5 Hairstyles You Can Do in 5 Minutes

Yep, so this post is all about those hairstyles you can do in a flash: in the back of a cab, waiting in line at USPS, and, of course, when you’ve fallen out of bed with minus minutes to spare. Those moments happen all too often, for most of us. I feel you.

But, unofficially, I’m also dubbing this post as the hairstyles you can do when YOU JUST CAN’T FOR THE LIVE OF YOU FIGURE OUT HOW TO BRAID YOUR OWN GODDAMN HAIR. For you guys, I feel you, too. We’re not all John Frieda; hair shiz is haaard.

So, presenting five hairstyles you can bust out when you are time poor, or just skill poor…

The hair donut top knot

Has this changed your life yet? For a ball of fabric around the five buck mark, it’s certainly revolutionized existence for many a woman. Just create a sleek or textured high pony (your call), work up some killer backcombing with a comb and bring the donut through. Fan your lengths out and around the sides, pinning at various points until it’s covered.

Textured ponytail

There’s a fine line between messy hair and intentionally textured hair. To win at the latter (and at life) pick up a texturizer that can be used on dry hair (like this guy), spritz, and scrunch. Once suitably disheveled, backcomb a little more and pull up into a pony that sits just slightly above ear level (any higher than that and volumized ponytails give off the '80s workout vibe). Take a small piece of hair from the back of the pony and wrap around your elastic to finish it off.

Oribe Texturizing Spray, $44, Amazon

The pompadour

Keep your lengths sleek for this one, but run some mousse through the front section that you’ll be pinning up. Dry your hair with fingers or a brush if you have the time to spare, paying close attention to creating volume at front section. Once dry, take the front section working from the corners of each eye inwards, and slightly backcomb. Twist at the back of the section and secure with a bobby pin. Either leave your lengths flowing, or create a sleek ponytail underneath for a chic look.

Moroccan Oil Mousse, $24, Amazon

Wispy side pony

This differs from the texturized pony by (duh) coming over one shoulder, but also in that the hair is softer, more romantically curled than the full-blown voluminous ponytail. Start with day old, dry hair and choose random pieces to curl semi-tightly around a medium size curling tong. Work quickly, and curl as many pieces as you can in a couple of minutes. Allow to cool, then brush out using only your fingertips. To keep the curls from dropping, you can also spray hairspray directly onto your fingertips before running through. Create a side part and tie your hair into a low ponytail, coming over one shoulder. Leave small pieces coming out around your face for a wispy, romantic effect.

Kiss Red Small Curling Wand, $26, Amazon

Fishtail braid

C’mon I’ve got to help you attempt just one braid, right? The fishtail is the easiest, promise, and can be done quickly. Let’s do it: Divide your hair into two sections and by holding the right section with your right hand, take a piece from the outside and cross it over into the inside of the left section. Then repeat: Take a piece from the outside of the left section, and pull it over to the inside of the right section. Continue along until you reach the end of the hair, and secure with an elastic.

And then you're out the door. Not bad, lady.

Oscar Blandi Braid Paste, $25, Birchbox

Images: 68697844@N08/flickr; 25240867@N04flickr