You lose track of time as you try to tame your wild hair and an even bigger loss is the regret of starting a new day. I know many clients have felt this, and worst of all, I’ve seen them lose the battle against their hair. Some of the best hairstyles are the ones that solve the problems your hair is giving you, instead of fighting against its nature. One of my earliest memories in this profession was of a woman who came to my salon almost in tears because an event was going to happen later that day and her blow dry from the previous day had completely fallen. Instead of having to redo the blow dry, we swept her hair up into a loose twist and she preferred it to the original style. This is what impatience and hair that is twisted up can do! A bad hair day is a chance to do something fun and different that you haven’t tried before. The styles I have selected for you are the ones that I have worn myself, and they are relaxed and casual. They are quick to do and will take a lot less time than what you were doing before.
#1: Messy High Bun with Soft Face-Framing Strands
If I had only 4 minutes to do your hair, I would suggest this quick updo. Pull your hair into a high ponytail, do a loose twist, and pin it. Then, let some front pieces fall. This look can easily be mistaken for rushed, but those front face-framing pieces really define the style. If your hair is two or three days old, that’s even better! Dirty hair holds its shape so much better than clean hair. If your hair is fine, you’ll probably want to use some dry texturizing spray at the roots so that your twist holds throughout the day.
#2: Chic Chestnut Bob with Opaque Bangs
This haircut has many subtle features that include lengths that are just appropriate enough, heavy enough to be presentable while not too heavy where you might be shoving hair behind your ear all the time. My favourite feature are the bangs to the side. Because the bangs are not a rigid line and seamlessly integrate with the rest of the hairstyle, the bangs do not look like a separate addition to the hairstyle. The chestnut colour is also great as it comes off as warm but not too warm and it brightens up the face depending on the skin tone. The bangs will require some dedication to trimming about every three weeks, but the bob will not be too bad as it will be quite forgiving as it grows. This hairstyle will look nice even without putting any effort which is great when you don’t want to have to do anything in the morning.
#3: Long Blonde Textured Waves with a Casual Hat
I especially like when a photo is presented to me like this since the true styling trick is the hat (not intended as an insult), and I would say that these long waves are stunning and are low effort. That said, I do have to be honest about what occurs around your roots or crown on any given day. The hat covers that area while giving your hair the freedom to do its thing. If your hair is already a bit wavy, then really, it’s just a matter of washing, conditioning, and letting it be because this look requires little to no effort. An illuminating serum applied to the mid-lengths truly gives the illusion of healthy hair and especially so with the blonde when it reflects light. The styling is really about knowing when to leave your hair alone.
#4: Effortless Textured Updo with Cascading Curls
This hairstyle works best for people with long hair and natural curls. It only takes two minutes and will look like you spent hours on it. The good thing about this hairstyle is that it doesn’t require planning in advance. To do this look, just section and pin your hair. Then you can let a few pieces of hair fall to the front and sides. This style is great for people who like a messy style. This hairstyle is especially good for people with thick or curly hair. Because this style is meant to look big and voluminous, you shouldn’t tease your hair at all. In fact, the longer you leave it, the better it will look. When it’s time to take out the style, just use a little bit of leave-in conditioner to help with the knots.
#5: Twisted Blonde Updo with Delicate Strands
This looks like you tried, which is a compliment because other styles you do for bad hair days, look like you have put in no effort at all. With the right amount of twists of all different sizes, it looks like a ton of work went into it, when in fact, all it takes is one person with average skill to put your hair up. If you have thicker hair, this is great because it means all of the twists will hold their shape reliably, and the style will have the fullness it needs without the use of any padding or filler. The lack of hair around your throat and jaw really emphasizes the style because you get to show off your face. If you have thinner hair, I would suggest a different style because this one needs a lot of volume to keep the twists from going flat.
#6: Sleek Crown with Cascading Golden Waves
I’ve considered the difference around here for some time. The crown is smooth and pulled back tight, and then the hair from the ears down relaxes into soft full waves. That difference makes it seem intentional rather than indecisive. It is a great choice for thick long hair that can be overwhelming because it gets rid of half of the hair while allowing a lot of hair to be free. The golden color adds warmth to the waves and gives them dimension, almost like there is light inside of them. If you have finer hair you would probably want to put some volumizing mousse in the lengths before curling because the waves will collapse within an hour.
#7: Elegant Tousled Half-Up, Half-Down with Subtle Highlights
Half-up hairstyles tend to get a lot of hate. They are seen as a compromise to wearing your hair up or down. This style goes all in though. The gather at the back is loose enough to not be face pulling. The hair left down has good body and movement. The highlights add dimension but aren’t really separated into chunks. You can’t point to a streak and say, “that’s where the highlight starts.” It’s one of those styles that can go from desk to dinner without having to change anything.
