Cute Half Up Hairstyles | How To
If you follow the latest in hair trends at all, then you know that cute half up hairstyles are very popular right now, and have been for a while. These looks are not just for weddings and formals, but perfect for an every day look for school or work, as well. Wearing your hair half up, half down is a great way to show off your beautiful locks and keep it out of your face at the same time! That sounds like a win/win to me, because I can’t stand my hair hanging in my face when I’m working.
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Half Up Hairstyles
I’m going to show you two cute half up hairstyles that anyone can do with the right tools and a little patience. I’m demonstrating these on my two beautiful daughters, Pooh and Tigger. I think you’ll agree that they are both excellent models who both inherited their Mama’s thick hair. Pooh’s is wavy and Tigger’s is pretty straight, but they both have plenty of hair, and they love having a hairdresser for a Mom (most of the time).
My two examples of half up hairstyles are both modeled by Pooh, my oldest (today’s her birthday! she’s 14! I’m in denial!). The first is a style I did for her Christmas dance last year, so it looks pretty formal in this picture. (When Pooh was little, she called this style and “up-down”. Isn’t that adorable?)
You don’t have to froo-froo this style up this much, and I’ll show you what I mean in a minute. The second is a ‘do that Pooh requested for church on Sunday, and it turned out pretty darn cute!
This half-up bun was quick and easy, and I’ll show you the steps using Tigger’s adorable head.
Half up with twists
This is easier than you think! I’m just showing you the basics here, because Pooh got drenched in the rain at band practice yesterday and her hair was a little damp and tangly. She was a sport to let me play. The pictures that follow (after the tools list and my ramblings about bobby pins) will give you an idea of how to create the half up with twists that I did for her Christmas dance using a brush, a covered elastic (ponytail holder), and a few bobby pins.
Let’s discuss that last tool further. These bobby pins are my favorite. Yes, it’s a 1-lb. box, but you’ll never have to buy bobby pins again! These hold so much better than any of the ones you can buy at drugstores or supermarkets, I promise. Make sure to buy the color you need, that most closely matches the hair color! I hate seeing black bobby pins in brown hair, or brown bobby pins in blonde hair. Choose your color wisely, and your bobby pins!
To really glam this half up hairstyle, you can curl your hair in small sections with a curling wand like this one before you begin, but it looks great without all that. That link is to the wand I have, and I really like it since it has the tip that doesn’t get hot. Curling wands are H.O.T., so be careful!
Using your paddle brush (I love these Wet Brushes on wet or dry hair), smooth the top section of hair up into a ponytail. Start at the top of the ears and pull the hair back, separating it from the bottom and smoothing it with the brush as you go. Don’t put your elastic in yet! Section out the front half of this top portion of hair on both sides, using the ear as a guide for where to start, and drop those front sections out. Now you can put the rest into the covered elastic, making sure to smooth out any humps or bumps. Do a better job than I did of not creating that horizontal part when you pull it up. The vertical part will be covered up later, so that’s ok.
Take a small piece from the front section, starting at the bottom, and bring it around to the ponytail holder loosely, giving it a little twist as you go. Cross it over the ponytail holder, or you can even wrap it around, then bobby pin in place.
This is when you’ll want one of my amazing bobby pin bracelets…having those pins at your fingertips is priceless, and teenagers don’t really want to hand you stuff. If you’re creating this cute style on yourself, you’ll love this bracelet, since the pins will be right in reach of your dominant hand.
Go to the other side and do the same thing; take a small section from the bottom of the front portion you left out, twist it softly, then pin over the ponytail holder. Keep doing that, alternating sides and crossing the ends over the previous section until you get to the top, making sure those last sections lay in a way that is pleasing to said teenager. This way you don’t get eye rolls and grunts.
Try to hide the pins underneath previous sections until it’s all in there. Easy-peasy!
Ok, truth time. This tutorial run did not come out the same as it was for the Christmas dance. First, I didn’t curl her hair. Second, the dampness and the wildness of her “band-practice-in-the-rain” hair wouldn’t really twist that well. That’s ok, though, because it will probably come out different every time. No two hairstyles are exactly alike. Just alternate sides taking small sections and pinning it to cover the elastic, twisting the sections a little as you go. You’ll get something similar, and just as cute, as this.
Half-up Bun
For this half up hairstyle, you’ll start the same way by sectioning off the top half of hair, using the ears as a guide and smoothing as you go. This time, don’t drop any hair out, just go ahead and put that top section into a ponytail.
Tigger’s hair is thick, but not as thick as Pooh’s and mine, so I can get away with these cute little clear elastics on her.
Take the whole little ponytail and twist it loosely all the way to the end, then wrap it around in a bun and tuck in the ends.
Use your handy-dandy bobby pin bracelet to make it easier to pin the half bun all the way around, making sure to pin the ends in so that they aren’t sticking out all over the place (Phoebe Buffay’s hairstyles went out in the 90’s). See how easy it made it for me to create this look on Pooh the other day?
Voila! Your half-up bun is complete.
In a previous post, Hair Trends on Pinterest, I alluded to the fact (ok, I just came out and said it) that I wasn’t a fan of the half bun. This version is much less “Gene Simmons-ish” than the one I showed in that post, and I like it a lot. It’s the top-knot thing with hair hanging down that I find a little weird.
Some things to note:
- Never ask your daughters to be a hair model for you when they are in crabby moods. It won’t end well for anyone.
- Never argue with a teen or tween at 6:30 in the morning when you are styling her hair; just do what she says, even if you think it could look better your way.
- Do tell your daughter how beautiful she is when you finish, even if she has a scowl on her face that could light a fire.
- If you’re creating one of these half up hairstyles on yourself, practice the night before when you’re relaxed and have had a glass of wine. This way you won’t get frustrated and start throwing bobby pins in the morning.
You can do it!
Styling your (or your daughter’s) hair is not as challenging as some of you may think. These cute, easy half up hairstyles are perfect to try if you’re a beginner, and the tools I listed will make the task that much simpler. Don’t get bored with your hair; try something new! You’ll be the envy of all your friends and coworkers, and they’ll be asking how you did it. Send them my way, would you?
X,O,X,O, Martie
P.S. I bet you thought I forgot, but no! I had nine entries for last week’s Avon giveaway, and we have a winner! Congratulations goes out to Christie Winders…the three piece body care set is yours! Everyone check your inbox for my weekly Avon email so you won’t miss the deals and steals! And remember, if you’re getting more emails than you like, you can manage your preferences in your Avon account.
August 9, 2016 @ 9:11 pm
Please come do my hair every day. Thank you.
August 9, 2016 @ 11:01 pm
What’s it worth to ya? ?