Simple Updo Hairstyle

I’d like to take a moment to talk about something important to me. I was never one of the super popular girls in high school. I was what’s commonly called, “a floater”. I knew everyone and was very friendly (the drama club in me) and could safely say I wasn’t shunned by anyone. However, because of this, I never learned the tricks and trade of hair, make-up, and fashion. You know, the kind of tips that get handed down from one generation of cheerleader to the next. The seniors to the freshman. I spent my high school days with my hair straight and down, in a pony tail, or in a huge mess of curls on my head when I felt like sleeping in curlers. And I never owned a beauty magazine and rarely went to the salon to get my hair cut so I didn’t have the opportunity to browse for any secrets while I waited my turn! I didn’t know simple, neat little tricks. And I guess, I want to share what I’ve managed to learn later in life with you as I pick them up now, in my twenties.

Simple Updo Hairstyle
★ brush or comb
★ hair tie
★ bobby pins or small clips
★ curling iron (3/4) (for versions two and three of this style)

Pull your hair into a semi-high ponytail. Next you’ll want to take your finger, wiggle it into your ponytail (in between your scalp and the hair tie) and pull the remainder of your up from the bottom and through. Pull to tighten. From there you want to take the last 3/4 of your hair and flip it under your ponytail and securely pin it. If you want, before you pin it up, you have the option of giving your hair more lift and body. It can give you a “messy bed head” look. The longer your hair, the easier this is, which is why (because my hair is so layered) I chose not to. To do this, section off the hair in your ponytail to four or five sections and using your brush, hold the section straight up and brush from top to bottom (towards your hair tie) to spread it and give it more lift. After you’ve done this to all sections you can begin to pin it under and up.

Version 2
You also have the option of curling your hair (or if you have curly hair simply don’t straighten) and achieving a more elegant evening look. To do this we’ll need to curl your hair after it’s in your pony tail. For thicker hair you should consider splitting your hair into two different pony tails, one for the top hair and one for the bottom, and then curl those. After curling, gently tug the pony tails out (if you did two) and then reset into one. Then follow the same steps as above, except instead of clipping it up you can let the curls hang.

Version 3
This is my personal favorite, perhaps because it feels very Asian to me, but the steps are easy. To do this simply follow the steps for the elegant low hanging curl, and pin it up like you would the straight bun!