Ditch the curling iron, and instead spritz your hair with a setting spray (if hair is thick or wavy) or thickening spray (if it's fine). Dry it until it's only slightly damp, then part your hair in the middle all the way back to the nape of your neck. Gather one of the two sections of hair at ear level, twirl it around on itself to form a loose bun, and pin it behind your ear. Repeat on the other side. Blast your whole head with a diffuser for five minutes, leave the buns in for another 10 to 15 minutes, then take them out and shake everything out with your fingers.
Tousled waves Hairstyle
2. Wispy updo
The trick to making an updo sexy: Give it some rumpled texture. Use your fingers instead of a comb to rake back your hair so it's not tight against your head. Twirl your hair loosely into a bun, then use bobby pins—not an elastic—to anchor it in place, which will make the twist look slack, in a good way.
Wispy updo Hairstyle
3. Choppy bangs
The appeal here is the way they hide your eyes a bit. Be sure the bangs are long and thick, with choppy ends that skim the bottom of your brows. And keep the rest of your style in mind—this fringe is most flattering with a bob or hair that falls below your shoulders and is nearly all one length.
Choppy bangs Hairstyle
4. Natural texture
This look turns out best when you put in a smidgen of effort while hair is still damp. Run a tiny drop of leave-in conditioner through hair (this will control any frizz), part your hair as you normally would, tuck it behind your ears, and leave it that way until it's dry. You'll end up with a gentle wave in front.
Natural textured Hair
5. Bouncy ponytail
OK, this one's really simple—but it makes even fine hair look flirty in a ponytail. First, run a large drop of thickening cream through damp hair before blow-drying. Then, use your fingers, not a brush, to gather your hair back (not too tightly, though—you want there to be some wisps around your face). Place the ponytail about two inches below your crown—any higher and you'll look like a genie. Finally, tease the underside of the ponytail with a paddle brush for extra bushiness. (The brush won't tangle the hair the way a teasing comb can.)
6. Half-up hair
To keep this style from looking too prim (or preschool), mist your roots when they're dry with a bit of texturizing spray, which makes them slightly fuzzy, and create a messy center part. Then, pull back just the top layer of hair on each side of your face—the bottom layers should fall over your ears. Fasten the pulled-back pieces into a small ponytail just below your crown with a thin elastic—barrettes are too girlish—and don't worry about any strays.
7. Spiky knot
There's nothing attractive about a two-minute man. But this two-minute hairstyle? We love. Make a ponytail just above the center of the back of your head and lightly tease the tail, then haphazardly twist it around into a bun and pin in place—but leave the ends sprouting out so it seems more casual. (Feel free to pull a few pieces out of the twist.)
Spiky Knot
8. Messy low ponytail
The key here is a slightly frizzy texture. Before pulling your back hair, lightly massage your scalp with your fingertips—this creates a bit of volume and the fuzziness you want. Then, loosely gather your hair at the nape of your neck and wrap an elastic around it so the band is about a half-inch away from your scalp. For extra oomph, lightly tease the underside of the tail with a paddle brush.
Messy Low Ponytail
9. Teased crown
Adding just a little height at the crown injects some Bardot-style sex appeal. Gently tease just your roots until there is lift, but not so much that it looks like you have a lump on your head. Smooth over the teased hair with your hands, then leave your hair down or pull it into a low, loose ponytail.
Teased crown Hairstyle
10. Straight hair
For a smooth blowout that still has some bounce, prep hair with the right product: volumizer on fine hair; a nickel-size drop of gel throughout curly hair; and on thick hair, a heat-protecting spray from mid-length to the ends. Blow-dry hair in sections using a large round brush; when finished, rub of drop of shine serum between your palms and skim them over the hair just from the ears down.
Straight Hair
