Change Your Hairstyle into a Half Updo

Guest Author - Lynne Chapman

We’ve come to the time of year that causes us to look for new hairstyles. Cloudy, gray days inspire us to look for the excitement of a new haircut or new hair color. However, before making changes that can’t be reversed, it might be wise to try a new styling option for the desired change.

Often those of us with short hair complain of having the same hairstyle everyday. Even short trendy looks can be changed with a little ingenuity and styling product. An easy way to dress up almost any style is to pull part of it back and up into a half updo. All that is needed is enough length in the crown to create fullness and enough length on top to brush back away from your face.

     

The top section of this short bob is pulled back and secured with a small rubber band. The ends are just long enough to feather out into a poofy short pony tail. Keep them full and in place by back-combing close to the rubber band. Use a pik to fluff out the ends and use hair spray as a stiffener.

The bottom section is combed down and flipped slightly. Use a flat iron to straighten, smooth and create the flip. Use pomade or hair cream to shine and separate the ends. You may also want to curl the bottom section under into a smooth bob.

This hairstyle is made more interesting by the color placement of three shades of blending tones. The top section is heavily highlighted with extra light blonde highlights applied over the model’s medium blonde natural hair color. The bottom section is tinted rich medium brown.

The hair in front does not have to be long enough to reach all the way to the pony tail. Place a very small rubber band at the crown to catch as much hair as possible. If your hair has short layers, guide as much of the hair in the top section, as possible, toward the back. You can use a small amount of back-combing to give it control and use hair spray to keep it in place. Smooth all the hair off your face or pull a fringe of bangs down to soften the front.

Pulling the top section of any hairstyle up into a half updo has the added benefit of creating height on the top. This helps to elongate the face shape and slim the sides, making the style a good match for a round, square or heart shaped face.