11 Easy, Gorgeous Hairstyles You Can Do in 5 Minutes

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Extend your blowout

There’s no better way to start your work week than a bouncy blowout. But washing and styling your hair every AM is neither great for your hair nor your morning routine. Instead, try this trick to keep your style intact for days: “Right before you settle into bed, reach for a dry shampoo. Give your scalp a good spray, so that while you sleep, the formula’s rice starch will go to work absorbing oils and adding volume and texture to your hair,” says Marisa von Sheere, pro educator for amika, who recommends the line’s amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo. “After using dry shampoo, wrap your hair in a high bun and secure with bobby pins.” In the morning, take down your tresses and you’ll have a beautiful blowout that survived the night.

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Tamed bedhead

For those mornings when your hair needs to be tamed… von Sheere recommends this technique for enviable, “I woke up like this” strands. “Take two front side sections of your hair (about one to two-inches wide) and pull them to the back of your head. With the two sections in separate hands, loop and tie your hair into a knot (don’t pull too tight). Continue looping and tying all hair into loose knots. Once complete, wrap strands into a loose bun or tie ends with a small hair tie. In the morning, you’ll wake up to hair with gentle, frizz-free waves. Try these 8 no-heat hairstyles to wake up with great hair tomorrow.

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Full and tousled high pony

Start by spritzing in a texturizing spray onto dry hair. Using your fingers, gather hair into a pony at the crown of your head. Secure with elastic. Next, divide the tail part of your pony into five to seven sections, and curl using a large-barrel curling iron, alternating the direction of the curl every other section. “To get that sexy, tousled look, shake your head and spray in more texturizing spray to break up and soften curls,” says Kevin Lee, Style Director at Julien Farel.

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Textured, braided high bun

Love the look of a high top-knit? Try von Sheere’s braided take. Start by gathering hair into a high ponytail and securing with a hair tie. Prep your ponytail by working through a texturizing gel. Next divide the tail into three sections: two of equal size and one that is half the size of the other two. Loosely braid strands all the way to the ends and secure with a hair tie. “Your braid will look uneven and messy, but don’t worry—that is what we want,” von Sheere says. Finish by wrapping your braid into a loose bun and secure with bobby pins.

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Smooth, low-pony

Sleek and straight, a smooth, low-pony is an ultra-polished, and surprisingly simple style. Lee recommends taking a dime size amount of Julien Farel Smooth Crème and finger-combing it through your hair. Next, use a flat iron over large sections of your hair running it from the nape all the way to the ends. Create a part of your choosing and secure hair into a sleek pony with an elastic. Tease the tail with a comb to add volume. Smooth down that outside layer. Take a small section of hair from the pony, wrap around the hair elastic and secure with a bobby pin.

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Reverse French twist

A French twist may look fancy, but it’s relatively fast and easy to recreate at home. First, gather hair into a pony centered in between ears; twist down—rather than up—to create a reverse French twist. Secure with bobby pins. You can leave your ends as they are or add a little shine to them by patting in a few drops of amika Oil Treatment. You might not realize these hair mistakes are giving you split ends.

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Top knot

A top knot seamlessly goes from day to night, making it the perfect all-purpose style. Get the look: Pull hair into a ponytail on the top of your head and secure with an elastic. Split the pony into two equal sections and twist both to the left all the way to the end of the hair. Take the two ponytails and twist them together to the right, secure at end with hair elastic. Wrap the now finished pony into a bun on the top of your head. Secure with bobby pins.

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Two braided buns

Channel Princess Leia with two braided buns. To recreate this look, work a sculpting gel into the top layer of hair. Make a deep middle part down the center of head to the nape of the neck. Create two ponytails just above the nape and secure with hair elastic. Do a simple three strand braid on each ponytail, again secure with elastic. Wrap each braid into a bun and secure with bobby pins.

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Cascade braid bun

What’s great about braids is that they work best when hair has a little “grit”. (Read: You haven’t washed it in few days.) Start by parting your hair on the side or in the middle, and begin your braid. After the third braid, drop one of the sections, letting it cascade from braid and pick up a new section. Repeat this same pattern after every section, until you reach the back of the head. Do the same on the other side—mirroring the braid you began with. Bring both braids together and secure with hair elastic, creating a pony of two loose braids- secure at end with another elastic. Twist the two braids into a bun, and secure with bobby pins.

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Double pony

Love the look of a ponytail but want something slightly edgier? You’ll love this double pony style. How to: Split hair in half horizontally across your head and tie the top section into a loose pony. Once your ponytail is secure, poke a hole in your hair right above the hair tie using your index finger. With your thumb push your ponytail through the hole. Tie back your remaining hair into a pony, just under the first one. Don’t miss the miracle-working hair products every woman needs in her life.

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Awesome air dry

If you love an AM shower, but don’t have time to blow dry your, try this genius trick, courtesy of Lorean Cairns, co-founder and creative director Fox & Jane, a hair salon in New York City. After showering, spritz on a thickening spray or smoothing cream. Next, wrap hair into two buns. When hair is dry, unwrap…and you’re set to go! This technique works particularly well for ladies with finer strands. We like R+Co Dallas Thickening Spray and Redken No Blow Dry Hair Cream. Wondering the best way to dry your locks sans blow-dryer?

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