How to rock a half up, half down look

Celebrity hair stylist David Babaii is going to take you step-by-step through getting half up, half down hair, using model Colleen Hunter. Babaii, who gave Angelina Jolie her contemporary half up, half down ‘do for the 2009 Oscars and also styles the likes of Kate Hudson and Nicole Kidman, will be at Neil George salon in April giving cuts to anyone with $650. He’ll be donating that fee to the WildAid charity, which his product line also supports. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)

Sept. 16, 2014 12:27 PM PT

Section your hair into three equal parts around your head and mist a sea spray or beach spray product over each section (Babaii uses his Bohemian Beach Spray). You’re going to then lift 1-inch sections of hair to curl. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)

Going section by section, curl in 1-inch groups, starting with the ends. No worries if you start to look like Shirley Temple -- the curls will fall and separate. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)

Don’t worry about being painstakingly precise. As Babaii says, “Half up, half down hair was prim and proper back in third grade, but now its about being sexy and disheveled.” (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)

Throw that glorious mess of hair forward over your head and spray with a light-hold hair spray. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)

Pick up small sections of hair from the top of your head and pin them back with small bobby pins (unless you have thick or coarse hair, which may require a larger size). Start with the top and then work over to the side, pinning in stages so you can see how much you want to put back. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)

Dont be afraid to have bobby pins show or to use pins that dont match your hair. I like that its not perfect thats sexier, Babaii says. If you want to go more extreme, pull back more hair on the side. Voila! You’ve got the look. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)