Holiday hair 101: Easy (ish) updos you can actually create at home

I'm terrible at lots of things beauty-wise. I can't paint my own nails or put on eyeliner, self-tanners make me look like I have Oompa Loompa legs, and, if eyebrow waxing wasn't affordable, I'd definitely sport a Bert.
But the one thing I've always been halfway decent at is replicating celebrity-style updos on my own head. Maybe it's because I've had long, boring hair since age 14, or because my mom was once a hairdresser—but I love a sleek knot, a messy chignon, and I'll do just about anything to perfect that sassy little "braids as headband" style.
I've rounded up my favorite, easy-to-pull-off hairstyles below along with instructions on how to create them. But first, a few things to remember when you're attempting these follicular events. All successful updos require the following:
1. Good tools (a billion bobby pins, a curling iron, a brush, hairspray, a hand mirror to check out your work, and hair wax)
2. Patience
3. Time

The Slicked-Back Ballerina Bun

This is the back of Angelina Jolie's hair at a recent premiere (the front is above).  Notice a couple of things here:
1. Her hair is not slicked straight to her scalp, which softens the look and makes it look slightly less severe. You can achieve this, by teasing your hair behind the hairline and then smoothing it down and back with a soft bristle brush. Once the initial ponytail is in place, you can also fluff the hair out a bit with your fingers or a comb.
2.The second thing to see is that she's got some serious shine product happening, possibly a hair wax or oil.

To get this look: Pull your hair into a not-too-tight ponytail at the back of your head. Product up that ponytail with a pomade of some kind to give it texture. Next, grab the  end of the ponytail and wrap it up and around, going clockwise. You can do this loosely or tightly, depending on your hair length and the effect you want. Use bobby pins (the same color as your hair) to affix the bun as you go. When you have it the way you want it, place two more pins at the top and two at the bottom to anchor it in place. Lightly hairspray the whole project. Do not touch again.

The High Ponytail

The second in our slicked-back series, this hairstyle is easy and awesome for people with long hair. It's also super in style right now.

To get this look: Follow all of the instructions above, but stop when you get to the bobby pins. Brush the tail until it falls neatly (you can use a wide barrel curling iron to give it a little curl under or keep it extra-straight like Beyoncé's). Pull one long strand of the ponytail around the elastic band and affix with a bobby pin from underneath. This hair-as-elastic-band trick is key to making this appear dressed-up and not everyday.

The Messy Updo
Now, OK, maybe you're thinking this style on Rachel McAdams is slightly crazy. But you don't have to go so bouffy in the front—and I'm using it as an example because it's one of the few updos (that's not just slicked back) that you don't need long hair to achieve. What you do need is a curling iron, bobby pins, hairspray, and a sense of fun.

To get this look: Start with completely dry hair. Using a small barrel curling iron, curl the back, piece by piece, about halfway up the shaft. Pull back the sides of your hair with a bobby pin or two for each side. Tease the front a little, smooth it back. Then, begin twisting the curled pieces of the back and loosely pinning them up in messy, curled sections. Repeat until it's all up. Check your work, add pins as needed, and spray. You're done.

Half up, Half down
Sarah Palin rocks this look often, except with bangs—I think it's sexy, pretty, soft, and a sophisticated alternative to more serious all-up hair.

To get this look: You'll need to decide two things. 1. What you want the pulled up hair to end into (tiny bun, mini-ponytail, a hair ornament, just "there") and 2. What you want what's left down to look like (wavy or straight).
Style your hair as usual. Pull the sides up and back with either an elastic band, barrette, or bobby pins. If you have bangs, style them with a slight curl to the side. If you don't, create volume with the slicked-back fluffing hair trick above.  Straighten or curl the rest of your hair as desired.