A good evening updo is the result of one of two things: A fantastic hair stylist who does wonders for your hair (it’s a bonus if he’s fast), or an impressive grasp of hairstyling tools and tricks that you can use yourself.

We have got a combination of the two to help you out this season. As hair extrodinaire Kathy Simon of Schwarzkopf Professional introduces to Hong Kong the latest hair trends, we have enlisted her help to teach our readers how to put together an easy evening updo in five simple steps. We’ve chosen a look perfect for both cocktail and black-tie events, and the best part is while it takes no longer than 20 minutes to do (less once you get the hang of it), the updo makes you look a million dollars, saving you a trip to the salon.

Celebrity hair expert, Philip Kingsley, helps us better understand Asian hair and shares tips on how to maintain it.

To create the evening updo, you will need:

-Hairspray
-Bobby pins
-Hair clips
-Hairpins
-Backcomb brush or comb
-Round brush
-Tongs

How to create an easy evening updo:

Step One: Get your hair prepped
Wash your hair and use a brush, ideally a round brush, and brush it through to prep the hair for styling

Step Two: Curl your hair and clip it
To set your hair and create the volume and the elegant curls you need for this updo, clip the top part of your hair. For the bottom, use a curling iron and in sections curl them, roll them upwards and secure with hair clips. Spray hairspray to add definition

Step Three: Backcombing
Take out the curls and to add volume. Backcomb them with either a backcomb brush or a comb: keep the volume by focusing your backcombing at the base rather than the hair ends, so it provides a good cushion for what is to come

Step Four: Turn and Twist
Take the hair on the top and combine this with some of the backcombed hair then turn and twist the hair inwards, secure this with a bobby pin

Step Five: Finish
Let the rest of the curls at the base of the head go and gently loosen them, secure the updo with hairspray

Videography by Tyrone Wu