Are you looking for an easy hairstyle that can take you from the office to dinner and drinks with the girls? Half up hairstyles are simple updos that can be done a number of ways. Depending on the texture, color, and styling, this hairstyle can be personalized to fit your personal style.
The best part about half up hairstyles is their versatility. Many styles take mere minutes to achieve and some transform into entirely new styles for second-day hair. Keep reading below for our list of the top ten most lovely half up hairstyles for women.
How We Reviewed the Top 10 Loveliest Half up Hairstyles for Women
Our list of the top ten most lovely half up hairstyles for women has been extensively researched across a wide range of mediums. When taking a look at each hairstyle, we took into account a number of factors.
We choose this top ten list based on the following criteria:
- How difficult is the hairstyle to achieve
- How manageable is the hairstyle
- How versatile is the hairstyle
It’s important to note when reviewing hairstyles that you take into account your hair’s texture and your own personal ability. If you select a hairstyle that is ideal for straight hair, when your hair texture is coarse and curly, this will not be an ideal style for you. Additionally, keep an eye out for styles that are ideal for your hair length.
Ensuring that a hairstyle works for your hair length and texture is key to a successful style. It can be tempting to pine after what we don’t have, such as longer, or different textured hair. If you have short hair and are looking to try a long style, try opting for extensions to achieve your desired effect. If you have long hair and want to try a shorter style, try pinning hair up and under, to achieve the shorter appearance.
You can always experiment by curling or straightening your hair to achieve different textures. However, it’s never a bad idea to consult your stylist or at the very least, a trained professional, before making any permanent changes. Always make sure to have fun and be safe!
The Top 10 Loveliest Half up Hairstyles for Women
- Hair bow
- Half-crown braid
- Wrap-around braid
- Half-up bun
- Braided headband
- Loosely twisted back
- Waterfall braid
- Criss-cross twist
- Pinned-back swirl
- Half-up Boho fishtail braid
Hair Bow
Admit it; nothing is cuter than a bow for your hair. But what takes that girlish trend to the mature half up womanly style of today? The hair bow.
The hair bow is a fun and recent trend that has become popular for all ages. Not only is this style ideal for almost any occasion, but it’s also a casual way to keep some of your hair away from your face. That makes this one of the cutest half up hairstyles on our list!
How to Make a Hair Bow
To achieve the hair bow start by separating an even portion of hair from the crown of your head in the classic, half up, fashion. Then you’ll want to take that portion of hair and begin securing it with a hair elastic. On the final go-around, you’ll want to pull the hair through the elastic only part of the way, leaving the ends of your hair facing upward.
From this point, you will secure those loose ends of your hair, facing upwards, against your head with a hairpin or bobby pin. You should start to see the two sides of the bow beginning to form. All that’s left now is to take the excess hair and fold it down over the hair elastic and past the two loops, which are now the sides of your bow. Tuck the ends under, add some hairspray to hold it in place, and you have a cute and fun half up hairstyle!
How to Make a Hair Bow
To achieve the hair bow start by separating an even portion of hair from the crown of your head in the classic, half up, fashion. Then you’ll want to take that portion of hair and begin securing it with a hair elastic. On the final go-around, you’ll want to pull the hair through the elastic only part of the way, leaving the ends of your hair facing upward.
From this point, you will secure those loose ends of your hair, facing upwards, against your head with a hairpin or bobby pin. You should start to see the two sides of the bow beginning to form. All that’s left now is to take the excess hair and fold it down over the hair elastic and past the two loops, which are now the sides of your bow. Tuck the ends under, add some hairspray to hold it in place, and you have a cute and fun half up hairstyle!
Half-Crown Braid
Looking for an easy way to class up your hairstyle? The half-crown braid is one of the loveliest half up hairstyles you can do. Just take two, small, sections of your hair and braid them back across the back of your head and secure in place.
What’s great about the half-crown braid is that what you choose to do with the remaining hair, is up to your imagination. Leave the remaining hair curly for a romantic vibe or leave it straight for an edgier look. You can even change things up by adding more or less hair to your braid.
Slender braids give this half-crown braid a whimsical feel where thicker braids put off an elegant and timeless sophistication that is hard to beat. The half-crown braid is a go-to for any occasion. Take this look to brunch with grandma or on a dinner date! The versatility with this look is endless.
Wrap-Around Braid
Do you have super long hair and are afraid that there are no half-up hairstyles for you? Luckily, we’ve found the perfect fit, the wrap-around braid. This style is an elegant and gorgeous way to hop on the half up trend train.
All you need to do to achieve this look is braid to even sections of hair on either side of your head and secure them in the back, middle, of your head. Make sure you tuck the ends under for a more seamless and styled braid. What makes the wrap-around braid great, is that you can leave the rest of the hair curly for a more feminine feel, or keep it straight for a seemingly effortless approach.
