I have three young kids, so getting them and myself out the door on any given day is an Olympic event. I try to get myself completely ready before my kids get up, otherwise I will not be leaving the house looking good – I will be leaving the house looking like a zombie character and not an attractive one. So I am all for anything that I can do to speed up my morning routine.
I approached my hairstylist, Amanda, with this question: “Can you teach me some quick hairstyles so that I look put together, but don’t have to spend much time doing them?” I also had to add the caveat that they must be easy because I can barely put my hair in a ponytail. Amanda shared her ideas with me and I am here to share them with you. These hairstyles will take you fewer than five minutes to pull together – those of you with your much better skills than me will be able to do them in less than two minutes. I hope you enjoy them!
Half-Up Topsy Tail
I love this super simple style! It is easy, but looks classy. Simply pull two pieces of hair back and secure them with a small elastic. Then flip the ponytail part up over the elastic. Done.
Up Topsy Tail
This is a variation on the first style. Simply complete the first style and then pull the hair that is down, up into a ponytail. Place the elastic just below the elastic for the topsy tail.
Side Braid
First make sure your hair is parted on the side, and then take a small piece of hair from the smaller section of the part to braid. Most people know how to do a braid, but since I’m challenged with it, Amanda had to explain to me to braid going back not down. One you get to the back of your head, use a bobby pin to pin the braid in place, and then gently pull apart the sections of the braid to make it looser and fuller looking. This is a simple style that adds a cute touch to a regular hair day.
Half-Up Braid
This is a next step on the side braid. Simply add a braid on the other side of your head braiding the thicker side of your parted hair. Pin this section of braid on the back of your hair along with the other braid to create a half-up braid look. Be sure to pull apart the pieces of the braid on each side to create a wider, looser looking braid rather than a tight braid. This style looks classy and like it took way more time to put together than it actually did.
Perfect Messy Bun
A bun is one of my go-to styles, so Amanda helped me class it up a bit. I put my hair in a loose bun with one ponytail holder. Then I add a second ponytail holder to make the bun more secure. Next I stuck bobby pins in around the bun to add a little bit more structure and security to the bun, all while keeping the general messy bun feeling. This helps it to look good for longer throughout the day. Finally, I pulled a few pieces loose around my face to give some lovely little wispy pieces.
I love these new, easy styles. It is nice to have some more options in my bank of hairstyles besides just up or down. Many thanks to Amanda for her awesome skills. You can find her work on Instagram @am.hairandmakeup or online here. Check out my before and after on her Instagram from last week — it’s insane.
