The 13 Prettiest Date-Night Hairstyles
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Ethan Miller2/14Sleek and Stick Straight
At the Latin Grammys in Paradise, Nevada, Lopez's stylist Chris Appleton opted for down-to-there hair with nary a bend, a bauble or a hint of bounciness in site. Streamlined strands have a graphic appeal, but they're also approachable. (After all, you still have your hair in your face.) For a look like this, a high-shine finish keeps the effect luxe, not overwhelming or drab. When your hair is still wet and before you break out the flatiron, mist on a shine spray like
, and if you really want to do it right, add a veil of Bumble and bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Dry Oil Finishing Spray, too. It's meant to go on dry hair but works like a dream on damp strands, too.
Jamie McCarthy3/14Face-Framing Crimps
If you're more comfortable pulling your hair back—be it in a bun, or a braid, or just an untidy cluster—considering loosening things up the way hairstylist Keith Carpenter did for Olivia Munn. By tugging out 1 1/2" sections back from her hairline along her part, then crimping them, the style is instantly softer and more approachable. Left your crimper with your AquaNet back in the '80s? A few presses with a curling rod like
will have a similarly irregular result.
LILLY LAWRENCE4/14Chunky Fishtail
If you've got a whole lotta hair like Angela Sarafyan, perhaps there's no style that threads the needle between lush and composed quite as well as an unfussy fishtail. Here's our guide on exactly how to do a fishtail braid; it's essential to loosen your plait by tugging on either side with your thumb and index finger once it's done.
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Michael Kovac5/14Side Braids
Sure, Olivia Culpo's low updo looks ornate. In actuality? It's center-parted hair with two small French braids, gathered into a cluster at the nape and pinned any which way. Hers is red-carpet precise, but it's also a style that looks great messy and unkempt.
Tara Ziemba6/14Falling Out Pony
Chloë Grace Moretz's look is particularly ideal for those of us who chronically push our hair behind our ears. (While utilitarian, tucked hair doesn't exactly scream, "Let's make magic!") After parting hair on the side, secure a lower-than-low ponytail cinched in the bottom few inches of the hair. Your strands are out of your face, but your hair still kinda looks like it's down.
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7/14Peek-a-boo Braids
Oh, you're a hair up kind of gal? So is Emma Stone. And when she's feeling that type of way, hairstylist Mara Roszak kicks things up a notch by adding a few tiny braids before gathering the actress's hair just above her nape. The style works particularly well if your layers in front are shorter than the length in back. That way you can pin the short-ish braid in place at the base of your ponytail rather than breaking out another elastic.
Michael Tran8/14Baby Barrette
If you've got great hair and have mastered a sleek blowout, but that just feels a little boring for a big night out, hairstylist Mark Townsend and his client Ali Larter have got a solution for you. It's tiny, sparkly, and requires absolutely no skill. Just find a small-ish barrette you like, placing it just outside the outer corner of your eye. (Basically, where the flick of a cat-eye would end if it continued all the way.) That artful placement prevents the accessory from feeling too cutesy.
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Steve Granitz9/14Polished Coif
You probably have a go-to way you style your short hair, it takes you two seconds, and that's exactly what you like about it. But when you're going out on the town with someone special, something new is sometimes called for. By wetting hair down with a gel like
, parting it on the side, and combing it up and over, you've got a stylish crop with a hint of volume.
Jon Kopaloff10/14Big Bobby Pins
So fair enough, this Sarah Hyland style isn't too different from the Ali Larter one we told you about above. But we bring it to your attention for two reasons. First of all, the technique works with curly strands, too. And second of all, if you don't happen to have the prettiest little sparkly delight just laying about, a few utilitarian bobby pins will work just as well.
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Jerod Harris11/14Piled High
There's an adage that when you're trying to be alluring, your hair should always be down. But what suitor wouldn't want to see your face, too? If your hair is thick, you can get away with throwing it up any which way. If it's fine, a mesh donut form will help add a little heft.
Gary Gershoff12/14The Flip
If you've got a date in your iCal, then you have all the time in the world to primp and prime before go time. If it's last minute, may we suggest this embarrassingly easy trick that Constance Jablonski is rocking so effortlessly? Ready for this one? Brush your hair. Then hang it upside and flip it all over, only this time, direct it to the opposite side that it usually falls. Boom. You've upped your style quotient by about a billion.
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Rodin Eckenroth13/14'60s Headband
As Lily Collins knows, a wide black headband, or even just a satin ribbon, can give structure and poise to a bouncy blowout. It's especially potent paired with cat-eye, too.
Getty Images14/14Long, Loose Waves
Is it fair to say we saved Lily Aldridge and her tumbling tendrils as a best for last moment? One hundred percent yes. Your only guideline here is nothing too tight, too coiled, or too fussy—meaning breaking up your curls with your fingertips is maybe your most important step.
