Beauty How-To: The Messy Up Do

Lots of girls wear their hair out when they want to look sexy, but for me sometimes the sexiest is a well constructed up do. Its elegant, classy and suits most face shapes given it is done well.

While I love the look, its not always the easiest thing to recreate out of the salon.

Here are our top tips to creating a sexy, mussed up do that will make all your girlfriends jealous!

1. Apply a large dollop of mousse to damp hair and blow dry with a large round brush.

2. Take 3-inch sections of hair and wrap around a 1-inch curling iron, you don’t have to be meticulous here because the aim of the game is a messy look.

3. Spray a texturising spray all over for volume and body.

4. Braid your hair loosely from the nape, and then pin your braid into a loose bun and then pin the braid into a bun. Spray with hairspray for hold.

You can either leave some loose bits dangling or sweep it all back depending on your preferences.

See our celebrity inspiration gallery and let us know your top tips to the up do!

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Images: Zimbio.com

72 Comments

  • Reply yslyenom Saturday 8th February, 2014 at 4:53 pm

    Thanks for the tips

  • Reply dj23249 Sunday 30th June, 2013 at 5:39 am

    Love it but harder to achieve than it looks

  • Reply yslyenom Saturday 23rd February, 2013 at 11:49 pm

    Love looking at these photos of nice hair styles.

  • Reply Jane Saturday 9th February, 2013 at 1:02 pm

    A messy up do is super sexy and so easy to achieve.

  • Reply Jane Sunday 3rd February, 2013 at 10:56 am

    Up do’s are sexy and elegant.

  • Reply Sparkles17 Wednesday 23rd January, 2013 at 2:24 pm

    Love this relaxed style.

  • lanalang
    Reply lanalang Tuesday 22nd January, 2013 at 5:44 am

    I tie my hair in a neat up do before bed, in the morning it’s a perfect messy up do.

  • lanalang
    Reply lanalang Friday 18th January, 2013 at 1:23 pm

    Oh to be a celeb for a night!

  • Reply vikki18 Friday 7th December, 2012 at 1:27 pm

    beauty!

  • Reply anatunkia Sunday 4th November, 2012 at 8:11 pm

    Always wondered how they did that style without looking like a crazy lady ty

  • Reply godsaur Friday 5th October, 2012 at 11:05 am

    love

  • lanalang
    Reply lanalang Monday 17th September, 2012 at 6:03 am

    Lovely style.

  • Reply rzyanina Tuesday 11th September, 2012 at 6:56 pm

    I love this style !!!!

  • Reply dj23249 Saturday 28th July, 2012 at 6:02 am

    So hard to get right without professional help

  • Reply srslyalex Saturday 21st July, 2012 at 4:48 pm

    Loves these updos but I can never manage to do it!

  • Reply nat98 Sunday 15th July, 2012 at 2:48 pm

    love the look

  • Reply Cinthia Saturday 14th July, 2012 at 4:32 pm

    wow nice!

  • Reply nancyhendo Sunday 8th July, 2012 at 9:16 am

    I have tried this so many times, never seems to work 🙁

  • Reply dina Wednesday 4th July, 2012 at 3:24 pm

    Love the messy up do! but sometimes takes too long for the outcome!!!

  • Reply jessicawheelock Thursday 14th June, 2012 at 8:11 am

    Not sure I could pull this off!

  • Reply Cinthia Monday 11th June, 2012 at 12:11 am

    Oh this is wonderful!

  • Fashionista8P
    Reply Fashionista8P Wednesday 16th May, 2012 at 8:30 pm

    love this style, it looks fantastic and simple to create

  • Reply LenoreP Thursday 10th May, 2012 at 1:35 pm

    Some very classic styles there….love it!

  • newbie
    Reply newbie Wednesday 9th May, 2012 at 8:32 am

    LOVE!

  • Reply thugsy Monday 23rd April, 2012 at 8:41 am

    It’s how I like to wear my hair 🙂

  • Reply doogs Monday 23rd April, 2012 at 8:38 am

    very nice

  • Reply bardie Monday 23rd April, 2012 at 8:34 am

    gorgeous

  • Reply jarjar Monday 23rd April, 2012 at 8:31 am

    lovely

  • newbie
    Reply newbie Thursday 12th April, 2012 at 11:25 pm

    i love it@

  • Reply hannah.beekman Wednesday 11th April, 2012 at 11:03 am

    Beautiful, this style is amazing!

