CHAPTER 1
Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Updo

Creating that perfect updo takes practice but knowing the right tips and tricks can make it ten times easier to accomplish. The techniques explained in this chapter will help you achieve beautiful styles, whether it is with the right amount of back-combing, the perfect texture of curls, or knowing when to use an elastic band versus a bobby pin. Learning if a comb or brush is more helpful in creating a smooth style and which hairspray is the right one to reach for will be useful in creating a finished look that will make you feel confident in your hairstyling abilities.

Materials You Will Need

Here you’ll find information on the basic tools and hair appliances you’ll need in your beauty arsenal. They include the necessary items for completing each style in the book as well as a few useful pieces to help you give each style a polished and perfected finish.

• Wide-tooth comb: for untangling and straightening wet or dry hair. This type of comb has teeth that are well spaced apart and is great for all hair textures and lengths.
• Paddle brush: wide, flat brush with soft bristles. This type of brush is best for medium to long hair to help smooth it down and tame flyaways. It works well on curly, frizzy, or wavy hair and is great for penetrating thick hair while providing a gentle scalp massage.
• Teasing brush: used to back-comb the hair. Learn more about back-combing in the “Techniques” section later in this chapter.
• Hairbands (also called hair ties): fabric-covered bands, 2" in diameter, used to secure large sections of hair. This type of band can be used on any hair type but works especially well with thick, coarse, or curly hair. These can be purchased at your local grocery store or beauty supply store. The metal-free type work best to ensure the least amount of hair breakage or damage.
• Clear elastic bands: reusable, plastic, stretchy bands, ¹⁄₂–1" in diameter, used to secure small sections of hair. This type of band is best used to tie off the end of a braid or twist, to separate small sections of hair, or when a portion of a hairstyle needs to be hidden or less noticeable, such as with a topsy tail. These can be purchased in the hair aisle of your local grocery store or beauty supply store.
• Bobby pins, also known as hair grips: small pieces of metal bent into two prongs pressed close together, about 2" in length. These pins are used by slightly opening the prongs and sliding them over small sections of hair, with the bumpy side against the head, and then the prongs close over the hair, holding it in place.
• Hair donut: stretchy, easy-to-use donut-shaped bun holder that adds fullness and shape to updos. This can be used for all hair types and be purchased to match your hair color.
• Stretchy headband: fabric-covered, circular headband used to hold the hair back from the face, generally 6–7" in diameter.
• Duck-bill clip: lightweight metal clip with coil springs, about 3–4" in length, used to secure hair after it is sectioned off.
• Flexible-hold hairspray: maintains style with a soft, natural finish. This type of hairspray is ideal for holding curls while still allowing for movement. It helps keep hair under control without stiffness and is perfect for everyday use. To effectively hold the hair in place, spray a mist of hairspray all around the head for 3–4 seconds.
• Medium-hold hairspray: provides a stronger hold than flexible-hold hairspray, but allows movement with minimal stiffness when applied sparingly. This type is ideal for soft, looser updos and for half updos where sections of hair are pinned up and the rest is left down.
• Maximum-hold hairspray: the strongest of all the hairsprays and ideal for dramatic updos. It helps keep every strand in place for hours at a time.

The items on this list are all essentials that every woman needs in her beauty kit. They will help you create smooth, refined styles for every day of the week.

Extra Items to Consider

Mastering that perfect hairstyle always takes a bit of practice, and the items on this list can help make achieving it a little bit easier. They are not necessary or required for everyday use but can be helpful to have on hand. These are all best used in moderation and should be applied a little bit at a time—think pea-size to nickel-size amounts. Of course, more can always be added if needed. Remember that it’s easier to add more product than it is to remove the excess after it has been applied.

• Spray wax: non-oily spray that creates bendable textures. This product is ideal for laying flat the short, broken hairs that tend to stick up, especially along the part. It delivers a satin finish, but applying too much can weigh down the hair and make it heavy. To apply this product, hold the bottle at least 12" from the head and use in moderation.
• Pomade: waxy substance used to make hair look slick and shiny, and reduce frizz. This product is ideal for making short hairstyles stay upright. For application on updos, use a pea-size amount and gently massage it between the thumb and pointer finger before smoothing it over random hairs that stick out from a style, to slick them down and keep them in place.
• Shine serum: substance applied to the ends of damp hair before styling to protect against dryness, smooth down frizz, and give the appearance of shiny, moisturized hair.
• Hair oil: lightweight oil used to deeply hydrate and treat hair. Use hair oil as a leave-in conditioner by applying it to damp or dry hair from the mid-shaft down. Brush through the hair to evenly distribute the oil through the hair. Avoid the scalp area; used there, it can make hair greasy and weigh it down. A nickel-size amount is ideal for long hair and less for shorter hair.
• Dry shampoo: a dry substance that works by absorbing oil from the scalp and making it look freshly washed in order to lengthen the time between washes. It comes in three forms: powder, liquid in a pump dispenser, or aerosol spray.
• Heat serum: non-oily spray used to protect hair from heat damage caused by curling irons, straighteners, and blow dryers. On wet hair, spray the hair from the roots to the ends before blow-drying. Once the hair is dry, mist it all again before heat styling to reduce the damage caused by hot tools.
• 1" curling iron: creates a tight, defined curl, rather than loose waves. This curl is perfect for short to medium-length hair.
• 1¹⁄₂" curling iron: creates a loose, casual curl.
• Straightener: heats up hair to straighten kinks, waves, and curls. It is also used to reduce frizz and create shiny straight hair.

