And if you have short hair, don’t fret — the messy bun is for all. “The key is using the right accessories, like mini claw clips or clear elastic bands, to create a little lift,” says Hawkins.

What makes the messy bun so appealing (aside from the fact that it works on all hair textures) is that there’s no “right” way to do it—the more lived-in it looks, the better.

I'm a huge fan of the effortless messy bun, but the truth is that it usually takes . . . well, a lot more effort than you would think. Every time I want to put my hair up in a messy bun, it always ...