The hair at Jason Wu’s Fall 2010 New York Fashion Week show was very pretty, swept back in a braided knot.

Lead Aveda hairstylist Odil described the look as “something feminine and easy, something a woman could do for day or evening.”

Hair was started with a casual center part, and smoothed with Aveda Smooth Infusion Glossing Straightener. It was then “attached in a very soft way with an elastic, very innocent, soft, natural with a touch of sophistication.”

The look was finished off with a new Aveda hairspray debuting this June called Control Force, which Odil said was very efficient and would last all day.

She also said Wu’s collection was “fabulous, not pretentious, his clothes are easy to wear and you feel fabulous in them.”

A hairstyle we’ve been seeing a lot of recently popped up on two familiar faces at the NBC Universal Press Tour Cocktail Party last night – the side updo. Tori Spelling has been a fan of this style for a while, and that may be why she pulls it off with a bit more polish than Melanie Brown.

FabsugarUK provides four steps to achieve this look for your own night out, and we can fill in the products that you need!

Begin by prepping clean, wet hair with a volumising spray in addition to a heat styling spray to give hair texture and protection. Try ghd Uplift Spray For Root Volume to get the benefits of both products in one – made by the styling iron experts, after all, it protects and conditions while it adds volume.

Next, blow dry hair straight using a round brush, (hair doesn’t need to be pin straight, just smooth) and then spray all over with a generous mist of hairspray. I love Redken Workforce. Once you’re finished, use a 1/2 inch curling iron starting from your mid-lengths and curl hair in medium sections.

Pull all of your hair (gently) into a side ponytail, twisting it ever so slightly into a loose knot (bun, or chignon) and secure with plenty of bobby pins. Then, you’ll need to carefully smooth your crown out with a natural, boar bristle brush and pat it softly so that it blends into the style. If you pull too hard with the brush, it’s easy to fix by securing the hair with an extra hairpin.

Lastly, mist your hairspray all over again to smooth out and hold the style in place.

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Specktra.net, the source for all the news on high-end makeup MAC Cosmetics, recently named TIGI Rockaholic Fun Times hairspray as their product of the week.

Susanne at Specktra loves Rockaholic for it’s fragrance and because “It gives volume, is not sticky on my hair and easy to brush out. And it looks great in my bathroom!”

It’s a favorite with us because of its flexible hold and resistance to humidity.

Check out Susanne’s post on Specktra here.

If red carpet appearances aren’t a part of your life, then weddings and holidays are probably when you pull out your updo skills (or head to the salon) most often. Trying to do it at home may seem less daunting this party season with the words of Redken Creative Consultant Guido Palau echoing in your ears:  “Gone is the day of the perfect updo.”

Guido, who is seen at left, says that the classic updo shapes like the twist are more modern and stylish when executed with less precision and unexpected textures.

“I tried to create a lot of variation on what real women – not just 16-year-old models – can wear,” he said of recent runway styles he has created. “If a piece falls out or bobby pins are visible, all the better.”

He also laments the cookie cutter long waves and hair extensions most of Hollywood is sporting these days. Serena hair may be in, but it doesn’t mean it will make you look like Serena.

One great messy updo was recently spotted by The Girls In The Beauty Department blog on Glamour.com. To get the texture you need for hairstyles like this, try KMS California hair play texture blast or the hair spray I see constantly backstage at New York Fashion Week – Redken Workforce hair spray. The trick when using a regular hairspray like this that’s already in your bathroom as a texturizer is to spray it on after trying hair and before styling, then you can use it as you would normally use hair spray when finished styling as well.

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On rainy days like we’ve been having, fighting the frizz is pretty futile. And no one knows how to go big and let their frizz flag fly like a redhead. Refinery29 put together a tribute of their favorite redheads (including Karen Elson (channeling Grace Coddington, natch) and Lily Cole, above) and pointed out that natural redheads are actually on the decline. So we surely must do something about preserving this natural (or sometimes not-so-natural) beauty.

