How to Do a Messy Bun Updo in Four Easy Steps

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Messy, tousled hair has been a beauty goal since, well, forever. So yeah, it helps to know how to do a messy bun.

The hairstyle has long been the go-to updo for a night out, but the effortless look has been seeing something of a resurgence lately among celebrities like Hailey Bieber, Jennifer Lopez, and Kim Kardashian. It has that perfect “I woke up like this” attitude one wants, whether you're headed for a red carpet, a wedding, or just a glam night at home.

But to clarify, this isn't your regular sweaty gym bun, the kind thrown up without a care. This hairstyle is still intentional, even if the point is to look anything but. However, learning how to do a messy bun can be quite easy! An elevated messy bun has the same undone look as your on-the-go style, just with more precision and prep.

How to do a messy bun, in four steps

First, you'll want to start out with some texture in your hair—most opt for waves with some grit. We recommend using a curling wand or curling iron like the T3 SinglePass Curl or the GHD SoftCurl to create waves in alternating directions.

If you have freshly washed hair, you can hit the mid to ends with some texturizing spray like the Amika Un.done Volume & Matte Texture Spray or the Verb Volumizing Texture Spray to get that tousled gritty texture. This will also help the messy bun form and retain its shape.

T3 SinglePass Curl X 1.25” Ceramic Extra-Long Barrel Curling Iron

$150.00, Sephora

GHD Soft Curl 1.25" Curling Iron

$209.00, Sephora

Amika Un.done Volume & Matte Texture Spray

$29.00, Amazon

VERB Volume Dry Texture Spray

$22.00, Amazon

If you have curly or textured hair already, you'll want to enhance your curl pattern using a curl cream or mousse. To get extra volume, use a diffuser hairdryer like Pattern Beauty's The Blow Dryer With Four Attachments.

As for creating the bun itself, you have some options. First, you'll need some hair supplies to secure the bun. Glamour loves the Kitsch Nylon Hair Ties for it's super stretchy material and various shade offerings that will match any hair color. You can also opt to pin your messy bun in place using bobby pins and U shape hair pins.

Kitsch Nylon Hair Ties

$9.00, Amazon

For a Pamela Anderson-inspired messy bun, as seen below, you'll want to pull the waves into a ponytail, while leaving your bangs or two face-framing pieces out. Next, loop your pony into a bun, and pin it in place (but keeping some of the ends out).

Go back and curl the ends, then messily pin them back into the bun. After that, pull the bun apart to make it fluffy and messy. Finish the look by adding some volume to your bangs with a hot roller, curling iron, or blow-dryer. Spray liberally with hairspray.

For a Hailey Bieber-inspired messy bun, like in the photographs below, you'll section off some face-framing pieces before gathering your hair and loosely twisting up into a ponytail. Create a small cinnamon roll with the twist and secure with a hair tie, making sure to leave the ends out.

You can leave the ends out as is, or go in with some bobby pins and secure around the cinnamon roll for extra messy volume. Smooth out any bumps with a fine tooth comb and set with hairspray.

Originally Appeared on Glamour