We’ve all been there. You wake up to find out you slept through your alarm or set it for p.m. (the worst), and you overslept. Shortage of time is no reason to sacrifice on appearance though! Especially when headed to the office or class, the way you present yourself can have vast results on both your impression on others and your confidence and performance. Next time you’re running late, test out these hairstyles that all take less than five minutes to perfect. Best part is, no one will even be able to tell you were short on time!
1. The Neat Bun
Pull your hair into a ponytail at the base of your head and secure. Braid the ponytail and secure at the end with an elastic. Then, wrap the braid around itself and secure using bobby pins. Simple, but effortlessly elegant!
2. The Top Bun
The top bun, reminiscent of a ballerina bun, is very trendy right now. Easily constructed with the help of the “hairstyling rings“, available at stores like H&M or Forever 21 for under $5. Simply thread your hair through the hole in the center, creating a ponytail, and then tuck the ends of your hair back under, wrapping around the ring. It will result in a effortless, neat bun. For a messy-chic look, you can create a top bun without the ring, by following a similar procedure and securing your bun with bobby pins and hairspray. This hairstyle is incredibly versatile, and can easily be accented by a headband or a braid.
3. The High-Volume Ponytail
This quick hairstyle works perfectly with the texture of your messy just-got-out-of-bed hair. Use a volumizing spray to either damp or dry hair, and then use a comb to tease your hair. Pull all but one strand (at the bottom) of your hair up into a high ponytail and secure with an elastic. Then take the leftover strand and wrap it around the elastic, securing with a bobby pin at the base. Stylish, effortless, and transforming a gym staple into a glam updo!
4. The Front Braid
Another quick look that can be done in a number of ways. Like the eternally beautiful Jennifer Aniston, you can opt for the hair down look. A french braid can also be combined with a half-up look, or easily secured into a low bun. Another bonus: for those late-to-work mornings, braids are great at disguising the texture of your hair and extending its shower life. Apply a texturizing spray to damp or dry hair, concentrating at the roots for lift if your hair is dry. Then, starting at your part (and front braids can look fabulous with a deeper part like Jennifer’s), french braid your hair across your hairline. If you are leaving the rest of your hair down, secure above your ear with a bobby pin. For a bun, extend the braid a bit further, and follow the guidelines above for either a neat or messy bun, pinning the braid to the base of your bun. If you are applying the front braid to a half-up hairstyle, gather strands from the front of your hair along with the bun, and pin them back just behind your ear.
5. The Headband Tuck
There is nothing quite like a headband for hiding a bad hair day. This look’s a twist (quite literally) on the last minute bad-hair-day headband look. Apply a sea salt spray to dry hair and place an elastic headband around your head so that it is sitting fully on top of your hair. Hold the ends of your hair, and wrap them up to tuck them into the headband at the top. You have a bit of discrepancy here to decide how tight or loose you would like to make it. That’s it! You can also pull a few pieces out in the front to make it look a bit more relaxed and beachy.
With so many variable hairstyles that take so little time, there is no excuse for covering up with a hat (unless it’s really cute) or tossing your hair into a sloppy, unstyled bun. In fact, these adorable looks may just be the perfect excuse you were looking for to snooze that alarm clock one more time. We won’t tell!