Products designed specifically for certain hair colors are gaining popularity, but it’s still the most difficult to find products for redheads like Claire Oleson, pictured with Cole above. One product referred to me by blogger and ginger blogger Amber McNaught is Boots Botanics Radiant Red. And for a whole trio of products for redheads, try John Frieda Radiant Red (popular name) shampoo, conditioner and glaze.

As for the frizz that often accompanies red hair, a great product to combat that is  Redken Outshine. I smooth this on after blowing my (admittedly blonde) hair out and it really gives it a sleek look and helps keep it from puffing out. Also look through all Girlznight’s shampoos for frizzy hair to find the perfect one for you!

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Braids have been big in celebrity hair trends for a while, usually involving a discreet grouping of a few strands off the face. The style grew – both in size and popularity – recently when Alexander Wang featured glamorous, long braids on his Spring 2010 runway and Frederic Fekkai hair stylist Renato Campora quickly adapted the style for Blake Lively at the Emmy Awards. Here he tells us how to get the style.

“Whether it’s a soft and sexy loose braid or a chic and strong braid, you can start out by applying Fekkai Coiff Strong Hold Volume Mousse,” he said. (You could also try GHD Maximize Mousse.)  Campora then applied Fekkai Coiff Extra Control Styling Gel to prep the hair and make it easier to braid. (Another great gel is Matrix GelTrix Strong Hold Gel.)

He then teased all the hair to add dimension to the braid.  By adding some hair extensions, you can create extra length for a more dramatic look. For a classic braid, separate the hair into three parts and secure with clips.  Afterward, braid the entire length and fasten at the end.

Campora finished Blake’s style with Fekkai Coiff Magnifique Ultra-Light Finishing Creme. Try Paul Mitchell Express Style Quick Slip Styling Cream for an alternative.

For more braid inspiration, you could check out Diane Kruger’s Cannes Film Festival Style here, or search for pics of Jennifer Lopez at the VMAs.

Tory Burch, love her or hate her, is a go-to designer for fresh-faced affluent or upwardly mobile 20-somethings of a certain attractive milieu. So a perky, stick straight, center-parted pony is just perfect for spring and for Tory. You can see above how the beauty look for her Spring 2010 fashion presentation (more installation than runway show) went from concept to fruition at Bryant Park in New York.

“The look is going to be young, fresh, youthful, earthy,” said Redken lead hair stylist Yannick D. He and his team created a strong silhouette with a center part. “When hair is pulled back like this it looks so young and fresh on these girls,” he commented, pointing out the face-lifting affects of hair pulled up tight from the sides of the face. (Because you know, 17-year-old fashion models could use the help.)

To get the airy texture of the pony, hair was blown dry using Redken Layer Lift 07 Length Elevating Spray Gel and sectioned on the side for a decorative affect.

“It’s really about keeping it fresh,” Yannick said. “A pony is just a pony until you do something special to it.” Amen.

Badgley Mischka is always one of the most glamorous and exciting shows of New York Fashion Week. Always classic and always stunning, the designers didn’t dissapoint this season with gorgeous red party frocks and lots of fantastic beading and detail work. Redken key stylist Peter Gray kept hair clean and sculptural to match the polished pieces.

The hair look, which included a very sculptural origami-like twist on the bun, was inspired by a 1950s Jetsons vibe. I chatted with Gray while he was finishing up Chanel Iman’s style, above right.

“There were a lot of scalloped tops, the tops go down, so let’s make the hair go up,” Gray said. “It’s modern and funky, but uses classical techniques.”  To create the style, the team used Redken Guts and the new Aerate 08 Bodifying Cream Mousse.

Gray was the first to admit this isn’t the most achievable look to copy at home.

“It’s aspirational, it’s what the red carpet is all about, taking it to another level, a fantasy,” he said.