The promise of spring means many things: baby animals! Warmer weather! April showers and May flowers! It’s also prime time for weddings, proms, and other formal events. To Aveda Artists, this means one thing: UPDOS.
An updo can be anything from an intricate curled and pinned bridal chignon to a precise and flawless French twist to a low, messy bun. You can pick and choose an updo to complement what you’re wearing, where you’re going, or match it to the occasion, no red carpet necessary.
If you’re preparing for a formal event of your own — or just itching to try your hand at a new style — get tips, techniques, and product recommendations from Aveda Artists.
“What I love about updos is that they’re a really fun way to change your style without a commitment like a cut or a color,” says Aveda Updo Educator Sarah Naslund. “It’s fun to get your hair done! [Updos] are a way to escape your daily life; it’s not something you’re checking off a to-do list. The energy is more fun.”
Sarah, whose Instagram @mybighairday is full of gorgeous shots of her work, keeps a well-stocked kit that includes Shampure Thermal Dry Conditioner to give hair slip, Shampure Dry Shampoo for texture, and Brilliant Humectant Pomade for polish and frizz control. “A lot of people think you need a lot of hairspray and texture spray for updos,” she says. “But the way styles are right now, they’re not messy, they’re distressed. I explain to people in my classes that when you buy a pair of jeans with holes, you don’t buy jeans someone has worn. You buy a new pair that have holes created in them. So when you add too much hairspray or texture spray, it starts to look worn as opposed to distressed.”
Sarah’s go-to hairspray when styling is Brilliant Medium Hold Hair Spray. “If I was going to do updos on a desert island, this is what I’d bring,” she says. “It adds shine and it repels humidity.”
