Because spring is here, and my patience for doing my hair isn't.
By Chloe Metzger and Lauren Valenti, Marie Claire
Anyone who has ever attempted a topknot knows there's a stark difference between the perfectly messy, tousled, but still put-together model-off-duty bun worn by celebrities on the red carpet, and the confusingly messy, tangled, never-been-a-model bun worn by you every single day of your life.
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But gorgeous, inspo-worthy chignons and topknots needn't be a thing of your wildest dreams—because with the right products and guidance, they're actually really easy to create on your own. And to prove it to you, we asked celebrity hairstylist Justine Marjan, Instagram's number-one hair queen, to break down her four all-time favorite bun styles anyone (yes, even you hair beginners) can do at home.
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HOW TO: The Low Knot
1. Rake a dime-size drop of smoothing serum, like Tresemmé's Keratin Smooth Weightless Shine Serum, through damp hair, then blow out your hair with a large round brush until totally sleek.
2. You want the hair to lie flat against the head, which means you'll need to "flat-iron your roots in the direction you're going to be pulling the hair," says Marjan. In this case, brush and iron the roots backwards, away from your face, for a sleeker finish.
3. Spray a hairbrush with hairspray, like the shine-enhancing Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray, then quickly brush your all of your hair into a low ponytail, tying it off with an elastic. Spray the ends with another layer of hairspray, twist them into a knot, and secure it with bobby pins. The final touch? "Spray a toothbrush with hairspray to brush over any flyaways," says Marjan.
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2. You want the hair to lie flat against the head, which means you'll need to "flat-iron your roots in the direction you're going to be pulling the hair," says Marjan. In this case, brush and iron the roots backwards, away from your face, for a sleeker finish.
3. Spray a hairbrush with hairspray, like the shine-enhancing Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray, then quickly brush your all of your hair into a low ponytail, tying it off with an elastic. Spray the ends with another layer of hairspray, twist them into a knot, and secure it with bobby pins. The final touch? "Spray a toothbrush with hairspray to brush over any flyaways," says Marjan.
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HOW TO: The Wet-Look Chignon
2. Comb a quarter-size blob of pomade, yes, pomade (a cult-classic favorite: Layrite Original Pomade) through your hair, starting at the roots and working through your hair until it's fully shiny and saturated.
3. Secure your hair in a low ponytail, then split the ends in half to form a top and bottom section, says Marjan. Loop and tie the pieces in a knot (like you would with shoelaces), then pin the ends underneath and the edges in place to keep the knot from falling out.
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HOW TO: The Braided Top Knot
2. Once it's dry, comb your hair into a tight ponytail at your crown, then tie off with a sturdy elastic. "A trick I use for avoiding that bubbled-out slack of hair at the nape of your neck is tilting your head back when I'm making the ponytail," says Marjan. "That way, when you lift your neck up again, the ponytail stays completely tight."
3. Work a smoothing cream, like John Frieda's Secret Weapon Touch-Up Crème, through the ends of your ponytail, then create a tight braid, tying it off with a clear elastic. Twist and pin the braid into a tight topknot, misting the whole thing with a layer of hairspray to finish.
HOW TO: The '90s Bun
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2.Blast your roots with a texturizing spray, like the IGK Beach Club Texture Spray, then rake and scoop your hair—sans face-framing layers—into a high bun, using your hands to gather the hair "so there's more movement at the top," says Marjan.
3.Loosely twist the hair into a coiled bun, then pin the edges in place. If your loose pieces are looking a little limp and blah, Marjan suggests wrapping them around a flat iron, like Ghd's Classic 1" Styling Iron, to add a soft wave to them.
