Updos with few or no accessories?

[georgia_peach]

I love a new hair accessory. I love everything about it. The thrill of the hunt and stalking the mail carrier. But as my hair actually gets long enough to start using some of my new pretties, I'm running into snags that have got me wondering. Is there another way to create updo's? A way that involves very few accessories or maybe none? Something that would give a more minimal, clean look and save my wallet, too (truth be told).

Are there any longhairs here who have gone this minimal route with styling?

I put this post here rather than the accessories thread since it's kind of *anti-accessory*. But, Mods, please move it to wherever is best.

[Caraid♫]

I usually do wear my toys and accessories, but the one hairdo I prefer to do with only bobby pins are braided buns and heidi braid(s) (when I wrap my braid around my head). I find I can lay the braid out more perfectly and pin it exactly in place with bobby pins keeping them hidden under the braid, whereas when I try to stick a fork in a braided bun it will somewhat distort my braid and make it all ugly and lumpy. Also you can just wear your hair in regular english braids or french braids (or any type of braid!) if you're looking for accessory free hair do's.
You can also do basically any buns with bobby pins or spin pins, it's just a bit more work since it tends to take a lot of pins, but sometimes I'll do it anyway if I want a "cleaner" unaccesorized look.

[Yozhik]

Aha! There are a couple of updos I adore that require no hairtoys whatsoever!
However, they may have to wait until your hair is a bit longer. My favorites include the knot bun and the nautilus bun, which basically are held in place by your own hair.

Other than that - um, tucked French braids would probably be great at your length, and would probably require only a pin or two, depending on your hair's slipperiness. Lazy wrap buns also require only a single stick, but they may also have to wait til longer lengths.

HTH!

[darklyndsea]

For most (all?) hairstyles, it's not necessary to use any fancy accessories. A plain, cheap stick will work the same as a fancy expensive one. Aside from center-held buns, most hairstyles can be made with hair pins or spin pins. There are a number of braided hairstyles which hold themselves up (though usually a pin is used on the braid tail)--Amish braids, the Elling Woman bun, and crown braid are a few of those.

[LongCurlyTress]

Well georgia_peach! I am so happy that you posted this thread to know that I am not alone with boycotting the need to purchase more and more hairtoys!! I have a few acrylics for damp bunning, and one 3 prong hairfork which I never use, and a few fancy hairsticks made from wood. I think that covers the different types of hairtoys that I will ever use. I mean, without sounding bitter, how many hairtoys does one NEED AND can USE at once? At one point, I had close to $500 worth of hairtoys but I have sold most of them. I still have close to $150 worth with keeping my favorites. Anyways, I love my simple amish crinkly 3 inch hairpins from Mennonite Maidens and my Dh just made me a hairstick from an oak tree branch from our yard. Plus, my real go to hairtoys especially for damp bunning are my plastic claw clips. Shhhhh... don't tell anybody!! LOL!! I am sure there are more who don't "buy" into the "I-need-more- and- more- and -more -hairtoys" mentality. We just need to speak up so others don't feel so alone like there is something wrong with them for using some common sense. Cheers!!!


I mean, please don't get me wrong. I love looking at hairtoys and admiring them as if I am in an art gallery, where you look at the pretty, interesting pieces of artwork, but would never purchase something, at least I wouldn't. I mean how much "stuff" does one need?

Anyways, I like Caraid's braiding ideas with pins. Well, thanks again for speaking up on this topic. I am sure more people will agree with you than not.

[midnight_blue]

I find spin pins are the best accessory for updos without toys, they hold my hair really well and I can do a variety of braided and bun styles with them. I also get a good hold regardless of when I last washed my hair. I find them easier and less fiddly than using hundreds of bobby pins, half the time two spin pins will do the same job and hold for longer.

[Madora]

If you know how to use crimped hairpins, and how to section your hair, you can do several hairstyles. There's the Jaime Leigh, cinnamon buns, Flutterby, Cameo, Heidi braids, crown braids, lace accent braids, twisted accent rope crown..and on and on.

[Carolyn]

I can do a lot of buns with Spin Pins or Amish pins. I'm a more is more kind of girl who loves her hair toys so it's pointless for me to even try

[SThr]

My go-to style is a nautilus bun with nothing but hair holding it up. When I do accent braids I normally leave the ends undone, even if they're rope braids I just braid the end with a plain 3 strand english braid and it'll stay pretty well. I often do accent braids and then bun my hair, so I'll have a ton of loose end braids going up into a pinless bun. I like the look of hair sticks, and I even make them sometimes, but I don't often end up using them, exactly the same with all the jewelry I make.

[Islandgrrl]

I used to be able to do a knot kind of bun that would stay up on its own, but I have too much hair now (I know, such a problem). It won't stay up on its own anymore. Amish pins work, but I have to use a lot of them and they have to be the crimped kind - the straight ones slide out.

Now that I think about it, the only bun I can do that is sort of unaccessorized is a sock bun (if you don't count the sock). I can make that work.