A Series of Updos.

I thought about doing a little series on hairstyles, but then I realized... I am not good at explaining these sorts of things. Still, I thought that it would be fun to gather a bunch of recent hairstyles I've done as ideas in case you're feeling inspired, and as a reminder for me so I can see what I've done. And again, I'm not good at describing what I do, so forgive me!

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For my job, I have to wear my hair up. If my hair is straightened, I'm fine with putting it in a ponytail. But if it's in its regular state? BAD, bad idea. It's nothing but a wavy mess (you'd be amazed how much it looks like Medusa). I also like to be able to see some hair from the front... I don't know why, but if it's all back and there's nothing interesting on the side or top, it feels strange to me. So I do a lot of experimenting and use a lot of bobby pins (it's thick) and here are some more recent styles I've done lately. 

And PS - best bobby pins? These ones from Sally Beauty Supply. It's $7 for 300 and they don't "stretch out" and they have the best grip. Mine are bronze, but they also come in black. 

The poofy bun. 

 This was originally tighter on my head, but it kind of hurt and looked funny. I just gathered my hair into a high ponytail, secured it with an elastic and twisted it into a bun, secured with half a million pins. I don't typically look in a mirror to do these, and if I do, I can't see both the front and back at the same time, so I use my iPhone to see if the bun is straight or what's going on back there.

The braided updo.

This one is more of a favorite, but I haven't been able to replicate it again well. I braided the front part, then gathered the rest of my hair into a bun and secured it. I have a really high forehead (read: I look like I'm balding if my hair is pulled back tightly. No really.), so I loosely gathered my bangs and tucked them into the braid like they were supposed to be there. I have a love hate relationship with my bangs, but lately it's been a little more "hate" - they get in the way.

To the side.

This one isn't perfectly executed. If my hair were shorter, I think it would have been nicer because it would have looked simpler. It's a low messy updo to the side (I gathered pieces of hair, twirled them around my finger, and pinned them individually), and I tried to swoop my bangs in to get them out of the way. The bangs were repinned about a thousand times because they didn't look like I wanted them to, and I still didn't love it. 

Half-crown.  

A half crown braid back into a bun.

Side bun. 

Oftentimes, I'll braid one side and twist the other into a side bun. I like this because it's an easy thing to do and can be a beach hairstyle or a fancy updo. 

Here's a side shot... this is what I do in side braids or side buns to help it all stay secure.

I hate the part of my bangs that's hanging down, but the side bun actually worked.

Waterfall braid.

This isn't an updo, but it was a fun not-at-work style. I gathered the very top section of my hair and did a braid that just went across the top... it's like a french braid except you start on one side and gather hair just from the top, not the bottom at all. Google "waterfall braid" and you'll see tons of inspiration. 

Crown Braid.

This crown braid always makes my arms ache to do, but it doesn't take very long. I do an inside out braid (it has another name, but I can't remember it) starting just like I do for the waterfall braid, but gathering the hair only on the outsides... this one took a lot of frustrated practice to do the first time, and I don't do it very often because I think the side profile looks too flat. It's fun though, and looks like I should be frolicking through a field. 

Twisty braided bun.I'd been wearing my hair like this all day before I thought to have Carson take a picture. This is one of the easiest braids out there. I part my hair like usual, then braid the side with less of a part in a little braid, all the way down. My hair is coarse, so I can braid it to the end without it unraveling. Then I do an inside out braid on the top and down the other side, all the way down. I gather all that hair and make a bun. I think that the braided ends make it look interesting.

Side braid.

This is a more common hairstyle and one you've probably seen pictures of a million times. A lot of people can just gather their hair into a side braid, but mine won't stay that way, so I start on one side with a french braid going toward the bottom of my hair and add my hair, braiding it till the end. This picture is a year old, as evidenced by our old apartment in the background.

 

A variation of that side braid is the one where I braid the top part of my hair and work it into a side braid. Sometimes I'll braid both sides and make them go into this braid. 

Or I'll twist one side and braid the other. Whatever works to make sure the thing stays.

Pretzel braid. 

My favorite named braid, and mostly because I love soft pretzels. Worst picture of it ever, but I divided my hair in two, french braided one side, twisted the other into a braid and made a figure eight on the side, so I guess it's a side bun variation. I love this one, especially when it's close to the base of my neck. 

Twisted chignon. 

This one... well, I like it but I'm not sure what I was trying to do. I started off pulling my hair like I was putting it half up. I twisted it to secure it, then pinned it. I braided the rest into a french braid, then pinned all of that up. It doesn't really look like that, I know... There was some twisting involved. 

Zig-zag braid.

This is another older picture, but I do this zig-zag braid quite a lot. I start with a waterfall braid, just taking hair from the front. When I reach the side, I just grab hair from that top underlayer (so, the "front" again, if that makes sense), and then the third time, I grab hair from the bottom, so that I'm getting all my hair. I can leave the end of the braid in a side braid, but it's usually pretty thin looking by that time, so I coil the hair up at the bottom and pin it. It takes a second or two to learn, but it's not a time consuming hairstyle. I find that I struggle more with what the front looks like than anything.