How to Do a Messy Bun

Skip the messy bun if your hair is freshly washed. Clean hair is too slippery to hold the shape. Second-day hair has natural texture from your scalp's oils, which is exactly what you want.

If your hair feels too clean, work a small amount of dry shampoo or texturizing spray into the roots before you start. Day-three hair also works.

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Gather all your hair at the crown of your head and secure with a hair band. High and loose is the target, roughly where you'd wear a baseball cap.

Neatness doesn't matter. This bun is supposed to look messy, so stray pieces at this stage are features, not bugs.

If your arms get tired reaching back, flip your head upside down and gather the hair that way. Once the band is on, flip back up.

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Grip the ponytail with one hand and twist it from base to tip. You're not trying to rope it tight. A loose twist of two or three turns is plenty.

The twist holds the shape as you wrap in the next step. Without the twist, the bun ends up flat and wide instead of rounded.

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Coil the twisted ponytail around the hair band at its base, like winding a hose around its spool. Tuck the end under.

Take a second hair band and slip it over the coiled bun to pin everything down. It doesn't need to look neat. The scraggly bits will become part of the final look.

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This is the step that turns a neat bun into a messy one. Use your fingers to loosen the hair around your hairline.

Pull a few strands down around your ears, your temples, and the nape of your neck. Work your way around your head.

It feels unnatural right after you've secured everything, but this is what gives the style its volume and softness.

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Now target the bun itself. Pinch small sections between your thumb and finger and tug them outward, away from the center.

The bun should go from tight and round to looser and more sculpted. Don't pull so hard that it falls apart.

If a piece pops out, pin it back in the next step.

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Bobby pins let you fine-tune the shape. If your bun is lopsided, slide a pin through the heavy side and anchor it to the underlying hair.

Add pins wherever the bun needs more hold, usually two or three at the back to lock it in place.

Use matte pins in your hair color for an invisible finish.

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Finish with a flexible-hold spray, not a crunchy stiff one. Zoella uses TRESemmé Ultimate Hold; any 'flexible' or 'touchable' hairspray works.

Mist 10 to 12 inches away from your head. Close enough and you'll get wet patches; too far and nothing lands.

A strong-hold spray freezes the style and kills the soft, lived-in look you spent the last 5 minutes building.

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