Smooth, sleek finishes are a signature staple for Ohio-based stylist Caralee Pridemore. The bridal specialist is able to create intricate and detailed updos that still have an air of elegance and uniformity.

 -  @caraleestyles

@caraleestyles

Pridemore knows the perfect updo starts with the right foundation. She told MODERN that her recent tool must-have when creating her looks is the new Olivia Garden Ceramic + Ion Professional Flat Iron.

"I love adding waves to my updos with my Ceramic + Ion Professional Flat Iron," Pridemore says. "I still get a ton of texture on my upstyles even from using a straightener."

Featuring high performance dual-ceramic heaters, a super-fast heat up and temperature recovery, the tool is ideal for the professional stylist. It also includes 11 digital temperature settings, an ergonomic thumb rest and a 30-minute piece-of-mind auto turn-off safety feature.

For this style, Pridemore used her iron from Olivia Garden to give them updo the perfect starting waves:

 

Step 1: Use a texture iron all over from the scalp to about 1” down

Step 2: Use your Olivia Garden Ceramic + Ion Professional Flat Iron to alternate curls all over

Step 3: Backcomb from the crown down to the occipital using to create a padding in the hair. This will help secure your pins later.

Step 4: Working on hair from ears back: Secure with a pin in the center, under the backcombing you created.

Step 5: Continue to secure with pins going on the left and right creating and X so the pins so slip

Step 6: After pinned, pull pieces at the crown up to create ridges. I visually like to start in the middle and work my way to the left and right for a balanced ridge look.  I like to use “knitting needles” to help create ridges as well, you can find those at any craft store.  

Step 7: Leave a few pieces in the front. (These will get pulled back later)

Step 8: Create your bun by dividing two horizontal sections into two rope braids, pull apart, wrap in opposite directions, and secure with pins.

Step 9: Bring all remaining hair in the front back into the bun, you can twist and pull apart to balance out the bun. I like to cris-cross these sections over the bun.

Step 10: Leave face framing pieces out in front and curl them away from the face using the Olivia Garden Ceramic + Ion Professional Flat Iron.

 

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