Beauty Love Your Hair

Look 1:
The Effortless KNOT

Updos are back in a big way and this time around, they’re unfussy, undone, low-key (no three-hour Dynasty-style instructions!). To get it right at home, says hairstylist Mara Roszak: “Do it midheight if you’re going casual, or sling it low for something more formal.” Or go high for a statement look, like Zendaya’s, above right. Beyond that, you’ll need clear elastics, hairpins, and a bit of product, plus these texture-specific tips:

If your hair is straight: Mist dry hair with hairspray to add grip. Once it’s pulled back, tease underside of the pony with a paddle brush before twisting hair upward, then pin, advises Roszak. Note: To give fine hair some body, apply a volumizing heat protector like for Advanced Hairstyle Boost It Blow Out HeatSpray to towel- dried hair and blowdry with a boar-bristle brush.

If your hair is wavy: Go for sleek on top, textured at the knot. Start with day-old hair (which has more body) and straighten from the roots down about three inches with a flatiron; gather back, wrap hair into a tousled knot, secure with pins. For thick hair, sections are your friends, says hairstylist Kylee Heath. Divide your pony into three pieces and wrap each separately to create a knot. “Pinning it all up in one
go never ends well,” she says.

If your hair is curly: “The more texture your hair has, the better your knot will stay,” says Heath. Add a curl cream to damp hair and diffuse with a dryer. Next, pile curls at your crown, wind into a loose bun and pin.

If your hair is in braids: Can skip the prep! Just twist handfuls of braids up section by section to sculpt a shape you want. For a secure hold, crisscross pins over each other.

If your hair is short: You’re still good if you’ve got enough to tie back. Your best extension-free bet, says Roszak, is a half-up knot (leave the bottom half loose). Are a few strands falling around your face? You did it right!

Look 2:

The HALF-UP Style

This partially pulled-back look is everything you want in a hairstyle: a little tousled, a little edgy, and a lot sexy. “It’s business-casual in the front and party in the back,” says hairstylist Mark Townsend. And it’s easy to pull off with dry shampoo, a blow-dryer, and a few bobby pins (look for ones that match your hair color) to anchor the half pony. How to make it your own? Follow this advice:

If your hair is straight: Don’t attempt this style on dirty hair. “Pulling back oily strands is a recipe for scalp exposure,” says Townsend. For a little texture, blast clean hair with dry shampoo before starting the styling process. And if you want to boost volume, also work a thickening mousse like Dove Style+Care Nourishing Curls Whipped Cream Mousse  into damp hair, then rough-dry to build body. After brushing hair back, push it up toward the crown and slide in a few pins.

If your hair is wavy: Start by adding salt spray and rough-drying hair to enhance your natural texture. If that’s not enough, wind random sections around a one-inch curling iron; skip the ends to keep your style from looking too perfect. Then pin as you like.

If your hair is curly: Since you’ve got volume to work with, says Townsend, you can play with various heights. Just be sure to prep with a frizzfighting oil: Work a bit through your curls, focusing on ends. After you put hair up, spray a clean mascara wand with hairspray and sweep it along your hairline, suggests Townsend—it’ll help smooth flyaways.

If your hair is in braids: A high half-up twist with long ends down, as on Gabrielle Union, below, creates a sleek contrast. Just twist and pin, twist and pin, to secure the look.

If your hair is short: Make like Sienna Miller, below left, and try two French braids from hairline to crown. And you know the drill: Pin to hold.

Look 3:

The Deep SIDE PART

A statement part is a solid move: classic, effortless, and always appropriate. “It’s the simplest way to add drama,” says celebrity hairstylist Jenny Cho. It requires only one thing: a rattail comb.Start by placing it on your hairline just atop the highest point of your eyebrow (that’s where your part will be most flattering), then part hair along that line toward your crown. Now follow these tips:

If your hair is straight: Second-day hair is easier to work with for you, says Cho. But it can look greasy, so mist roots with dry shampoo Get extra body, as seen on Jennifer Lawrence, at left, by back-combing the pieces along your part, explains Cho.

If your hair is wavy: You want a clean, long part to keep your hair looking polished—the perfect balance to soft tousled ends. To keep them frizz-free, spritz fingertips with shine spray and work gently into hair.

If your hair is curly: Part hair while it’s wet for maximum staying power. Postshower, comb through a leave-in conditioner and apply a curl cream from root to tip. Let it air-dry or use a diffuser; once dry, apply a nickel-sized amount of defining serum like Ouidad Shine Glaze Serumto the ends to separate curls.

If your hair is in braids:  Again, no prep work needed— box braids lend themselves to quick, precise parting. But we love a dramatic flip (the more hair on one side, the better). Part hair near the end of one brow and flip to the other side.

If your hair is short: Part hair neatly; then, as you blow-dry, comb hair the way you want it to go. (Work it up for more volume) Blast with a shot of cool air to lock in the style. 

Mist with hairspray, and you’re done.