  • Reply lucinda Tuesday 10th April, 2012 at 5:46 pm

    very sweet

  • Reply Xiaxiao Monday 9th April, 2012 at 5:52 pm

    if only my hair would cooperate

  • Reply tzyling Monday 9th April, 2012 at 3:43 pm

    I like this…I wonder if my hairdresser can do it for my wedding

  • Reply juliew Sunday 8th April, 2012 at 10:30 am

    love it

  • Reply MsKimo Saturday 7th April, 2012 at 5:32 pm

    Oh my, I love it. I have such long hair, I can’t always have it out.

  • Reply fifi73 Saturday 7th April, 2012 at 9:04 am

    Gorgeous….. Unfortunately I have a pixie crop, so no good for me…. 😉

  • sommy7
    Reply sommy7 Saturday 7th April, 2012 at 2:38 am

    Sassy Looks

  • Reply midnightstarfish Friday 6th April, 2012 at 7:53 pm

    LOVE 🙂

  • Reply holly vals Friday 6th April, 2012 at 7:33 pm

    brilliant

  • Reply itutuh Friday 6th April, 2012 at 2:34 pm

    Very nice indeed!

  • Reply ethereal Friday 6th April, 2012 at 1:14 pm

    Love the messy up-do, but I have never been able to do it right, might be time to try again using your guide 🙂

  • deezon
    Reply deezon Friday 6th April, 2012 at 12:54 pm

    I can never do the messy up do. but i will learn cause it looks really good

  • violetflower61230
    Reply violetflower61230 Friday 6th April, 2012 at 11:41 am

    I love tousled sexy styles too Tash!

  • ellisonralph
    Reply ellisonralph Friday 6th April, 2012 at 11:01 am

    casual dos are the best

  • Reply jessicawheelock Friday 6th April, 2012 at 10:36 am

    That red laser cut dress is amaaazing!

  • Reply dapperdolly Friday 6th April, 2012 at 7:21 am

    Great effects but it takes some practice lol!

  • Reply Jenny Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 11:53 pm

    and that red dress is stunning!

  • Reply Jenny Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 11:53 pm

    love it!

  • Reply lieuloves Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 11:45 pm

    love this look! wish it would look that great when i did it

  • Fashionista8P
    Reply Fashionista8P Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 11:16 pm

    lovely style

  • Reply ladadidah Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 11:14 pm

    love a messy bun

  • Reply punkemohardcore Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 10:45 pm

    Love a messy up-do, if only I was better at actually doing them.

  • Reply Razia108 Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 10:40 pm

    so easy when i dont have enough time to do my hair properly in the morning

  • Reply MelanieLilly Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 10:38 pm

    I just can’t stop looking at Diana Argon’s dress!

  • flossyfewclothes
    Reply flossyfewclothes Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 10:38 pm

    miss not being able to do the Up-do…one of the many reason’s that I am growing my barnet again 8)

  • Zoe93
    Reply Zoe93 Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 8:30 pm

    I love this look on other people, but I tend to like wearing my hair neater.

  • Reply AmberB Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 7:41 pm

    Love this style!

  • devilsbanquet
    Reply devilsbanquet Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 7:23 pm

    Glimmer from Hunger Games is so beautiful

  • Reply coyleshana Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 7:08 pm

    im not sure about the hair BUT I LOVE THAT DRESS!!

  • Reply traanster Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 7:00 pm

    Excellent article!

  • Reply maggielyly Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 5:56 pm

    love messy buns!

  • Reply fayzeedayzee Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 5:22 pm

    …wish I had enough hair to do the messy up-do.. {{[cries…}}..

  • Reply fengari Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 5:22 pm

    So casual, yet elegant too!

  • Reply Whatthe Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 5:15 pm

    I adore messy updos!

  • Reply ichigolove01 Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 5:12 pm

    I love the messy updo. It goes with any outfit!

  • Reply Tessa Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 4:12 pm

    elizabeth olsen. beyond.

  • Reply Crystal Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 4:09 pm

    love it

  • Reply Tashie Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 3:44 pm

    Love it!

  • Reply mandystsai Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 3:11 pm

    Wow, the red dress looks amazing! Pity the hair wouldn’t work on me, my hair is dead straight and flat.

  • karan2386
    Reply karan2386 Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 2:05 pm

    Love the messy up do!! For me it is a lifesaver, I have such thin, lifeless hair that when i wear it out it just kinda hangs and looks terrible..

  • Reply ragdollbaby Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 2:01 pm

    Looks good in the pics, but when I do it on myself it looks like rubbish

  • tiffany001
    Reply tiffany001 Thursday 5th April, 2012 at 1:44 pm

    I love this style

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