Red Carpet Hairstyles

Here's a lesson for red carpet wanna be's - straight hair is out.

Celebrities sport a variety of beautiful hairstyles on the red carpet, but straight is generally not one of them. Although those of us not accustomed to walking down the red carpet keep our straighteners at the ready, celebrities tend to eschew them when heading for a red carpet event.

What are some of the popular hairstyles? Let's look at a few.

The upsweep. If hair is long, this is a popular style. It can also be a quick and easy style for the busy celebrity. In this style, half the hair is brought up and held back at the top of the head, while the other half is left down, usually with some lightly tousled curls. The top of the hair can be held back with an out-of-sight clip, or it can be held by a bun at the top of the head (again, a loose bun).

Tousled, sexy. For the celebrity with a little more time (and more helpers on the scene for hair and makeup), a very current popular style is the hair down, and tousled. Best for hair that hits just below the shoulders, or a little longer. Curls are set and kept lightly and loosely. This is the very definition of the "sexy kitten" hairstyle we have all come to expect from Angelina Jolie

Tight bun. Some celebrities can get away with a nice tight bun at the back of the head. This is best for women with perfect skin, long necks and beautiful features (Heidi Klum, for example, wore a bun at the Oscars). Sometimes a few stray hairs are kept down, to frame the face, but just as often they're not.

The light bun. This is a popular style for the celeb who's trying to look as if she didn't really try and just came from the gym. But in reality this style takes some time. Hair is usually curled first (or left curly if it's naturally so) and the bun is brought together lightly and held with invisible clips. There are quite a number of hairs left down, which frame the face and neck and are often wavy or curly. This provides a soft look that goes well with softer red carpet gown colors.

The ponytail. Yes, even the ponytail can be made appropriate for a red carpet event if done right. It requires understated makeup (though usually with a red lip) and hair that's still "complete" (ie., this is not the same ponytail that went to the gym). The hair is usually straightened before put in the ponytail, or is curled. See Anne Hathaway at the Oscars for an example of this hairstyle.

See there? All of us can emulate red carpet hairstyles if we know what they look like. Try some for yourself.