Instructions for Casual Updos

For shoulder length and long layers:

Shampoo and apply hair gel or mousse, then blow dry your hair for fullness as usual. Use hot rollers to add some curl. When you take the rollers out, just run your fingers through it to break up the curls. (Don’t use a brush) Spray your hair with hair spray throughout to give it some texture and to take away the slippery quality.
Starting in the front, pull a panel of hair, about two inches in width, straight back to the crown and secure it with a bobby pin. It doesn’t have to be tight. Use two in the form of an X if it has a tendency to slip out. Next pull a panel of hair from the side of the first panel to the back and up and pin it close to the first bobby pins. Repeat this procedure on the other side and then again until all the hair in the front it caught at the crown.
Finally, grab all of the hair in the back and turn it over into a twist, pulling it up so that the ends are at the crown and will fluff out over the bobby pins. To secure the twist, slide bobby pins down through the fold of the twist, so that they catch the hair of the twist and secure it to the hair close to the scalp. (See A Simple Twist and Holiday Hair – Updos for more tips on creating the twist.)

For Naturally Curly Hair:

Shampoo and condition as usual. After applying your styling aids and a mild hair gel, if your hair is fine in texture. Allow it to dry naturally until it is almost dry (for thick hair) or completely dry for thin hair.
Divide off a two-inch section of hair around the face and clip it out of the way. Run your fingers through the rest of your hair and pull it all together at the middle-back of your head. Hold it as if you were making a ponytail and fold it over into a twist with the ends sticking out of the top. Slide bobby pins down through the fold you have created, securing it to your head.
Now for the front. Pull sections, of about one inch in width, back loosely and clip each with a tiny jaw clip or a bobby pin.

For Straight Hair:

Shampoo and blow-dry for fullness.
Spray your hair with hairspray lightly all throughout. Brush all of your hair back into a twist. (See A Simple Twist and Holiday Hair – Updos for directions.)
To soften the overall effect, you may want to pull out a small strand of hair at each ear and at the temples. These are left straight to keep the style casual.