Softer updos

[Tangles]

I noticed that a lot of you like the tightly secured sorts of hairdos, and I understand they're more protective for super long hair. However, I look much better with softer updos that are either really low or really high on the head ("middle" updos make my long, square-jawed face look very severe). I tried doing a Gibson Tuck today and it looks pretty, but I can't figure out how to hold it with pins; the pins tend to slide out of the pocket.

[atlantaz3]

Try pinning from the sides - rolling the sides a little to hold the tuck together. Or you could try a pretty barrette or clip to hold the side rolls together. HTH also when I try this I pin vertical rather than horizontal.

[amaiaisabella]

Tangles, why don't you try using a barrette to clasp the hair together? I have found that it holds very securely that way :)

[snowbird]

A true hair comb (either plain or a decorative one) works very well for holding the picket in place. A great use for pretty vintage combs

[granitbaby]

I also prefer softer up dos.
The Gibson tuck is very pretty but I can never get it to last long.
Have you tried doing the common up dos, just not as tight?
Loose buns and french braid can look just as nice as tighter ones. Old fashioned combs are also very pretty but I can never make them stay in place.:cool:

[Melisande]

A flexi 8 (not too large) helps me keeping my Gibson tuck. Looks pretty, too.

[Treecrown]

More about this topic, please!!! I also look better in softer updos, and tend to get headaches from any kind of hair toy other than sticks and forks. So please, updo experts, more suggestions about holding up soft styles softly!

[Kuchen]

I twist my hair and coil it into a large cinnabun just behind my left ear, then pin it with hair scroos and pins. Stays all day and it's definitely "softer".

[KnightsLady]

I also prefer softer 'dos. My French Twist thingy is usually very loose (upsets hairdressers no end, because I "don't do it right" ie tight) and usually is held either with barrettes or a small hand finished claw clip. If it's in the right spot it holds well. If not, I use some hairpins to help secure it. Hairpins also help the weight distribution so no one section pulls.

Not sure about the Gibson, as I haven't tried it.

ETA: I've also used a two prong fork to secure.

[Cinnamon Hair]

For a soft updo one idea is not to use any product at all to hold back your baby hair or whispies. Let them fall out of the updo and pretend they are fringe or face framing pieces. I do that almost all the time now and you would not believe how many sticky-out pieces I have by the end of the day. Sometimes too many!

[Medvssa]

I would also like to hear some more instruction for soft updos, as I've practically no chin, a long nose and a very oval face, a tight updo doesn't really flatter me at all. I like updos that preserve the curls and have some volume around the face. I cannot find a way to hold messy, soft updos than claws or a million bobby pins :shrug: cannot do anything with my combs, it is frustrating.

Ok, I'll post about with one I did yesterday. I put my hair in a loose (as in the hairtie was loose) ponytail, quite hig, then pulled it a bit away from my head, towards the back, horizontal to the floor or so. I parted my hair in the middle with my fingers (I look better than with hair pulled back) then held my hair where the ponytail was and with the other hand pulled the holder away, twisted a bit this bit of hair and held it with a barrete. I took some hairs out because I like this :D
Pic here: http://innershelter.net/journal/2008/05/looseupdo.jpg

Now, it definitely needs improvement, but it is a start.

[Patrycja]

I live for softer updos.
One I have found that's great is the Butterfly clip Braid found at www.longhairloom.com in the Styling Central
Another that I go back to is a looser cinnabun.I just make sure I don't do it tight and it comes out messy and chic IMO.I have little hairs that fall out throughout the day so it looks better and better as the day goes on.

[darkwaves]

I love the look of soft, loose updos, too -- but they can be a lot more difficult to hold securely (and painfreely) in place. The looser my hair is, the more likely I am to catch single hairs -- and that hurts!

I saw a flight attendant yesterday with a lovely soft updo. Looked like a French twist, but wasn't, and her hair was held in place by at least half a dozen mini claw clips, same colour as her hair.

Like others, I'd welcome more ideas...

[embee]

I twist my hair and coil it into a large cinnabun just behind my left ear, then pin it with hair scroos and pins. Stays all day and it's definitely "softer".


*That* is interesting!

