Dressed up hairstyle ideas?

[AZDesertRose]

So I have a cocktail party to attend on Saturday evening, and I'm trying to figure out how to style my hair for it. I'd kind of like to do a half-up or a style that leaves at least part of my hair down. I usually wear it up unless it's drying. My hair is thick, fine, slightly wavy, and a little short of BSL. I am fortunate enough to have a stylist I can trust not to hose up my hair, but sadly I don't have the money to see her and have her style it for me, so it needs to be something I can do myself.

I'm planning to wear a black lace dress, so I don't really want a super intricate hairstyle because the dress is fussy enough.

I own only a straightening iron and a hair dryer for heat styling tools, and I don't use either of them very often (like, the straightening iron hasn't been used in well over a year, and the hair dryer may have been used two or three times in the last year), although I'm probably going to blow dry my hair tomorrow evening after I wash it so that the wispies aren't TOO haywire for this event. I might be able to steal back my curling iron from my daughter for the night.

I thought about doing the waterfall braid that is the hairstyle of the month, but I tried it and I don't like the way it looks on me.

Anybody got any good ideas?

Thanks in advance!

[Robi-Bird]

A Gibson tuck would be lovely, just a few bobby pins and an elastic and you're gold.

[AZDesertRose]

Thank you for the idea, but I should have mentioned this. I'm having trouble getting my hair to hold a Gibson tuck. It wants to fall through. :(

[Robi-Bird]

That's too bad, have you had any luck with a French twist? With or without a stick?

[AZDesertRose]

This cocktail party is an annual thing, and I tried a French twist last year, but my hair kept falling out of it. I seriously re-pinned it three times in four hours. I think if I still had a French twist comb, it might stay, but I no longer own one and don't think I can manage to get a new one before Saturday. My hair is quite thick (as in there's a lot of it) but fine (the individual strands are like a little kid's hair, never mind I'm pushing forty), and that combination (probably along with the slight waviness) makes it rather difficult to style.

I was thinking to try some sort of half-up, but I can't come up with any good ideas that aren't super fussy. I thought of doing a lace braid, and I may end up doing that if I don't find some other inspiration.

Thanks for the ideas! I hate to be so negative and shoot down everything, but the hair has her own ideas about what she will and won't do. :D

[Groovy Granny]

I've done French twists with a fancy barrette if you have one that holds thick hair.
Or even a French braid with the end tucked under; you can add some bling if you want...or not.

[AZDesertRose]

I was just looking through my collection of hair stuff. I used to have quite a collection of barrettes, but either I gave them away or I put them away REALLY well, because I can NOT lay hands on them now.

[Seventy7]

How about a dutch or french braid as a halfup? You could bun the braid or leave it down.

[AZDesertRose]

That might work. Thanks!

[maria_asa]

I second Groovy Granny's suggestion about a French braid that's tucked under. To me that always looks elegant and you change how it looks byt making it loose or tighter.

[Nique1202]

You might find something you like on Lilith Moon's youtube page (https://www.youtube.com/user/lilithedarkmoon). She does a lot of styles for medium (shoulder) to long (midback-ish) hair.

[Entangled]

Perhaps do a half-up Rose bun? (Bunned rope braid) I find that rose buns are a little dressier.

[AZDesertRose]

Nique1202, thank you for pointing me at that YouTube channel! That looks super helpful.

Entangled, I hadn't even thought of that. That sounds like a good idea too. Thanks!

[AZDesertRose]

Wound up, due to uncooperative hair (typical for me; my hair has an attitude all its own), doing a lace braid with the front of my hair as a sort of headband around the front of my face and curling the rest of it with a curling iron. (I don't often use heat on my hair, so once in a while is not likely to kill it. :D )

I'll take some pics tonight. Leaving the house in about 40 minutes. :)

Thanks again for all the helpful suggestions, y'all!