Pinterest Hairstyles for Long Haired Moms that Actually Work:
So after a thorough search, these are the ones that I've found that actually work and are very simple to do. I mean VERY simple. Like - kid is crawling around at your feet and you have about 2 minutes before he finds the bathroom trash can kind of simple.
That being said, these are not drop dead gorgeous makeovers I'm talking about here. For that, you need more bobby pins than I'm willing to stab in my head. However these are good enough so that if someone pops up at your door, you have something besides the "messy-bun" to turn to in order to look put together. Nothing wrong with the "messy-bun" by the way - it's a lifesaver for many of us non-morning folk (read yours truly).
Another life saving hairdo for busy moms is the ponytail. This is true for medium and long hairs gals. But there are a few things you can do to make the ponytail look less gym-bound and more -I'm heading to the cafe for a quick bite with girlfriends (ha, riiight).
Let's start off with the easiest of them all:
1. The Longer Ponytail
All you need to do is pull the top half if your hair into a ponytail and then put the bottom half in another one. I'm not going to call this an illusion because if you have straight hair like me, it's very obvious from the sides what you're doing. But it looks cool anyway. It's very Eva Mendez to me.
If you have curly, bushy, super thick, or wavy hair, you might be able to pull this off as an illusion. Or if you have the time - back comb or use beachy texture spray to make it a thicker tail.
2. Knotty Pony
This is another super quick 'do. All you do is split your hair into two parts, knot, and finish with an elastic. Warning: this doesn't work well with hair that is heavily layered because all the strands start popping out. However, you could go that route on purpose. Either way, I'd add hairspray if your hair is straight to help it stay put. This works best with not-so-clean hair. On a personal note, I like to do this one but add a little bump on the top with a little clasp to keep it from looking so flat because my hair is very straight.
3. Double (or Triple) Topsy Tail
If you've ever done a Topsy tail then this will be super easy. Topsy tails are basically a ponytail that did a flip. You make a hole above the elastic holding your ponytail and then flip the tail through the hole. In this version, you're just making multiple Topsy tails. Simple as that. Divide your hair into two or three sections, complete a Topsy tail, then make another Topsy tail using the tail you just flipped plus the next section. Make it smooth or boho messy.
4. Twisty Bun
This one works because it looks so good messy. Which means it's good for medium or long hair and all hair types. Make pig tails. Twist. Pin to opposite pig tail. Done. The closer together your pig tails are, the more of a "bun" look you'll have. But separating them allows you to see the twists better, so it looks more fancy and complicated than it really is.
5. Gibson Tuck
This one works but I only think it looks cool if you add an accessory to it because otherwise it looks very plain and homely. Pretend you're going to do a low Topsy tail. Instead of pulling the tail through, you just tuck it all into the hair above the elastic and pin it there. That's why this one is number 5, it actually requires some pinning. But hey, it lasts a day of chasing a kid around the house so it's an option. Plus it gives me a reason to wear an accessory and that always makes me feel pretty.
Let me know how these worked for you, and if you have some I should be doing as well. I'm always looking for new ways to do the 'do.