10 Messy Bun Ideas For When You Literally Can't With Your Hair

The messy bun is the unsung hero of all hairstyles. Sure, we've been double-tapping sexy waves and blunt bobs on Instagram, but when we want to leave the house looking like a decent human without putting much work in, the messy bun always saves the day. If you’re short on time (or just lazy AF), you don't grab the curling wand to meticulously put in some "effortless" waves. No, you toss your hair into a topknot and go about your business.

One caveat: Although the name "messy bun" implies that the style should look undone, there's an art to creating a topknot that's got cool-girl carelessness. Ahead, we've rounded up some bun-spiration that strikes that delicate balance between trying too hard and not trying at all. And each one of these styles should take you 10 minutes, tops.