How To Create The Perfect Failsafe Top Knot

From the scraped back Croydon facelift style to a more relaxed and messy affair, the top knot is our go-to hair style when we’re between washes, have kept pressing snooze in the morning or when we need to transform our look for a night out straight from the office. 

And believe it or not, they are super easy to do! Here's our failsafe method for the fash packs favourite up do.

They work even better on bad hair days:

The top knot is much easier to achieve when hair is between washes. Hair that has been freshly blow dried is too silky and smooth and you’ll dry yourself demented trying to tame flyaways. Instead, day old hair that has been spritzed with dry shampoo has more texture so is easier to maniptulate. Plus, why waste time blow drying your hair only to apply copious amounts of hair spray and serum and then plonk it into a top knot?

Lauren Conrad works a relaxed style

How high or low can you go?

So, to start with, spray hair with a good dose of dry shampoo focussing on the roots around the crown of your head. This will create texture and volume. Then tip your head over and scrape your hair into a high pony tail. How tight the pony and how high you place it on your head it up to you but we recommend that the pony sits in line with the top of your ears.

For a sever, dramatic effect keep the ponytail super tight but for a more relaxed style keep the hair tie a bit looser and if you want to achieve a super sleek effect, give hair a quick spritz of hair spray and smooth down flyaways with your hands.

A scraped back style accentuates Jessica's killer cheekbones

Pump up the volume:

If you are lucky enough to have thick long hair or use extensions you’ll be able to simply twist the hair around the pony tail into a bun shape. However, if you have fine or shorter hair, you need to invest in a hair doughnut! They might not be the most glamorous or aesthetically pleasing beauty tool but this little bad boy is the perfect prop when creating a voluminous ballerina style bun. Hair doughnuts come in a variety of shapes and colours and are so easy to use and are available from chemists for as little as €2. Simply place the doughnut over your ponytail and then loop the hair around the doughnut and fix the end with bobby pins et viola - The perfect top knot in seconds!

A messy up-do gives eveningwear an edgy vibe

Make it your own:

Don’t be afraid to put your own stamp on the top knot style. You can part your hair down the centre and pull a few strands forward like Whitney Port or add a cute retro style head band like Jessica Alba.

Maximum impact with minimum effort, what’s not to love!