Curls and Pearls Natural Wedding Updo AKA The Modern Mermaid

When planning a wedding look I was really drawn to this picture from a Carolina Herrera bridal show, but really wanted a hairstyle that 1) worked with a veil 2) I could do on my own, naturally curly hair.

It was super important to find a style that didn’t require much fussing as our wedding was in Florida. Hellloooo humidity! Down was not an option. So with the help of some oversized pearls and a twist on a classic, we’ve got the Curls & Pearls Updo, AKA the Modern Mermaid.

And brutal honesty? This style was a last minute, morning of, lack of plan do. I completely lost track of time. I had roughly 10 minutes before I needed to be in my dress for getting ready shots and I had zero clue what my ‘look’ was going to be. (Pro Tip- do not leave this for the week of…) Somehow this came together and I couldn’t imagine my hair any other way! My mini wedding day miracle is now a favorite staple (even without the veil ;))

You’ll Need
hairpins & bobby pins
pearl combs or pins

Because this is a fairly simple tuck and roll, it’s important to get good hairpins, not bobby pins. Hairpins are longer and work best for updos while you’ll use bobby pins later to tidy up. You can pick a pack of pins from any beauty supply store.

1| Start with dry hair with all your usual styling product and part as desired. To keep some of the texture in my hair for the rolls, I layered oil, cream, and diy flaxseed gel and twisted into bantu knots until dry. If anyone is interested in a post about the diy curling gel, let me know!

2| Start on one side of the part, twisting away from your face and continue down to the nape of your neck. Fasten along the way with hair pins.

3| Repeat on the other side stopping at the nape again.

4| Gather your remaining hair into a low ponytail and focus on pinning the base ot the twists down.

5| With the low ponytail in one hand, starting rolling from the bottom up. Use one hand to ‘shape’ the roll while the other adds pins. Don’t worry if small pieces fall out! Once the hairpins are in, go back and use the bobby pins to clean up the flyaways or to create even more texture.

6| I went with an asymmetrical, squiggle roll to contrast the smooth pearls and accentuate the climbing combs, but there are so many ways to style a low roll! Get creative!

To get the squiggle shape, use bobby pins to pin some sections higher than the main body. Make sure to thread pin pairs or spray them with hairspray to keep them in place.

7| And the finishing touches! If you have a comb veil and a comb hair piece, try to weave the teeth together for extra hold.

This hairstyle really did last a full 12 hours in a late, Florida spring wedding. It finally waved defeat once the alt rock ballads came out, but it had a good run.