I just tried a bun off center like that, and you're quite correct, it gives a softer look even though the hair is quite firmly pulled back. I did an "equilibrium bun" because I have *lots* of trouble with cinnabuns plus I have no hair scroos. I used one short stick to hold it. We'll see how long / how comfy it is! :)

[walkinglady]

I twist my hair and coil it into a large cinnabun just behind my left ear, then pin it with hair scroos and pins. Stays all day and it's definitely "softer".

Wow, I tried this last night and it works great! I put mine behind my right ear because thats the side I tend to coil towards. I was able to keep this in place with one hair stick!

[walkinglady]

I like to do a really loose log roll. Use my whole hand instead of fingers. I hold it with a ficcare about 1/3 from the bottom of the roll. You want the roll to be top heavy. I then loosely pull the top of the roll down (if you twisted loose enough it should flop over easily). You end up only seeing a little of the ficcare. Your hair is really loose with the ends tucked in and it does not pull.

I'm interested to see if ladies with shorter hair can do this style when they loosely wrap with fingers.

ETA: you may have to adjust where you place your ficcare. Also, when you pull the top loop down pull slightly to the left and right to fan your hair out a little.

[Ponytale]

I just make the bun, figure eight, etc., then pull the front section a tad looser. I essentially keep the same style as if it was done and pull out a few wispies... This may work because of my fine hair, I am not sure.

Cheers.

[UrbanEast]

I'm very interested in this topic too. My favorite so far is the "soft nautilus" bun that MaidMarian posted:

http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=1227941&postcount=217

I'm still trying to figure out how to get this to hold though. MaidMarian, if you're still here, please enlighten us. :)

[icydove]

I've never seen the soft nautilus bun before. It seems to be very similar to hairymonster's inside-out bun except the loop comes down from the top on the soft nautilus bun. I like the side view of that one.

[Nynaeve]

I usually prefer harder ones for keeping my hair up sturdy, but like you, i think my hair probably looks better in a softer updo. I need to figure out some that I can do. I always thought that a french twist or a logroll would be a nice softer type updo, but I can't, for the life of me, do them correctly.

[nomadhome]

I look better with looser updos too-- I need a little fluff and volume and wispies. I often use a tiny clip to softly clip up either the top or the top/front sides ( a half up, but with way less than half my hair and sometimes off to one side) or I use my natural side part and loosely clip just a little of each side up. Then, I do whatever updo I want with the rest of it-- usually a cinnabun held with a fork in my case. Not a fancy solution, but it works for me!

[manderly]

I love the southern tease here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_-XBalPjVg

I can't really secure it with a stick, so I use my ficcarismo or a barrette to secure it.

[darkwaves]

manderly -- I'm glad you said you can't secure it with a stick! I tried this while watching the video and it all fell out! I'll try with a clip... but I wonder if I really understand what she's doing... (I'm instructionally challenged unless I have many mirrors and at my computer, there are none.)

[manderly]

darkwaves, let me see if I can explain it, she goes kind of fast and her hair is so dark there is no contrast to really see what she's doing.

--Make a pony at your nape
fold it up to your head, about level with your earlobes
--tuck ends under if necessary
--holding the tail against your head should make the hair along the bottom kind of poof out funny, I sometimes adjust mine. i think this probably works easiest with her hair texture, us white girls have to use some finesse
--grab one side of the funny poof of hair and bring it to the center, pinch
with the other hand, do the same on the opposite side

this makes the burrito effect you kind of see

clip with a ficcare or barrette. If hair falls out or it gets messed up, try inserting your clip the opposite direction, or do your hair in the opposite direction.

Once you get the basics down, this style is easy-peasy and totally rocks.

HTH

[darkwaves]

Thank you, manderly!

Can you please start writing hair style articles? Your explanations always make sense to me!

I've tried this (at the computer, no mirror and no tools) and I think it might work with two hairsticks if they were really grippy.

Thanks! (Now I have to see what my attempted style looks like!)

[manderly]

Thank you, manderly!

Can you please start writing hair style articles? Your explanations always make sense to me!



Thanks! I would if I could figure out how to do any of the styles posted! I think my problem is my hair isn't long enough for a lot of them and I can't describe something I can't do myself :)

Maybe I'll do more as I learn new styles.

How did yours turn out? (after the mirror check?)

[darkwaves]

My version is apparently like a loose Gibson tuck. Who knew that could be so easy?