#8: Deep Chestnut Curly Cascade
As much as the cut, the color design here is doing work. That deep chestnut color has a certain richness to it that gives the curls an appearance that is almost sculpted, when in reality it’s just well-maintained natural texture that’s simply allowed to do its thing. The layers are cut so that each curl is defined, rather than having them all grouped into clumps. This is the distinction between curls looking heavy versus looking alive. This is the type of style where on a bad hair day, a little light mousse, a quick shake, and you’re done is the general approach. Humidity is the ongoing negotiation with a style like this, but more often than not, it just works.
#9: Classic Thick Plait for Long Hair
A simple solution is sometimes best, and the braid is a great example of that. The braid’s ‘weight’ looks very architectural with long thick hair. The crown of your head gets a tiny lift before the braid, which does give a vertical illusion to your face. Most people will not consciously notice this. This braid is for the days when you do not want to think and just need your hair out of the way. A lot of hair is required to achieve this look. On thinner hair, the braid looks more rope-like than full, which drastically changes the overall look.
#10: Classic Outdoor Neat Five-Strand Braid
It’s fair to say that most people are unlikely to complete a five-strand braid with perfect accuracy on their first attempt. It’s a technique that takes time and effort to master, and let’s be honest, doing this for the first time on a bad hair day at 7 in the morning probably isn’t going to go very well. Nonetheless, once you’re able to do it without assistance, it becomes an extremely reliable and sophisticated way of securing hair, especially since the strands can be pulled tightly to create better grip and security. When done on thick hair (as in the examples shown), there is a lovely braiding quality because it shows off the interplay of the hair strands to complete different parts of the braid. This hairstyle is definitely more suited for weekends when you have a little more time to devote to it!
#11: Relaxed Espresso Bun with Soft Face-Framing Waves
I really like this style, and I love recommending this to others as well. The bun can be messy and looks best a little undone. Face-framing waves soften the look and are a nice change from the severity of a slicked bun. Your espresso brown hair is stunning! The rich, uniform depth allows the texture of your waves to be more visible while being less distracting. If you’re going somewhere nice, you can add a clip/pin to dress it up, but it looks good as is. For the most natural-looking bun, medium to thick hair is best as the bun will hold its own volume.
#12: Natural Cascade of Caramel Waves
This style showcases incredible detail because of the subtle differences in the waves. Each wave is a different size and falls in a different direction which makes it look less like a tutorial and more like real hair. Many believe this style is hard to achieve, however, it is actually the opposite. It is easy to achieve if you stop over-styling, but with a simple styling, it is very hard to achieve this look. The caramel creates a soft look and makes the waves reflect light which looks healthy. If you have fine hair, and want this volume, the mid-length layering is a great way to keep the volume and movement without losing thickness. This style offers a lot of versatility and different styling options as it grows out.
#13: Natural Soft Waves with Subtle Highlights
You waves look as if they were created with a wide-barrel curling iron. You can also look as if the waves just dried that way after you used a product and scrunched it. The best part of your hair is it offers the most perfect solution for a bad hair day. At first people will think you put a lot of effort into styling your hair, but if you walk around, it will appear as if you just have nice hair. The way the highlights are positioned is meant to give the waves the movement and dimension that a solid color would lack. The most important thing a good haircut does is help your hair to fall into place with very little effort.
#14: Whimsical Loose Tendril Updo
I like the twist at the nape! It’s an awesome detail that makes the whole style pop! I think that without it, I may see a more basic low updo with some bits pulled out. The detail gives something for my eye to focus on. The face-framing tendrils are also important because they stop the style from being too uptight and matronly, which is a frequent problem with pinned up hairstyles. If you like the appearance of soft and slightly messy hair, this is the style for you. It only takes a few bobby pins and some hold spray. It’s that easy! Best of all, it’s great for a night out, especially if you’ve been getting ready all day. You can easily do this from your own bathroom.
#15 Rustic Auburn Textured Bun for Quick Styling
The auburn shade brings warmth and delivers a more intentional lived-in look, particularly with what’s going on with the hair. Very little is happening here; there’s merely a twist to secure the hair at the back. Texture is what most stands out to me. There’s something to be said about this bun not being polished, smooth, or overly refined. The wrinkles and rough surfaces give it a lot of character. With the combination of dense and wavy hair, the look is effortless. That’s my favorite type of style, to be honest. The one that looks great with the least amount of effort. On the contrary, if your hair is really fine and silky, the bun is likely to slide out because of the hair’s nature. That’s a warning. You’ll probably find yourself using a texturizing spray to get it to stick to something, otherwise, this look is very effortless for most hair types. It really elevates any look while still being a great option for a more cared-for look.
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