Easy, stylish ways to wear hair up?

[abigboydidit]

Hi, am about to return to work from maternity leave and am realising that there is no way I will have time to wash and dry my hair in the mornings. I have fairly thick curly/wavy hair & used to have it in a bob very similar to this but it is now shoulder length so I can tie it back to prevent DS pulling it out in handfuls. I tried the sock bun but am not that keen and find ponytails don't work as my hair kinks out in all directions. Can anyone suggest any alternatives? I need to look smart & am happy to wash and straighten my hair the evening before so I have a more sleek starting point. Thanks!

Have a look at some YouTube tutorials, maybe. I really like . She has loads of other vids for pretty updos which I'd try if I didn't always have a toddler trying to 'help' when I do my hair.

Ooohh! They are nice put my hair isn't quite long enough and has lots of pesky layers. Been persevering with the sock bun this morning and got it looking almost good enough to leave the house!

Have a look at her other vids. A lot of her updos are quite boho so can be adapted for shorter/layered hair (because they look nice with bits falling out).

Am quite at her hair.

Will check her out. TBH I think I just have the least supple shoulders in the world and have no idea how folk manage to do anything vaguely intricate at the nape of their neck

No video tutorial to help I'm afraid but this is my patented method for an up-do in less than 5 mins, I use it pretty much every day for work.

Materials: 'turban' microfibre head towel thing (£1 from poundland, don't get in boots as they are nearly £8 for same thing), comb (wide tooth), small hair grips/bobby pins

1. Wash hair and put in microfibre head towel for 3ish mins to get moisture out (can use this time for other things e.g. makeup). No other drying required.

1. Part hair along normal parting and comb through with wide tooth comb (may be helpful to leave a tiny bit of conditioner on bottom half of hair if it is quite thick/wavy)

1. Imagine a line dividing your head in half from ear-to-ear. Along this line, scoop the hair away from the face towards your parting with the comb and pin in place - do this on both sides

1. Take small sections of rest of hair twist in strands (about the thickness of a pencil), curl up on back of head and pin in place. Repeat until all your hair is up.

Don't know whether that makes sense but looks really good, especially after an hour when it has dried a little more.

If I have a little more time, I sometimes pull a few bits out at the front and leave to curl up naturally so looks a little less 'done'

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=pinned+updo+back+of+head&um=1&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=673&tbm=isch&tbnid=k5vIM6sMHnLv1M:&imgrefurl=www.celebsfashionsite.com/blog/&docid=uXNkiCp6SXe_9M&imgurl=www.celebsfashionsite.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Celebrity-StylePinned-Updos-NBC-Universal-Press-Tour-All-Star-Party.jpg&w=400&h=578&ei=VI8cT8K_EYPpOdKjgbsO&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=316&vpy=250&dur=1556&hovh=168&hovw=116&tx=101&ty=109&sig=109060988111067991245&page=2&tbnh=139&tbnw=96&start=24&ndsp=30&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:24" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this is sort of what you're aiming for (minus the plait) - small sections of hair twisted up and pinned to the back of the head.

Yes, that really is me in the pic

Nice photo henry - equally, I have been told I bear more than a passing resemblance to Julia Roberts . Will give it a shot as sounds do-able. For step 3 - do you kinda twist it up before you pin it or does the hair from that section go in with the sections you twist? Not sure that question made sense actually..

Hmm this sounds interesting but I also got lost at step 3 and the invisible line cutting my head from ear to ear

Could you possibly explain this step again?

I have exactly the same hair and I use Goody's spin pins, which are like the dna helix shape and screw into your hair. They never fall out and are completely buried in your hair so you can do a decent chignon which will stay put in less than five mins. Hard to get hold of but ebay has some rip off ones or try large asda as they stock goodys stuff.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Spin-Pins-Spiral-Hair-Clip-Stick-French-Twist-Barrette-/270696780966
Trouble with ebay one is it looks like the ends could be a bit scratchy-the goodys ones have a small bobble on the end-perhaps you could improvise with a blob of superglue.

Spin pins are fantastic for making a quick messy bun that really doesn't fall out - I got mine from a Home Bargains type shop for £1.

I have spin pins, but can't get the hang of them in my hair. My hair is really thick and I think it's just too heavy - whatever I try just falls down again!

Do spin pins work in fine hair?

High-ish pony tail, secure, back comb, messy bun shape ten secure with pins or another bobble.

Also one of those bun things (£1 in primark). Low side ponytail, put hair through hole, back comb, then cover the bun thing, secured with another bobble.

abigboy for step three - yes, I see exactly what you're asking, no you don't twist that section up, you are simply pinning it up away from the face and the hair will be twisted up and pinned to the back of the head with the other sections (I do twist it a tiny bit at the top to give that 1940s sort of look though).

roller look at this pic of <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=kate+middleton+hair&hl=en&sa=G&biw=1366&bih=673&tbm=isch&tbnid=vJzIdLlgkB9clM:&imgrefurl=www.instyle.co.uk/hair/styles/celebrity-hair-how-tos-0&docid=bfL2mfHRec4SdM&imgurl=www.instyle.co.uk/sites/default/files/imagecache/width_390/kate-middleton-hair.jpg&w=390&h=390&ei=TPMeT4zcC4iBtQaJuazPDA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=179&vpy=174&dur=985&hovh=224&hovw=224&tx=165&ty=114&sig=106775672215767820860&page=3&tbnh=142&tbnw=142&start=51&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:51" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">kate middleton - what I meant by scooping the hair up from your ears to you're parting is scoop the hair like she has but instead of pinning it round the back of the head, just pin to the sides of the head, creating the same sort of shape from the front. In fact, you could just scoop it like kate has here and twist and pin the rest as above.

*your

Having youtubed hair tutorials last night from reading here, I have now finally learned to do a fish tail plait! I am so happy.....:)

Ah - think I've got it! Will give it a bash tomorrow morning!