Remember the days when you had enough free time to actually get ready in the morning? And we don't mean brush your teeth, splash some water on your face, and make sure you have a bra on. We mean REALLY get ready - makeup on, outfit clean and matching, hair did. We can pretty much pinpoint the exact moment in time when we shifted from ready ready to this'll do ready - pretty much the day we brought our first baby home. Since that day, we've had to make some adjustments! And in that time, we've entered into a very monogamous relationship with our messy bun.
Messy buns are just so easy! They're also pretty versatile and make us feel like we at least tried. But you know what? It might be time to change it up a bit! If you're a messy bun addict who's looking to change it up, try one of these cute and easy messy bun alternatives.
One of the easiest messy bun alternatives: a messy, voluminous ponytail!
This is a great hairstyle for when curly or wavy hair, but even straight-haired people can pull this one off! A messy ponytail is perfect for when you need your hair out of your face but are maybe going on day four between washes and need something a little more elevated than a messy bun.
For something a bit more polished: a top knot bun.
Messy buns work for most scenarios, but if you need a slightly more polished (but still easy to put together and pull off) look, then a top knot bun is just the style you're looking for. This is a great option for people with thinner hair, because it instantly adds volume and texture.
Elevate your messy bun with an upside-down French braid top knot!
OK, we'll be totally honest: this one intimidates us just a little bit! We're fairly skilled in braiding out kids' hair, and we can do a passable French braid on ourselves if we need to. But the thought of doing a French braid on ourselves, upside-down?! This is one challenge we might have to accept, and if we are successful, we think we just found our new go-to hairstyle from now until the end of time. It's a little bit messy, a little bit fancy, and perfect for the mom on the go.
Why have one messy bun when you can have double buns?
The words "double bun" make us think immediately of Princess Leia. But that's not the case at all with this adorable double low buns style! This one is super easy to do, so you don't need to have any hair talent to perfect it. We love the low buns, but this would also look super cute as higher space buns, or even stacked buns.
Let those long locks flow with a low knotted ponytail.
When your waves are hitting just right and you've got the perfect ratio of dry shampoo rocking your roots, you don't want to hide that all away in a messy bun. But again: you also might not have the time to completely style your hair. Make it look like you did with a low knotted ponytail. Another upside to this gorgeous style? It won't fall out halfway through your errands.
A twisted bun will take you from PTA meeting to date night without changing a thing.
Have you ever looked at another person's hairstyle and been more than a little jealous of their styling abilities and all the time they must have to look so put together? This is how we would feel if we saw someone rocking this low twisted bun, and we can't even tell you how excited we are to find out it's WAY easier to do than it looks. This is the look for when you only have enough time to change your clothes between volunteering in your kid's class and meeting your partner for a much-needed date night.
Anyone can do a messy French twist. Yes, even you!
We've always been intimated by the idea of a French twist. And also, for the longest time, we just assumed a twist like this was reserved for special occasions! A French twist is definitely wedding hair. But there's a big difference between a prim and polished French twist, and this amazing messy twist that is easy to pull off and can be rocked any time, anywhere, by anyone. But is it easy, you might be wondering? Just about as easy as a messy bun, which is why this is a great alternative!