Half-Up Bun
Not sure which one of these styles will work for your length of hair? Well, you’ve stopped on the right style because the half-up bun is one of the most versatile half up hairstyles in the fashion world today. The half-up bun works best for any hair length; if you have enough hair to make a bun, then this will work for you!
The half-up bun is not only versatile for all hair lengths, but it’s also perfect for any hair texture. Coarse hair, straight hair, thick hair, it does not matter. This style can work for you!
Take this simple look to church, to work, and even out to the club. What you do with the remaining hair depends on the look you’re trying to achieve! Our favorite? We love to pair a half-up bun with beachy, effortless, waves.
Braided Headband
Does this style look familiar? Well, that’s because the braided headband has been one of the most icon half up hairstyles for years. This style works best with almost any hair texture and ideal for those with medium to long length hair.
To achieve the braided headband half up hairstyle, take a small portion of hair on one side of the head and braid it. Secure that braid with a hair elastic and lift the braid up over the crown of the head. Sit the braid a little behind your hairline and ensure your bangs, if you have any, have been removed from the braid. Pin the braid underneath your hair for a seamless and clean do.
Loosely Twisted Back
Ready for half up hairstyles that stay in place all night long? It sounds like you’re ready for the loosely twisted back. I know what you’re thinking, how can something with loose in the name stay in place? Well, this style is truly one of a kind.
To achieve this look start by separating two, front, sections of hair and twist them back, away from your face. It’s important to twist the hair away from your face to achieve a swept-back appearance. Secure the hair in place with a hair elastic, bobby pin, hairpin, or hair accessory of your choice.
Waterfall Braid
A waterfall braid is one of the trickier braids to achieve. Often referred to as a step above a French braid, the water braid cascades hair downward for a chic and modern style. This is one of the half up hairstyles that are recommended for medium to long hair. We wouldn’t recommend this look for short hair as the amount of touch-ups required could quickly becoming annoying.
What’s fun about the waterfall braid is that with curly or wavy hair, you create a romantic, almost Shakespearean hairstyle that’s all the rage. This whimsical look can, however, be edgier if you leave the hair straight and encourage choppiness with texturing and styling products. Whichever way to decide to attempt the waterfall braid, it’s sure to be a beautiful half up perfect for any occasion.
Criss-Cross Twist
Do you want to tame flyaways and keep those flirty side pieces at bay? The criss-cross twist may be one of the most perfect half up hairstyles for you. This easy and quick hairstyle is a great way to keep everything in place, all day long.
To achieve the criss-cross twist, separate, small, even sections of hair on either side of your face and pull them back, across your head in a criss-cross pattern. Secure the ends with bobby pin or hairpin to hide the edges. We suggest trying three sections on each side to create the criss-cross twist.
What’s great about this style, in particular, is that you can personalize it to fit your individual style. Don’t like the uniform look? Try crisscrossing uneven sections of hair, or try more than three sections on either side. The best part about half up hairstyles is that you can try as many as you like to find a style that’s not only effective, but that’s easy for you to do and makes you feel great!
Pinned-Back Swirl
The pinned-back swirl is a perfect half up, half down, hairstyle for any occasion. This hairstyle is a fun twist on the classic half-up updo and the half-up bun. Not only is the pinned-back twirl ideal for almost any hair length, once again following the: if your hair is long enough to make a bun you can achieve this look mentality, but it’s ideal for any hair texture. That’s right, curly, coarse, thin; you name it, the pinned-back twirl can work with and for you.
To achieve this looks, merely take a few sections of hair, swoop them back, and twist them into a swirl. The amount of swirls you have, and how big the swirls are, is entirely up to you. The messier the buns, more casual the hairstyle becomes and the tighter and neater the buns, the more elegant and formal it can be.
Half-Up Boho Fishtail Braid
Last on our list of the top ten loveliest half up hairstyles, is the half-up boho fishtail braid. This braid is one of the trendiest styles on our list because it features the half-up hairstyle and a fishtail braid. This look, although hyper-modern, is perfect for virtually any occasion.
To achieve this look begin by sectioning out two even portions of hair from the front of your head. Twist each section back, combine both sections and secure with a hair elastic. From here you’ll grab some of the hair behind the hair elastic to begin your fishtail braid. After you finish the braid, you must secure the entire braid with a hair elastic of your choosing. We suggest trying colorless hair elastics to help hide ends and keep the focal point on the styling itself, not the hair accessories.
The Verdict
Keeping your hair half up and half down gives you the versatility we all want out of our day-to-day fashion. Whether you want to be sassy, sweet, edgy, or romantic half up styles, help accomplish it all. Not only are these styles easy to do, taking no more than roughly a half of an hour to complete, but they’re timeless and will look chic and effortless for years to come.
No matter your hair length, texture, or your personal ability, there is a half up hairstyle out there perfect you. Whether the amount of maintenance, styling involved, versatility, or more is your primary concern, you can find a half up style perfect for virtually any occasion or criteria.
Leave a Reply