We’ve all been there. You stay up too late, wake up late, and rush to try and get ready for class. You’re torn between being a few minutes late and cutting your losses, or being on time but looking like a ragamuffin all day (the struggle is real). I usually pick the few minutes late option (oops), but that’s another story entirely.
Undoubtedly, one of the biggest time consumers is taming bedhead. Once again, you slept in too late to shower before your 9:25, so now what? Help has arrived! I took to the internet and compiled a list of six easy five minute hairstyles that look like they took a lot longer. So ditch the ponytail, top knot or Polo baseball hat in the morning, and try one of these fresh looks instead!
1. “Twisted Ponytail.” My hair is long, thin and straight, so when I tried this it looked dead. However, with wavy hair, this look is a fun alternative to the simple low ponytail. Simply divide your ponytail in half and wrap one half around the other and secure the ends.
2. “The Hair Bow.” Without a doubt, this is my favorite of all the five minute hairstyles. It works best with longer hair, as there’s more to work with in tying the bow. It worked really well with my straight hair, but I imagine it would work well with waves, too. Take about an inch of hair from each side around the temples and tie a bow with your hair the same way you tie a shoe. Secure with bobby pins.
3. “The Over-the-Shoulder Pony.” This one is so simple and can be done with nearly every length and texture of hair. The twist will be fuller with more volume, so a little teasing and hairspray could be in order if your hair is pin straight like mine. For this one, simply start twisting the hair on one side of the nape of your neck, and twist it all the way around to the other side. Secure into a ponytail, leaving about an inch and a half of hair out on the front of your head. Then, to finish it, wrap the loose piece around your ponytail holder to add sophisticated flair.
4. “The Crazy Long Mane Ponytail.” I’m including this one because it looks so cool. You really need thick and wavy/curly hair to pull this off. If you don’t have enough hair so that the bottom pony is completely covered up by the top one, from the side it looks like a hella stupid double ponytail (believe me, I tried it. Not cute). If you are lucky enough to pull it off, it really does create the illusion of SUPER long hair. It’s very simple to create, pull the top half of your hair into a high ponytail, and then the rest in a ponytail directly below the first one. Voilà! Your hair just grew six inches in two minutes.
5. Low Side Bun. One of my favorite quick hairstyles is the low side bun. It’s perfect if you don’t have time to straighten out those kinks from sleeping and for second day hair. Simply gather your hair in a low side ponytail (teasing-as shown in the picture-is optional), and twist into a ballet-esque bun. I usually use a second ponytail holder to secure it, but bobby pins could also work. It’s an easy look to create and looks simply adorable with a ribbon, bow, or flower accent.
6. “Braidy Lady.” As another alternative to pulling your hair back, this one is one of my faves. It works for any hair type, whether it’s clean, dirty, short, long, curly, straight, etc. Take two inches or so from the front section of your hair and loosely braid them. Then pull both sides back and either pin with a bobby pin or secure with a small hair elastic.
After scouring the internet, these were my top six easy (actually easy, not Pinterest-easy) and quick hairstyles to try when rushing in the morning. I tried them all and give them my oh so official stamp of approval. If you want more ideas, “23 Five-Minute Hairstyles For Busy Mornings” on Buzzfeed and “17 Hairstyles That Take Less Than 10 Minutes” on totalbeauty.com include my above favorites and many more!