless look.

Step 5: Once you have braided to your ear, stop french braiding and normally braid the rest of your hair. Secure with a clear elastic.