Summer Hairstyles: Kristen Stewart Inspired Updo

Summer is upon us, finally. It will be nice not to worry about stuffy clothes and winter boots, but what about our hair? If you're like me, "summer" for my hair means that it goes up in an unattractive knot on the top of my head-at least, that's where it starts its journey. But there are more stylish ways to keep your hair out of your neck this summer. Red carpet looks are great, but they take hours, right? Not exactly. Twilight starlet Kristen Stewart rocked an incredibly easy, summery hairdo on the red carpet of the NYC premier of Eclipse. Keep reading to learn how to snag an easy summer hairstyle!

Start with wet, freshly washed hair. For a little boost, flip your head upside down and spray your wet roots with volumizing spray (Paul Mitchell Spray Root Lift, $7). Let your hair air-dry naturally-blow-drying will remove the natural texture, which we need for this look.

Braid for your life! Okay, maybe not for your life. Create a part to the left of your head, 2-3 inches off-center. Create a loose French-braid along your hairline, from left to right, about 2 inches wide. When you reach just above your right ear, stop French-braiding and finish the section with a regular plait. For now, use an elastic band to secure the ends.

Twist, tease and bun. Have some bobby pins handy for this next part! Gather the rest of your loose hair at the nape of your neck, just left of center. Using a clear elastic band, gather the hair into a ponytail. Now, using a small rat-tail comb, lightly tease the ponytail by backcombing. Once your ponytail is nice and volumized, take small strands and twist them loosely, then pin them up around the base of the ponytail. This hides the elastic and creates a bun at the same time! Don't be afraid if it looks a little messy-that's the idea.

Connecting all the elements. Remember that French-braid we made earlier? The one that's still flopping around on the side of your head? Remove the elastic band from the ends and then tuck the end of the ponytail into your newly-created messy bun. Ensure that it stays put with a few strategically-placed pins along the braid (TIP: make bobby pins virtually invisible by securing a small piece of the desired section, and then tucking the rest of the pin under your hair!).

Finishing it off! The story isn't over yet! Quite possibly the most fun part has yet to come: make a mess. Not a huge mess, of course. But add some loose, sexy mystery to your cute summer hairstyle by pulling gently upon the braid to loosen it just a bit. Once you've done that, finish it all off by using a rat-tail comb to pull free a few loose pieces to hang around your face and neck.

Voila! A summer hairstyle straight off the red carpet. What most people would think takes hours in a stylist's chair, takes less than 20 minutes in your own room. If you're tired of the traditional messy bun or ponytail, this gorgeous and easy summer hairstyle is bound to turn heads!

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