If you want an easy way to make your wedding outfit look modern, I’ve got some advice for you: Put a bun on it. I mean:
Right? Right.
The basic bun is a long-haired #lazygirl’s best friend. But most of the ones you see on Pinterest either require a ton of hair, or, uh, a sock. So when APW’s stylist friend Rubi Jones came out with her Art of Hair book last month, and it had a basic bun that doesn’t require a sock, we asked very nicely if she’d let us share it with you (hint: she said yes.) There are more than just tutorials in The Art of Hair, though. For $11, it’s actually a great book if you just want to get comfortable with the basics of styling your own hair (like what does each tool do, why do you use certain products for certain hairstyles, how do you blow-dry your hair without ending up looking like Albert Einstein? That kind of thing). Here’s what you’ll need for Rubi’s modern take on the classic bun:
Basic Bun Steps:
1. Smooth your hair with a flat mixed-bristle brush, then gather a ponytail high on top of your head.
2. Secure the ponytail in place by hooking one end of an elastic bungee to your hair, wrapping the elastic around the ponytail and hooking the other end around the elastic. Blast with hairspray. Pro tip: Rubi says you can do away with elastics forever. Once you get used to them, elastic bungees are easier to use, less likely to mess up your hair while you’re working on it, and you never have to worry them being tight enough. (If you want to see how the bungee works in action, check out this video right here.)
3. Allow the hair from your ponytail to evenly fall away from the center of ponytail base so there’s a little divot in the middle. Then, using your flat boar-bristle brush, work your way around the ponytail, lifting it in sections and backcombing to give it volume. (Just make sure you’re backcombing the underside of what will become your bun, so the top stays smooth.)
4. Working in sections, carefully wrap the ends of your hair around the ponytail base, making sure all your sections go in the same direction. The end result should look like a wrapped donut when viewed from the top. If there are loose ends, tuck them under the bun itself. Do this very gently so the bun stays smooth and maintains the volume you just created with your backcombing.
5. Next, imagine your bun has four corners, and secure it in place with one large hairpin in each of the corner spots. Pro tip: When securing with hairpins, place your hairpin perpendicular to your hair and hook it underneath. Then wiggle the pin up and down as you slide it in—almost like you’re sewing.
If you’re thinking of DIYing your hair (or if your wedding party wants to up their DIY hair game), Rubi’s book is available on Amazon for just $11. You can check it out right here.
