Help - I need a simple style to wear for my friend's wedding!

[Lisa Long4Life]

My hair is nearly waist length, straight. I'm not good at styling, I love waves but they won't hold.

I think I'm wearing this dress, in the picture I had a clip on bun because my hair was only shoulder length then. I've got sticks, flexis, bobby pins, U pins and spin pins. I've got some doughnut rings but never used them before, and I've got some bump-it type things (for adding volume at the front).

http://i.imgur.com/jM9OrFT.jpg?1

Can anyone help? :confused:

[lapushka]

What buns can you do so far?

[Arctic]

Maybe something like this chestnut bun: http://cupofjo.com/2011/06/diy-wedding-hair-chestnut-bun/

I wonder if the donut could be pinned to your scalp hair inside the bun/layer of hair? And bump-it added to the crown? I love the dress, I think I have the same one (or extremely similar) in all black. :heartbeat:

[Lisa Long4Life]

I can do a lazy wrap, a hypno bun with flexis but I think the weight of my hair & the flexi is now starting to make my scalp hurt after a while.
I think I can do a pha bun with a stick, or at least something similar. That usually feels quite secure.

Thank you, it's a Tatyana dress :) I'll have a go with the chestnut bun.

[Strands]

This is somewhat unconventional advice, but I would just be yourself. Don't worry so much what you look like, focus on having a good time and being supportive to your friend and not worrying about yourself. Being selfless in your love for her that day would be much more flattering to her than you looking a certain way. If she invited you, she loves you as you are! :)

[Nique1202]

If you want something that will keep all your hair up but distribute the weight better (that chestnut bun based on a ponytail will probably feel heavier than a lazy wrap after an hour or so) then buns based on braids might fit the bill? There's this option (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0UeDo_vs0c), or this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAKXFsQP390) offers three different styles of varying degrees of difficulty/intricacy. I've done the first one and two of the three in the second vid, and found they held reasonably well with spin pins for the bunned sections and a bobby pin for the tail of each braid.

[Lisa Long4Life]

Thanks, checking them out now :)

[Anje]

IMO, bun rings are for people who want a nice bun but have shoulder-ish hair. (I know sock buns are things even here, but the darn things never looked right for me, even if I could get my not-thick hair to cover the white gym sock I sacrificed for the purpose.) With waist-length hair, you should be able to do a lovely updo without any fillers. I'm fond of the Rose Bun, which is just a braided cinnamon bun, done with a rope braid. It looks really pretty and intricate without actually being hard. Honestly, don't devote too much effort to complex braids or buns, because to everyone who isn't hair-obsessed, it's just "a braid" or "a bun" and the response you get relative to the amount of effort will almost certainly be disappointing. If you do something intricate, do it for you, not for show or for the occasion.

Great dress, by the way!

[Lisa Long4Life]

Thanks :)
I just want something that looks pretty while being out of the way. I barely ever wear my hair loose so I know if I tried for the occasion, it would annoy me. I'm more about function but I don't want to look a scruff for her photos. I don't have much of a social life which kind of explains the lack of practice. :D I think I'd be happy recreating the clip in bun (I think it was called a Hepburn bun). The chestnut bun looks pretty close.
The reception is at Warwick Castle so I'm pretty sure it's going to be pretty formal/dressy!

[Cyrly777]

Hi, you can look videos on this YouTube channel (http://loznitsa.tk) -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yuCYzT5klU
There so many hair styles for different hair type and length.
Also I'm sow on this channel someone asking about curls and waves and they replay how to make them to hold for few days!
They speak english!
Hope it can help you!
Best regards!

[Lisa Long4Life]

Hi, you can look videos on this YouTube channel (http://loznitsa.tk) -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yuCYzT5klU
There so many hair styles for different hair type and length.
Also I'm sow on this channel someone asking about curls and waves and they replay how to make them to hold for few days!
They speak english!
Hope it can help you!
Best regards!

Thanks, but I think I would need help with that kind of thing. I couldn't manage it on my own.

[spidermom]

This is somewhat unconventional advice, but I would just be yourself. Don't worry so much what you look like, focus on having a good time and being supportive to your friend and not worrying about yourself. Being selfless in your love for her that day would be much more flattering to her than you looking a certain way. If she invited you, she loves you as you are! :)

I think being herself can include wearing her hair in a special style for a special occasion.

[Yozhik]

I love your dress! :heart:

If you like braids, I find accent ones - especially lace accent braids - can add a lot of sophistication to an otherwise understated bun. :)

[Lisa Long4Life]

I think being herself can include wearing her hair in a special style for a special occasion.

Thank you, I was wondering if strands was implying that I was selfish and vain for worrying about my hair when it's my friend's wedding. :confused:

[Lisa Long4Life]

I love your dress! :heart:

If you like braids, I find accent ones - especially lace accent braids - can add a lot of sophistication to an otherwise understated bun. :)

Thanks, the photo was from 2012 when I wore it to a concert with my man. :D
I do like them, I haven't quite mastered an even french braid yet so not sure I have the dexterity. Pretty useless when it comes to hair styling usually, don't have much time to practice. :eek:

[Vanilla]

Lillith Moon on YouTube has tons of tutorials for BSL-waist length hair. Some of her updos use braids, but a lot of them do not.

My go-to for a fancy occasion at your length was a braided nautilus bun held with a pretty clip. Sometimes I did a regular top-knot and added a sparkly headband.

[sumidha]

Do you still have the bangs? The dress is kind of retro (super cute, btw!) so how would you feel about a high sock bun to sort of mimic the silhouette of a beehive without the craziness of trying to do a beehive? I think a french twist would also work really well with that dress style, or maybe milkmaid braids?

[Lisa Long4Life]

Thanks for the replies - Vanilla I'll give it a look. Today is my last day to practice, yesterday my hair was too clean and wasn't having any of it.

sumidha - yes I still have bangs, it is a 50s style dress and will wear with a petticoat probably. I was looking at some sock buns with the doughnuts on videos. I'm put off by teasing/backcombing so it might be better to do something like that. I'll have a practice later.
Will report back!

[Lisa Long4Life]

Do you still have the bangs? The dress is kind of retro (super cute, btw!) so how would you feel about a high sock bun to sort of mimic the silhouette of a beehive without the craziness of trying to do a beehive? I think a french twist would also work really well with that dress style, or maybe milkmaid braids?

I think this has been most successful, and easiest! I tried the chestnut bun but got stuck yesterday because my hair was too clean. I was put off by backcombing as well.
I tried a Gibson tuck/inverted bun which would be plan B and looked nice with a diamante comb I just bought.
I had a look at some braids, with the rose bun etc but I'd need a lot more practice.
But I have a HUGE doughnut so I tried it out on the top of my head. I've got a fascinator in the shape of a bow (not as horrendous as it sounds) that I think looks quite nice.
Just hope I can do it in the morning! I think I'm out of spray so might need to send my man to the shop in the morning. Oops.