Have a fashion or style question for Amy? Writer her at amy.odell@buzzfeed.com.
What are some good summer hairstyles that will keep my hair off my face when it's hot but are also office-appropriate?
Why, there is only one answer to your question! And it is THIS:
Talk about something that looks insanely simple to do oneself, won't take any time at all, and will have everyone Tumblr-ing about you for weeks! KIDDING, jesus — this is one of the most complicated updos of our time. (But it is SO pretty and fun to look at.)
Anyway, for those of us who aren't Blake Lively, spend no more than ten minutes on our hair in the morning, and like to try new looks from time to time, here are a few ideas, as demonstrated by my favorite hair icon of all time, the Hair Woman we had to look up to before we had Blake Lively, Rachel Green Jennifer Aniston.
STYLE 1: Front-side bobby pin.
Part hair on side, then bobby pin front piece of hair to the side of your face, underneath other hair. (Depending on the thickness and texture of your hair, you may want two bobby pins for added hold.)
See it on Jennifer:
STYLE 1A: Side bobby pin with ponytail.
If it's too hot to wear your hair down on your neck, move the bobby pin farther back on your head (as opposed to right next to your forehead) and simply gather it into a messy, carefree ponytail. This bobby pin positioning looks nice down with wavy or straight hair as well.
See it on Jennifer:
STYLE 2: Messy ponytail.
Leave some front pieces loose if they're around chin-length and you want to be a little flirty like that. For added sophistication/dressiness, wrap a strand of hair around the hairband to conceal it and pin it underneath the ponytail with a bobbypin, giving the illusion that your hair is holding your other hair up. Consider spritzing with hairspray if you've got it around and are prone to those frizzy bits that stick out around your face.
See it on Jennifer:
(NOTE: Jen often does ponytails with a little pouf at the back of her head. I don't think this element is essential for a casual summer hair updo — and besides, poufs make everyone think of hair anti-icon Snooki nowadays — but if you want it badly enough, here's a 10-minute YouTube video demonstrating how to get it with a special teasing comb you probably don't have lying around.)
STYLE 3: Low braid.
Forget French braids, or side-French braids, or side French-bang braids, which is like the making your own sushi of at-home hairstyling. Just do a simple braid low on your head, in the back, not worrying about getting it super tight and styled looking. (Braids are actually a big fashion trend — or were recently, anyway — not that fashion trends matter for most work dressing most of the time, but in case you care, there it is.) One bonus of this style is, if you unbraid during the day you'll end up with nice waves, giving you TWO hairstyles in one workday.
See it on Jennifer:
STYLE 4: Tight ponytail.
This is probably the most labor-intensive of all these, but it's still not that hard or time-consuming. The way celebrities who slick their hair into super tight ponytails or buns do it is with a brush and hairspray. Jennifer likes to do this with a side part, which is more forgiving if you don't get the hair perfectly smooth, but you can also brush it straight back for this kind of look.
To make the tight ponytail, brush hair back as though you're making a pony tail, but without putting a hairband around it. Then, spray a shitton of hairspray on it. You basically want to wet it down with hairspray all the way around, and keep brushing it back until it's really smooth and tight. You should use so much hairspray that if you have loose pieces that don't reach all the way back to the ponytail, they can't help but glue to the rest of your hair and stay there without bobby pins. You should use so much hairspray that your hair becomes a hard crust over your scalp, like you could knock on it and it would make a sound. Really wet your hair down and keep brushing until it's as smooth and shiny as you desire and as crusty as you can stand.
Then, wrap it as tightly as you can with a hairband and spray it all once more for good measure. I really like this hairstyle because it stays all day without getting frizzy. And after a couple hours you forget that it feels like an eggshell.
See it on Jennifer:
STYLE 4A: Tight bun.
To get your hair even more out of your way, twist the tight ponytail into a bun and secure with three or four bobby pins. Add lipstick and sunglasses for a power diva look.
Jennifer doesn't seem to like this look, so see it on another Jennifer (Lopez) instead:
Your bun may be smaller than J. Lo's, but that's okay — buns don't need to fit into a bra cup to look chic. I suggest adding sunglasses and red lipstick for a full-on diva power bun look.