With these extra items and a little practice, you will have all the tools needed to perfect each style in this book.

Techniques

In this section, you’ll learn a few of the basic methods for making each style look more professional and polished. These techniques are referenced throughout the book in the styles that use them; you can return to this section for the detailed explanation of the techniques as needed.

Back-Comb or “Tease” Hair

To add volume to any style, you want to first tease or back-comb the hair:

1. Separate off a 1" horizontal section of hair at the middle of the crown. Lift the hair upwards so it points straight up from the scalp, place a teasing brush horizontally at the midpoint of the section, and gently push the hair downwards towards the scalp. Repeat this 3–4 times or until the majority of the hair is brushed downwards.
2. Next, spray the underside of the section near the root, so it’s evenly coated with a medium-hold hairspray, for about 1 second, and position it upside down so the ends lie towards the face or over the forehead. Leave it there while you work on a new section and becomes dry to the touch.
3. Repeat the previous step with 2–3 more sections of hair or until you reach the back of the crown, so all the hair at the crown of the head is teased.
4. Gently lift up the teased sections and direct them towards the back of the head. Carefully comb through the topmost layer of hair so the portion that is teased is hidden underneath smoothed hair.

Curl Your Hair

Curling your hair before starting to style it will make creating any updo easier! It helps because the hair can be styled uniformly rather than as a mix of random textures, such as straight sections mixed with wavy sections if your hair doesn’t naturally dry evenly. The following steps work for any size curling iron and any hair texture. Of course, if you have naturally curly hair and it is all the same texture, then you can skip this section. For everyday curls and to prep for any style in this book:

1. Start by spraying all the hair with a heat serum and combing through it to evenly distribute the product.
2. Divide the hair into three sections; one from the temples to the back of the crown and one from the top of each ear to the back of the head, clipping off the top two sections.
3. With your dominant hand on the handle of the iron, use your other hand to pick up a 1" section of unclipped hair from behind one ear. Open the clamp with your pointer finger and close it on the middle of the section of hair, holding the curling iron vertical with the tip pointing upwards and the clamp facing forwards.
4. Twist the curling iron towards the back of the head, away from the face, wrapping the hair around the barrel as you twist until it’s about 1" from the scalp.
5. Gently feel the hair wrapped around the barrel until it is hot to the touch. You can also count to 5 if you have fine, thin hair; 8 if you have fine, thick hair; or 10 if you have course, thick hair.
6. Using your pointer finger, gently loosen the clamp and slide the iron down to the bottom of the section of hair.
7. Release the clamp on the end of the hair and repeat Steps 3–6, rolling the curling iron vertically, towards the back of the head, until it reaches the halfway point. Curling your hair in halves this way will ensure that each section is evenly curled and reduce the amount of damage caused by the heat.
8. Repeat these steps with the remaining hair, letting down the next pinned section and curling it the same way.
9. Finish by curling the topmost section of hair.
10. Apply hair oil to the ends of the hair to add moisture and reduce heat damage caused by the hot tool.

UPDO EXTRAS

If you have naturally curly hair but it is not all the same size curl or texture, use the steps in the “Curl Your Hair” technique to curl the pieces that are less curly than the rest. Opt for a barrel size that matches the curl size of the majority of your hair. For example, use a ¹⁄₂" curling iron if you have very tight, small curls, or a 2" curling iron if you have very big, loose curls. If you have very coarse hair, or hair that does not hold curl very well, spray the sections with hairspray before curling them. Then after releasing a section from the iron, roll the curl back up, creating the curled shape again, and pin it against the head with a duck-bill clip. After all the hair is curled and feels cool to the touch, release each one individually, removing the clip and letting down each curl separately.

Add Volume to Braids

If you have fine or thin hair and want to make your braids appear thicker, this is a quick trick to achieve just that. This is also a very modern way to style a braid, giving the appearance of a very voluminous and editorial style. This method of volumizing a braid is always optional and not required for completing any of these styles.

