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Hot & Humid Hairstyles

Jun 25, 2013

The weather this spring was unseasonably cool and abnormally dry.  Now that the heat and humidity sets in for the long summer swelter, I find my hair is as lifeless and flat as Kristen Stewart’s acting ability.  It’s during times like these that I surrender and go for the updo hairstyle.

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My go-to hairstyle is the Gibson tuck or Gibson roll.  It’s fairly simple and works on most hair lengths.

I also found this list of 25 easy updos, and there are some pretty styles on the list.  I also like this crown twist tutorial, and this slightly more complicated twisted bun tutorial.  And for those of you with short hair, try this pretty style or this French twist-like style.

For updos, no matter which style you choose, you’ll need the same basic tools.  I recommend clear elastics, strong bobby pins (buy the pins made for salons, not the cheap ones from the drugstore), a teasing comb or teasing brush and a can of really good hairspray.  I love Big Sexy Firm Volumizing hairspray or L’Oreal Elnett Hairspray.

Good luck out there, it’s like a sauna.

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  1. Crystal says:

    If you have a fair amount of hair, I cannot say enough good things about Goody’s spin pins. They come in two sizes and two colors, they’re sturdy, and they provide a very quick and secure base for updos. Grab a few, twist them into your hair, and you’re golden–without the need to rely on so many bobbies. I highly recommend putting a few in your makeup bag for emergencies, especially during these humid summer months!

    • Sarah says:

      I second this. I have long, thick hair — and bobby pins just don’t do anything. The spin pins are the only things that work for me, and they make a quick updo possible!

    • BBB says:

      maybe i’ll give these another try now that i’ve let my hair grow even longer. i tried them once, and perhaps i have too many layers – but they did not work at all. i swear by Hot Buns, which are just an easier version of the sock bun. but so much easier.

  2. LL27 says:

    This makes me sound like an idiot, but I do not know how to put up my hair. I’m great at straightening, great at curly, the greatest at airdrying. But when it comes to a bobby pin, I get PTSD. I cannot keep a bobbi pin in my hair for the life of me. I have also only ever mastered a braid (the french variety is way too intimidating). I watch a ton of online tutorials but still seem at a loss. Any tips?

    • Ann E. says:

      If your problem is that your bobby pins slip out, have you tried spraying them with hairspray before you put them in your hair? I don’t know if you have a roommate who is willing to be your life-sized Barbie, but I taught myself how to do different updos by practicing on my college roommate before trying them on myself – something about knowing I could do it for someone else made me much more confident in doing them on myself.

    • GA says:

      Also, if they keep slipping, you might have them in upside down/backwards/whatever? I used to have them so the zig-zag was facing out; apparently you’re supposed to have it facing in. It grips the hair better.

      I was the same way as you and if I saw a hair tutorial that required bobby pins, I’d nix it out of hand. Then I found out I had been wearing them wrong for years, and it makes a huge difference–for my hair, anyway.

    • Belle says:

      I agree with Ann, trying spraying the pin with hair spray. Also, what kind are you buying? I find the salon ones have much better grip than Goody or Scunci.

      • LL27 says:

        Have always used the Goody ones so that might be part of the reason. I have extremely thick wavy hair and find that half the time my hair either pushes them out or they pop out half bent. I just tried the Gibson roll (it’s one of those days) and with 6 different bobby pins…it’s staying-ish. Have you used the spin pins before? I’ve heard good things.

        • CH says:

          If the bobby pins pop out, that usually means you’re putting too much hair in them. One of the keys to a good, stable updo is working with small sections and using lots of pins. It also helps to have some “sticky” product in your hair (I like mousse before I blow dry and a few spritzes of dry shampoo after I blow dry, then a bit of Elnett when I’m finished styling) to give hair some texture and help the style hold.

          I think The Small Things blog has the best set of hair tutorials out there, and as you watch them, you see that she emphasizes breaking the style down into small sections to make it manageable. Like mastering liquid liner or any other beauty trick, mastering an updo takes the right tools and some practice.

          https://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/p/hair_17.html

  3. Charleigh says:

    Hahaha K-Stew’s acting ability. I would also mention Scar-Jo’s. No matter what character they play, it’s always the same.

  4. LS says:

    I have tried the Gibson roll a bunch of times, but I almost always have issues with it. Some of them include: the “nest” disappears as I twist, as I tuck it all goes in one side and looks lopsided, the bobby pins pop out(thanks GA for the zig-zag inwards tip), and if I do get it, my collar knocks it out on my drive to work (big problem in winter).

    Anyone have any suggestions for these issues? Is the Gibson tuck easier than the roll (or different at all? I can’t watch videos at work).

    • Ann E. says:

      The Gibson tuck is my go to. One thing I do to help keep it more secured is twist the sides before putting them in the pony tail holder – that gives me a bit of volume on both sides to start with. As for your collar, I wonder how low you are pinning it – I pin mine so the tuck/roll is about even with my ears in terms of height on the back of my head and that seems to keep it up enough to not be bothered by collars

      • LS says:

        Thanks, Ann! I’ll try the pre-twist method. And yes, I do pin it low. I’ve tried to make it higher, but it seems to fall out much faster. I’ll give it another go!

  5. GoGoGo says:

    LL27, I feel your pain. I have never been able to replicate even the simple tutorials. Everyone’s tips about bobby pins sound great, thanks for the insight.

    Part of the problem may also be that many of the lovely ladies who make tutorials online have pretty fine hair. If yours is thicker, you’ll get a different look as you go along. Like Crystal, I have super-thick and wavy hair.

    Has anyone run into any good internet teachers who have thick manes rather than thin?

  6. KRF says:

    KRF: I also have super think and wavy hair. My blow dry days are over with a little one now unless I sneak away some time on Sunday so that I can blow out and straighten (which could take up to an hour!) My hair is pulled up or back most days of the year. Every time I try to let it go curly I end up regretting it about 10 minutes after I leave the house and pull it up (and I have tried numerous products to support curls and reduce frizz). I second spraying the bobby pins and trying to pin smaller sections but still struggle for a polished look. Here’s to summer hair!

  7. Joules says:

    Nice links! I want to try pretty much everything in that 25 updos link. Nailing a chic, low bun in still one of my long term goals.

    Style by Joules

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