How to Do Space Buns (Quick + Easy 7-Step Tutorial)

Space buns need grip, and clean slippery hair fights you the whole way. Brittany shoots this on day-five hair on purpose - the natural oils give the buns hold and volume. Take your hair down and brush from ends to roots with a paddle or detangling brush so every section is smooth and knot-free.

If you only have clean hair right now, do not panic - skip ahead and add texture spray in the next step. Get all the tangles out now, because once the elastics go in you cannot fix a snag without starting over.

Even on dirty hair, a quick blast of dry shampoo at the roots gives a clean look up top and adds the grit the buns need. Lift the front sections, spray underneath at the scalp, wait 30 seconds for it to absorb, then run your fingers through. The roots should look lifted and matte, not sticky.

On clean hair, swap to a texture or volume spray (Brittany mentions Redken Wind Blown 05) and work it in from the crown back. The goal is grippy lifted roots, not slick straight hair.

A clean middle part is what makes two buns look balanced instead of crooked. Brush everything back, then use the pointed end of a rat-tail comb to draw a line from your forehead straight back to the crown. Move the comb slowly so you can feel if you drift off center.

Split the hair into two equal halves and clip or twist one side out of the way. If you have a hand mirror, prop it up behind you so you can check the back of the part is even too. A wonky part is the difference between cute and lopsided.

Before you tie anything up, decide if you want loose tendrils around your face. Take the rat-tail comb at an angle and gently pull a small ribbon of hair forward at each temple, plus a wisp at the front of the part if you want a softer look. These pieces will hang loose for that lived-in festival vibe.

Skip this entirely if you prefer a clean off-the-face style. Once the tendrils are pulled out, tuck them behind your ears so they do not get caught in the elastic when you tie the bun.

Start on one side. Brush the hair back and up from the nape toward the crown until the section sits where you want the bun to live - usually about an inch above your ear and back from your temple. Use one hand to gather and lift, then smooth bumps with a teasing comb in the other hand.

Wrap a small clear elastic around the gathered section. On the last loop, only pull the hair halfway through so you leave a loop of hair (not a full pull-through) - that is the loop you twist into the bun in the next step. This is exactly how you start a messy bun.

Take the loose tail and twist it loosely around the base of the elastic, going the same direction the whole way. Tuck the end under the bun and pin it down. This is where it looks messy and wrong for about ten seconds before it comes together, so do not panic and start over.

Use 4 to 6 bobby pins per bun and cross them - one going north-south, the next east-west - so the bun cannot pivot or slip. Once it is pinned, tug gently on the outside edges of the bun to pancake it wider and flatter. Bigger and looser reads festival; tight and small reads ballerina.

Unclip the second section and do the exact same thing: brush up, tie a high half ponytail, twist, wrap, pin. Match the height to the first bun by feeling rather than looking - place one finger on the first bun and put the second one at the same spot on the other side of your head.

Once both are up, mist medium-hold hairspray over everything and let it set for a minute. Pull a few baby hairs and tendrils loose at the front. The whole thing is done in under 10 minutes once you have done it twice, and the buns hold all day even on the dance floor.