Hot mom hair: 3 easy updos

We took inspiration from celebrity moms who've made simple updos look stunning. In the following slides, stylist Vanessa Jarman tells us step by step how to make the magic happen.

You'll need: an elastic that’s similar in colour to your hair, and hairspray.

How to: Start with dry, unwashed hair. If you have bangs and they look greasy, wash them over the sink and dry, or use some dry shampoo to remove excess oil. If you don’t have naturally wavy locks, you can create some texture in advance: The night before, wash and towel-dry your hair. While it’s still a bit damp, pull it back into a loose braid you can sleep on. “When you wake up in the morning you’ll have waves that will work perfectly for this look,” says stylist Vanessa Jarman.

1. Clip the top third of your hair on top of your head.

2. Using a fine-tooth comb, backcomb a four-inch-wide section along the part.

3. Remove the clip and flip the top section back down.

4. Pull all of your hair back into a ponytail and secure with an elastic.

5. Use your fingers to pull at the area where you backcombed, to get the right amount of volume. Spritz some hairspray on your hands and rough-up the texture of your pony a bit. Then, lightly spray all over to prevent flyaways.

We like: La Coupe Volume Refresh Dry Shampoo, $8, lacoupe.com

You'll need: one or two elastics, shine spray, comb, and one-inch barrel curling iron if you have side-swept bangs.

How to:

1. Use a comb to put a side part in your hair on the opposite side of where you want your braid.

2. Lightly spritz the part and smaller section with shine spray. (Tip: Aim from about an arm’s length away.)

3. Smooth the smaller section of hair away from your face and back around your head to the other side.

4. Now, with all of your hair gathered together, start braiding. “What makes this look so modern is that it’s not tied-off at the top of the braid,” says Jarman. “But, if you find it difficult without, tie the hair very loosely with a thin elastic band and then cut it and pull it out when you’re finished the braid.” Secure the braid with an elastic at the bottom.

5. Spritz some hairspray on your fingertips and rough-up the braid a little.

6. If you have straight bangs, comb them into place. For side-swept bangs, use a one-inch barrel curling iron to create a small flip at the ends. Wrap the bottom half of the fringe up around the barrel, then let it fall naturally into place.

We like: Herbal Essences Set Me Up Shimmer Spray, $5, sears.com

You'll need: two elastics, two to four bobby pins, comb, brush, and hairspray.

How to: Start with dry hair, preferably unwashed for better manageability. If you have bangs, just leave them to the side for now.

1. Using a comb, section off the front part of your hair, pulling the comb across your head from ear to ear. Pull this front section of hair up into a high ponytail using the comb or a brush, and secure with an elastic on the very top of your head.

2. Brush the rest of your hair up into a second high ponytail and secure it to the first using another elastic.

3. Separate the hair into two sections and twist them around each other like a two-section braid.

4. Next, wrap the hair around the elastic to create a knot shape, and secure with bobby pins. 5 If you have bangs, comb them through across the front or sweep them to the side, then finish with a light spritz of hairspray all over to keep everything in place.

We like: Goody StayPut hair elastics, $5 for 10.

Style: Maternity wardrobe basics>