We're always looking for shortcuts and ways to speed up our styling routines, but sometimes, it's worth investing in a time-consuming look because the results are totally worth it! This is especially true when you need a hairstyle for a glam night out and have a little extra time to spend on your hair. Check out the stunning hairstyles below for all the inspiration (and motivation) you need!
1. Braided crown
French braiding along your hairline will take a while to do, especially if your braiding skills are a bit rusty, but a braided crown updo looks so beautiful! It keeps the hair up and off your face, showcasing your makeup perfectly, and leaves plenty of room for jewelry.
Styling tip
To make braiding as straightforward as possible, spritz your hair with dry shampoo beforehand. Applying a product like Advanced Hairstyle BLOW DRY IT Longwear Spray will add grip to your hair and help the strands bind together more easily. Just make sure you brush it out thoroughly to avoid any accidental white patches.
2. Glamorous curly blowout
Achieving perfect curls with a blowout can take a really long time, depending on how long and thick your mane is. Even after air drying for a while and leaving the brushwork until the last possible moment, you still need to work through your hair methodically, going from section to section. But, and it's a big but, look how gorgeous those full-bodied curls are! If you want a night out hairstyle that will look glamorous with any outfit, look no further.
Styling tip
Rough dry your hair until it's only slightly damp, after applying a primer. Advanced Hairstyle BLOW DRY IT Primer Spray is formulated to react with the heat from your dryer to speed up overall drying time.
3. Braided pomp
With the hair French braided along the sides and backcombed on top, a braided pomp hairstyle isn't what most people would deem quick and easy. However, it will create a show-stopping silhouette and keep your strands off your face and under control, which is really handy if your party hairstyle is going to wind up dancing the night away.
Styling tip
Get volume that lasts by applying a volumizing spray before backcombing your hair into a pomp. Advanced Hairstyle BOOST IT High Lift Creation Spray lifts the hair from the root to build height which will make creating a pomp much faster.
4. Blake Lively's braided bun updo
Any updo with a braid woven into it is going to take a while, especially when combined with an effortlessly romantic bun. However, if it'll give us Blake Lively hair for a night, we're more than happy to make the extra effort!
Styling tip
Team this hairstyle with textured waves for a bohemian, summery look. All you need to do is apply a texturizing spray such as Advanced Hairstyle TXT IT Tousle Waves Spray to Damp hair, then blowdry it in twisted sections to create loose, beachy waves.
5. Natasha Poly's glamorous waves
While Hollywood's favorite hairstyle isn't impossible to recreate, it will take up a significant chunk of time. There's blow-drying AND curling to take care of, both of which need to be done in sections if they're going to be done properly. The combination of the two, however, make a classic hairstyle that has been gracing the heads of some of the most A-list A-listers of all time for the best part of a century, and who doesn't want to feel like an Old Hollywood movie star?
Styling tip
After curling each piece of hair, whether you blow-dry it or use a curling iron, clip it up to cool. This will set the hair properly and thus create curls that last.
6. Triple French braided updo
Braided updos with more than one braid to contend with are intricate (which is a really nice word for complicated) and they take a lot of time and effort to get right. This triple braided look warrants the investment, however, because it'll protect your hair - which means you won't have to wash it the following day.
Styling tip
Before braiding your hair, apply a texturizing spray throughout. That way, when you shake your hair out at the end of the night, or the following morning, you'll end up with a headful of tousled waves. This tactic also works for braided buns, pigtail braids and headband braids.
7. Half-up beehive
With curled ends and a teased bouffant at the crown, a half-up beehive is far from effortless. As vintage hairstyles go, it's not the most difficult to recreate, but you do need to be prepared to spend time curling and backcombing your mane if you want to get the look just right.
Styling tip
To prevent frizz from ruining all your hard work while you're out partying, make sure you complete your half-up beehive with plenty of hairspray. A brushable product like Advanced Hairstyle LOCK IT Bold Control Hairspray will give your 'do long lasting hold while creating a protective barrier between your hair and any fuzz-inducing moisture in the air.
8. Braided bouffant updo
A cute braided headband is a quick ten minute hairstyle when you're leaving most of your tresses loose, but team it with a vintage bouffant and you've got yourself a solid 30-45 minutes of styling time to get through. All the hard work pays off beautifully though, especially if you have some new jewels to show off or just want a hairstyle that really warrants the "crowning glory" title.
Styling tip
Start creating a full-bodied look before you even step out of the shower by using a volume-enhancing shampoo and conditioner combo. This will promote a thick, healthy looking mane from the get-go, which will make adding more volume easier later on.
9. Wet look braid
This hairstyle might not look all that complicated, but if you look closely, you'll notice the braid is actually French braided into the lower layers at the top... and the hair is smooth and straight, and there's a partially wet-look finish to deal with, which is a lot! The result is a multi-faceted hairstyle that has just the right amount of drama for a night out look with a pinch of cool girl attitude thrown in for good measure.
Styling tip
Instead of gel, apply a matte putty or wax to your hair to create the wet-look part. That way, the product won't set hard and you can take all the time you need to create the braid.
10. Voluminous wavy hair
Curling all of your hair takes what feels like an age. Working in sections, pinning the curls up to cool, then shaping and styling when you're done commands at least an hour of your time collectively, if not more depending on the thickness and length of your hair, as well as the kind of curls you want.
Styling tip
Going to all that effort for just one night seems like a waste, so why not make your curly hair last through the weekend by reviving it with dry shampoo? Spritz the roots, leave it to work its magic, then gently brush it out to absorb excess oil and lift the hair at the root. If you're impatient for a new look come Sunday, you can always pin your curls up into a big, messy bun!
11. Sleek, straight hair
Similarly, if you want sleek, straight hair and you're starting with curly strands, you'll be kept busy for a while! Again, it's the sectioning that takes the time, but the sheer gratification of the overall transformation is just too much fun to pass up sometimes.
Styling tip
To make the whole process a little easier, it's best to blow-dry your hair as straight as you can with the help of a paddle brush and a smoothing heat protectant, then use your flat iron to finish up.
12. French twist
Whether you wear it slick, matte or natural, a French twist can be difficult to master, but persevering certainly has its rewards. With this updo, it's the technique that's more intricate than the end result would suggest, unlike a lot of other chignons. But, if you're headed somewhere fancy to party the night away, it's definitely an option to consider!
Styling tip
Apply hairspray before pinning your hair back into a French twist. This will help to hold the hair in place between the multiple styling stages, leaving you with a more polished end result.
13. Zoe Saldana's curly updo
Zoe Saldana always kills it on the red carpet, and this curly hair updo was certainly a crowning achievement... as far as her awards ceremony hairstyles go. To recreate it, you'll need to curl all of your hair, then work on pinning it into a chignon, both of which can take up to an hour in total.
Styling tip
To make creating a chignon as easy as possible, tie your hair into a mid-height ponytail after curling it, then twist and pin the ends to the back of your head in individual pieces. Keep going until all of your hair is up, keeping the final shape of the chignon in mind the whole time.
14. Vintage 60s bouffant
If you have a little black dress, why not go the extra mile and channel your inner Holly Golightly with a sixties inspired bouffant updo? There's a lot of backcombing to do, but the finished look is a real stunner that's guaranteed to turn a few heads!
Styling tip
When blow-drying your hair, flip your head upside down once your hair is almost dry, then finish your blowout in that position. This will lift the hair at the root, adding plenty of volume to work with before you even start teasing your hair!
