While a quick pony, upside-down zhoosh or ear tuck are perfectly good options, here are a few more ideas that are quick, effective and heat-free when you need to pull yourself together and get on with the job.
How do we find that elusive balance as our routines gradually venture further and further from the couch? We explore some solutions to the strange limbo that exists between maintaining healthy, nurturing habits at home while presenting aesthetically as we venture out.
While there’s no argument that the stresses incurred over the last few years have taken their toll, time at home and a shift in our social habits has also given rise to some of the most nurturing habits we’ve ever practiced. ‘Self care’ has become somewhat of a new normal with ‘stress reduction’ and ‘illness prevention’ among our most-valued priorities on a global scale. Going ‘make up free’ has given our skin the opportunity to breathe while our manes’ integrity has improved with the reduced need for heat styling.
Plait or braid your way to soft, textured tresses
If your hair is chin-length or longer, you have a good shot at creating some enviable body and texture using braiding or plaits. Best done on hair that is nearly dry with a hint of moisture, braids are perfect for when you’ve just washed your hair (if you’re between washes, simply spritz your dry hair with a little bit of water). Nighttime is also an ideal time to style your hair, allowing the braids to ‘set’ in place overnight and giving way to soft, voluminous waves in the morning when you shake them out.
Our tips:
- While a little coordination is a prerequisite, braids don’t have to be neat or straight. Even a rough attempt is likely to yield some movement when they’re undone.
- The closer you start your braid or plaits to your scalp, the higher up the volume and waves will extend. If you’re planning on sleeping with them, we’d recommend against super tight handiwork close to the scalp.
- It’s the perfect opportunity to comb some leave-in conditioner or oil through the ends of your hair for some outer nourishment.
- Don’t brush out the braids when you undo them in the morning. Trust us. Just rake your fingers through, your future self will be thrilled.
Photo repost @tiaravanessaa (
Create volume at the roots
We may not be washing our hair as much, but do we want our colleagues knowing that? No. The best way to disguise ‘day 3 hair’ is to give the illusion of volume and fullness at the roots. A strategic, gentle backcomb can do just this, with some extra help from Jaye Dry texture Spray. Aim for volume at the crown, along your part and near your temples.
Our tips:
- Work in sections spraying short sharp bursts of product and working through with the comb and your fingers before moving to the next section. This will ensure you don’t end up with too much product.
- Choose the right brush for your hair type. Cheryl at Beau Gordon Hair, one of our partner salons, has some insights on this – watch here.
Images: Agencie Salon, Seddon
Condition, but make it fashion
Apply a conditioning hair masque, leave-in conditioner or treatment to your tresses and style it into a chignon (a bun at the nape of your neck) or low ponytail. By embracing this sleek, sophisticated style you can say buh-bye to frizzies, nourish your strands and look extra polished at the same time.
Our tips:
- Don’t overdo the conditioner at your roots, this can lead to a build-up of product on the scalp and oiliness – not quite the look we’re going for here. Instead, focus on those mid-lengths and ends.
- When selecting your conditioner or treatment, choose something that’s suitable to your hair type. Fine hair will call for a different conditioner or treatment to curly hair. Not sure what’s available or what your hair needs? Apotecari salons are hair specialists in every sense of the term, and can walk you through your needs (and their online stores so you need not leave the house).
Images: Alkemi Salon, Mount Pleasant, Perth
The half-up/half-down messy bun…
This casually chic option may not have a technical name, but don’t let that stop you. Using the centre of each eyebrow as a starting point, pull hair back into a small ponytail on the crown of your head and secure with a hair band or small scrunchie before wrangling that same section of hair into a messy bun. Secure ends with bobby pins or another hair band, tease out some hair to ensure the look is unkempt, casual and deliberately messy. We’re calling it, the messy bun is the ‘no makeup’ makeup of the hairstyle world.
Our tips:
- Get some volume into the hair that is not involved in the topknot bun. It already feels left out, don’t allow it to be limp and just hang there awkwardly. This look works really well with messy, textured and voluminous hair so flip hair upside down, spritz with our favourite dry texture spray and lightly backcomb to get some texture happening before attempting the bun up top.
- Did we say messy?
Watch: Zanzi Byron Bay Founder Kerri Rolla’s rendition of the messy bun
That’s a wrap
The classic high ponytail really doesn’t disappoint. It’s quick, simple and when done right can look beautifully elegant and ‘put together’. To prove that you have given at least 2 minutes thought to that early morning meeting, simply secure your hair in a high ponytail and take small section of hair from the bottom of the tie, near the elastic, and wrap it around your hairband until you run out of hair. Secure the ends underneath the ponytail using bobby pins.
Our tips:
- This look works equally well on either a sleek, polished and frizz-free ponytail or a voluminous, wavy and undone ponytail
- If taking the messy approach, your textured spray will give volume to any pieces that fall out around your face as well as the ponytail itself. Super cute.
Images: Elegance Hair, Mildura / The Fox and the Hair, Wollongong / Elegance Hair, Mildura
Whichever path you take, staying away from the heat styling is doable, and will serve your hair health in the longer run.
Tag us in your renditions on Instagram, using #MyHairStory, we’d love to see what you come up with.
