A Pretty, Half-Up Style That's Easy to Do

Not only does half-up hair look incredibly sexy, but it also draws attention to your features, and it's so, so easy to do. Here, Stacy Pitt, stylist and owner of Styles on B, gives tips on how to create this 'do.

Step 1: Start by getting all your tools ready. "For this look you'll need an extra-hold mousse and hairspray," says Pitt. She likes Catwalk's Strong Hold Mousse and Sebastian's Shaper Hair Spray. She also recommends a good 2-inch round brush, a 1-inch barrel curling iron, a rattail comb, and bobby pins.

Step 2: To get the pretty waves Penélope Cruz is sporting here, comb a golf-ball-size squirt of mousse through damp hair. Blow-dry your hair until it's about 75 percent dry, then wrap sections around the brush. Blow-dry the ends in 30-second intervals to get a nice wave in the hair.

Step 3: Use the curling iron on 1-inch sections of hair. Lightly mist each spiral with hairspray immediately after you unravel it.

Step 4: Backcomb the hair at the crown of your head with the rattail brush or comb. "This will give it some volume on top," says Pitt.

Step 5: Gently smooth back the top section of your hair and secure in the back with bobby pins. Another option: Divide the top of your hair into two sections and twist each one until it's tight. Use a bobby pin to secure them in the back. "The twists will hold the style in place much longer," Pitt advises.