How many times have you wished your Pinterest boards were accurate reflections of your life? If only that drool-worthy closet, island vacation, and man candy were yours. We covet the fab hairspiration on Pinterest, but even some of the simpler tutorials can be intimidating. We tested out five styles found on Pinterest to see how doable they actually are IRL. Long hair in the summer heat can be miserable, so each of these looks involves putting your hair up so you can keep cool. Check out our series of five-minute tutorials below.
1. Gatsby Bob
A short haircut can be liberating, but it’s a big commitment. Test the waters with a faux bob before you make the chop for real.
For this look, you’ll need a headband with an elastic, like this jeweled version from Anthropologie ($32). Bobby pins are optional.
Tuck your hair behind your ears and put on the headband. It should sit at your hairline and the elastic should cover your hair.
Hold your hair in a low, loose ponytail and tuck the ends up and over the elastic. If your hair is very long, you may want to twist your pony a few times before tucking it in to keep it from falling apart.
Spread out your hair from ear to ear. Continue rolling your hair up and over the elastic until it forms a neat roll along the nape of your neck. If your hair is particularly thick or long, pin the roll to your scalp with a few bobby pins.
This style doesn’t require much more skill than a simple bun, but it looks twice as glam. We love this updo because it looks complicated, but it isn’t at all! It should stay in all day, but if your hair is thick or long, you might need to freshen it up with bobby pins (especially if you’re running around all day). Our hair model, Gabby, has shoulder-length hair with medium thickness, and her style felt secure.
The faux bob works on any hair texture, but we especially love the subtle waves in the original Pinterest model’s photo. Recreate her texture with a one-inch curling iron, or opt for beach waves for a summery look.
2. Sock Bun
Ever wonder how celebrities get those voluminous, perfectly smooth buns you’ve seen on the red carpet? No, they aren’t just born with superior DNA (um, we think); they use hair doughnuts (mesh, doughnut-shaped tools designed to fake the appearance of volume) to create sock buns.
You can purchase a hair doughnut at beauty supply stores or for $4.99 at Ulta. If you’re feeling creative, you can also make your own! This look also requires an elastic. Bobby pins are optional.
Make a high ponytail at the crown of your head.
Pull your ponytail through a hair doughnut; about an inch of hair should poke through the top of the doughnut. Your ponytail should be pulled straight up above your head. Fan the ends of your hair out around the doughnut, and begin rolling the doughnut down your ponytail. It’s okay if the first few rolls aren’t perfectly neat.
As you make the last few rolls towards your scalp, tuck in any loose hairs.
You might need a few tries to get the hang of using the hair doughnut. It won’t be easy the first time you do it by yourself, but after a few attempts in front of the mirror, this style becomes simple. Think of it as your ballerina-meets-J-Lo solution to every bad hair day; when your hair isn’t cooperating, just put it up and out of your face. Gabby liked that the hair doughnut made her bun thicker, rounder, and more even than it usually is.
Sock buns are fantastic because they’re so secure. Unlike a regular bun, which can lose its shape or droop, your hair will stay firmly in place all day. The one caveat? Wind and heavy rain can turn this style into a mess.
3. Bow Bun
If you love all things girly, pink, and sweet, this style is practically made for you. This look requires an elastic, one or two bobby pins, and hairspray.
Make a high ponytail at the crown of your head.
Twist an elastic around your ponytail two or three times, depending on how thick your hair is. On your final twist, pull the ends of your pony forward through the elastic so that three inches of hair sit facing your forehead. The majority of your hair should form a perky bun.
Split your bun vertically in half to form the two sides of the bow. Pull the ends of your ponytail over the center of the bow and pin just behind the bun. Spray your bun with hairspray to keep its shape firm.
Although this style may look like it requires some pretty advanced origami skills, it’s fairly simple to create. But watch out – even though it’s easy to do, it’s not necessarily easy to do well. The first time you try this look, focus on sculpting each individual loop of the bow evenly and keep them in place with hairspray. This keeps the bun chic, not silly. If your hair is particularly thin, however, your bow might start to droop.
Gabby’s ‘do is pretty, but it’s not 100 percent even; one loop of the bow is slightly bigger than the other. This look is a bit fragile, so it might require touch-ups if you’re planning on rocking it on the dance floor.
4. Side-Braided Bun
Once you’ve mastered the sock bun, try this pretty, laidback twist! This look requires an elastic, a hair doughnut, and a few bobby pins.
Separate the front two inches of your hair on each side and hang them over your shoulders. Pull the rest of your hair into a ponytail an inch or two above the nape of your neck, or wherever you want your bun to rest.
Pull your ponytail through a hair doughnut. About an inch of hair should poke through the top of the doughnut. Your ponytail should be pulled back behind your head. Fan the ends of your hair out around the doughnut, and begin rolling the doughnut down your ponytail. It’s okay if the edges of the bun aren’t perfectly neat, because they’ll be covered with braids for the final look.
French braid the left front section of your hair until you run out of strands to incorporate, then wrap the braid around your bun. Pin the end of the braid into place, then repeat on the right side.
This style is a bit more complicated than some of the others, but if you can successfully French braid your hair and use a hair doughnut, you should be able to pull it off without much of a problem. This took just under five minutes to complete and felt secure; Gabby didn’t need hairspray, and it wasn’t likely that the look would come undone or require touch-ups.
We love this style because it’s so casually gorgeous. It doesn’t look like you’re trying too hard, which can be an issue for some of the other hair DIYs we found on Pinterest.
5. Hot Cross Bun
Not into perfectly done ‘dos? This bun is just messy enough to give you a laidback vibe.
This look requires two elastics and a few bobby pins. Hairspray is optional.
Make two ponytails about an inch apart on the back of your head. It’s up to you how high you want to go; we think this style looks best with low or medium ponies. Separate each ponytail into two sections and twist them around each other.
Wrap the left twisted ponytail around the base of the other and secure the ends with bobby pins. Repeat on the right side.
The hardest part of this look is keeping each ponytail twisted while you wrap it into the bun, especially if your hair is thin. If you’re struggling, spray each twist with hairspray before you pin it up.
This style is great because it doesn’t need to be perfect. The original model on Pinterest has a very neat, precise version, but we liked it a little undone! If you don’t have the most agile fingers, this is an easy style to add to your arsenal.
Need more hair inspiration? Try these five styles made for the beach.
Model: Gabby Massimino