40 Updos for Short Hair That Are Surprisingly Easy to Style

Look to none other than the queen of the short updo herself, Lupita Nyong’o to slay the hair scene. She looks flawless in this swept-up twist look.

Julianne Hough serves the “Oh, this hair? I just pulled it up off my face” look quite well. (Though perhaps maybe a professional hairstylist had a hand in this 'do — you never know).

The easiest way to get the updo look when rocking a pixie is to do like Janelle Monae and top the piecey style with a golden crown.

Slick back that hair, girlfriend — it’s a simple way to get a sophisticated updo for shorter tresses. Stephanie Shepherd knows this firsthand, clearly.

RELATED: 50 Easy and Beautiful Updo Hairstyles

Danai Gurira is too fine! Love the way she has her gorgeous hair swept up and accessorized with the beautiful flower crown.

Sometimes the key to a cute short haired updo is in faking the funk with a little bit of volume. Tucking and pinning the hair in a way to create a cool shape will get you there, just like Halle Berry’s look.

Options are not limited when you’re sporting a TWA (teeny weeny afro). Follow in South African designer Enhle Mbali Maphumulo’s footsteps and crown your hair with a bed of flowers.

Sweep your shorter tresses back and let some of it casually fall to the side to copy Emma Stone’s perfectly messy chignon.

Bantu knots may not be the first style to come to mind when you think of an updo, but we think it should be. Especially the way actress Kiki Layne slays them on the red carpet. Not to mention you also have another style option once you take them down.

Not all sleek buns need to be bountiful. Zendaya showed us that small buns are just as alluring at the 90th Annual Academy Awards.

Nicky Whelan understands the subtle art of the slight pouf up top. Prep hair with a little dry shampoo for added volume and add bobbi pins for hold — extra points if you use the blinged out hair accessories that are so hot right now.

Sara Paulson and her hairstylist aren’t letting a thing like length interfere with a red carpet updo moment. This sleek three-bun moment with the “back bang” is too cute.

Kiki Layne shows us a chic way to add to your slicked back look by adorning your crown with a braid. You can grab a pack of synthetic braiding hair (like this from Latched + Hooked) make a long small braid and use hairpins to attach it.

RELATED: 20 Braided Updo Hairstyles That Beat Leaving Your Hair Down

If you have a wavy, blunt-cut bob, Kelly Ripa’s easy sweep back is for you.

Shorter, thicker hair looks amazing in updos a la Sanaa Lathan. Make sure your hair is stretched and grab a tool like the Puff Cuff to keep it in place.

Take your puff to the next level and channel your inner Issa Rae by adding two braids to the side and wrapping a braided headband around your puff (like this one from Amazon). Instant chic.

Want something quick and fab? Steal Letitia Wright’s easy smoothed down look — part the hair on the side, smooth with a brush and keep it in place with hair clips.

These loose milkmaid braids Nicky Hilton Rothschild is rocking are too cute.

The easiest way to steal this Issa Rae look is to section the hair into three ponytails in the back, smooth the hair down on the sides, and then pin the sections to each other so it creates on big pony.

Not every hair needs to be in place—in fact, it’s great to be a little messy like this coif Bebe Rexha rocked at the Grammys.