1. Divide off a 2" section of hair on the heavy side of the part. Create a basic braid, by separating the section into three equal sections. Cross the left section over the middle so the middle piece now becomes the left-sided piece and the left piece now becomes the middle; essentially they switch places. Now cross the strand on the right side over the middle, so the middle and right switch places. Repeat the previous steps, crossing the left over the middle then the right over the middle until reaching the end of the section.
2. Tie off the end with a clear elastic band.
3. Holding on to the elastic band with one hand, gently pull up one side of the braid so the hair slowly comes loose from the elastic and doubles in size, or until the piece looks wide and flat. Switch hands and loosen the other side.
4. Carefully work your way up the braid, pulling the edges looser so they are wider and flatter.
5. Slide the hairband up the braid or pull it off and then replace it on the hair so the new, wider braid maintains its shape. It is always best to loosen a little at a time, working up to the top, and then start over again at the bottom, pulling it looser still. If you pull the braid too wide and it falls apart, simply re-braid the section and begin again.

Reduce Stray Hairs and Smooth Flyaways

With many hairstyles and updos, there are always a few stray hairs that stick out of the top of the head or somehow work their way out of a wrapped style and hang loose. There are also small, shorter hairs that stick up around the hairline and along the part. This is most apparent in hair that is color-treated and has experienced a lot of breakage, but it is also seen with hair that experiences a lot of heat styling, which causes damage and breakage. For people with curly hair, this may always be an issue because the strands often do not lie smoothly or uniformly together. There are a few tricks you can do to hide any small hairs that stick up from a hairstyle. These steps are not necessarily required, but they’re great if you want to achieve a polished finish.

1. Comb through the hair with a wide-tooth comb to remove any tangles.
2. Spray the top and sides of the head with a medium-hold hairspray. Be sure to hold it about 12" away from the head.
3. Immediately (while it is still wet) comb through the hair again with the wide-tooth comb.
4. Continue combing the hair, then sweep it into a ponytail or bun.
5. After finishing any style, spray your fingertips with hairspray and glide them over any stray hairs that stick out of the style.

Add Texture to Fine Hair

Fine hair means that individual hairs are very skinny. It is possible to have thin, fine hair or thick, fine hair. Either way, this type of hair is the most prone to tangles and is slippery in texture, and therefore difficult to keep in place. The techniques given here will solve this issue, helping thin hair hold any style.

1. Spray a small amount of dry shampoo along the part, then create a second part next to it, flipping the hair over to the opposite side of the head, and spray the roots again. Continue sectioning the hair this way until reaching the ear. Then return the hair back to its natural direction and repeat the previous steps with the hair on the other side of the part. Let the hair dry for a few minutes, then comb through it with a wide-tooth comb to help distribute the product throughout the hair. This will help create a bit of texture and grip.
2. Back-comb or tease the hair before beginning any style.
3. Use a flexible- or medium-hold hairspray and steer clear of heavy gels or wax sprays, which can greatly weigh down your fine tresses.
4. Before beginning any style, curl your hair, referring to the instructions in the “Curl Your Hair” technique, which can help the hair appear thicker and fuller than it is.

Make Curly or Coarse Hair Easy to Style

Curly or coarse hair can be difficult to work with because usually there is a lot of it and it doesn’t want to do what you would like it to. Curly hair can stick out in odd places and be difficult to tame. Coarse hair can be hard to curl or very heavy, making it difficult to maintain its shape. Here are a few tips and tricks to make hair that seems unmanageable easier to work with:

1. Work with hair a day or two after washing it. Natural oils help styles stay in better than they do in freshly washed hair, which can be slippery.
2. Apply heavier products such as gels, pomades, or shine serum to cut down on frizz and help the style stay and hold better.
3. Use more bobby pins than what is recommended. Curly, thick hair is heavy, and adding a few extra pins will ensure that the style stays all day.
4. When braiding, twisting, and pinning any section of hair, pull it a little extra tight. Your fullness will naturally create a bigger style, and it’s easier to loosen a style once it’s done than to try to tighten it back up.
5. Have your stylist cut long layers at your next haircut. This will give the hair movement and help thin it out a little. Do some research about what you want beforehand, though, and make sure the layers don’t start any higher than your cheekbones.

Now that you know what you will need to have on hand, and have learned a few tricks for solving issues that may come your way, you’re ready to try out the thirty-five updos, knots, and twists found in the following chapters. If at any time you run into a problem or have a question, you can come back to this chapter, read up on these tools and tips, and give it another go. Good luck, have fun, and enjoy your new updos!