Beautiful hairstyles aren’t always born at the salon. While your hairdresser may be a pro at creating intricate braids or arranging buns so stylishly that seemingly stay up on their own, nothing beats an easy hairstyle that looks much more difficult than it actually is and that stands out stylishly. Whether you’re off to a formal occasion or simply headed to work, these cute and easy hairstyles for long and shoulder-lenght hair are sure to draw compliments wherever you wear them stylishly.

Try these tips to style your hair easily and stylishly

stylishly

Twisted bun

One of the coolest ways to do your hair stylishly is the twisted bun. A twisted bun is a chic and easy up-do that’s perfect for formal occasions. Make it as polished or relaxed as you like by twisting hair tighter or looser.

To get this look, begin with straight hair. Part your hair down the middle into two even sections. Holding the two pigtails, tie them into a knot and fasten with bobby pins. Twist the top section, and carefully pin as you wrap around the knot. Repeat with the remaining section of hair, twisting in the opposite direction. Hide the ends under the bun and finish with hairspray!

The slicked back pony

Look for another easy way to get your hair done stylishly in no time? Here’s your winning card: the slicked back pony. I know I know.. How come everybody else looks good in a simple pony, but you look like you just completed your Peloton century ride? In under 10 minutes, you can unlock the secrets to a sleek and streamlined pony for good – follow these steps.

Start by flat ironing your hair from roots to ends. THIS is what makes this look. You won’t get the same effect if you have fly aways along your hairline or if the ends aren’t straight and sharp.

Apply a light gel to the hairline and “slicked back” part of the pony. Use a smoothing brush to tame down any extra fly aways and smooth into a high ponytail. Continue smoothing out any bumps and feel free to add more gel if you need to. Once you have your hair secured in your hand, go back over the pony using the fine tooth side of a comb.

You can really get close to the scalp and give it that extra smooth look during this step. Use a pony tail elastic tie to secure the pony in place. Make sure it’s nice and tight. Take a small section of the pony tail and wrap it around the base of the pony tail to hide the elastic tie. Once you’ve finished wrapping the hair around the base, secure it with a bobby pin that is the same color as your hair.

Beachy waves

Don’t we all think that the way our hair looks after a dip in the ocean is just fantastic? If dunking your head in the Atlantic each morning isn’t possible, try a beachy wave to get your hair done stylishly and quickly.

A curling wand is perfect for creating imperfect, gorgeous waves. The key to this look is to leave a couple of inches at the ends of hair unstyled. Start by misting heat protectant and then hairspray all over dry hair and brushing through. Then, using a 1-inch barrel, grab vertical sections of hair and wrap around, leaving two inches of ends out to prevent hair from looking over-styled. Alternate directions as you go and finish with a sea salt spray and a light finish hairspray.

The half-up French twist

The half-up French twist is the perfect way to have your hair done stylishly even if it’s not so long. Switch up your typical half-up, half-down by securing your strands into a French twist. This style is remarkably simple—a couple of twists, a few pins, and you’re done—and yet it’s undeniably striking.

Begin by separating the hair at your crown area. Using a fine-tooth comb, tease the hair by slowly combing it toward your scalp. With your fingers (or the wide-tooth end of the comb), smooth the hair to cover the teasing. Then secure that top section of hair, up at your crown, with a few bobby pins inserted horizontally.

This style is remarkably simple—a couple of twists, a few pins, and you’re done—and yet it’s undeniably striking. Separate a section of hair in front of one ear and twist it toward the back. Position the twist on top of the previously inserted pins to cover them. Insert a bobby pin or two into the twist to secure it. Repeat on the other side. Check the back of your style with a hand mirror and make sure all the bobby pins are covered. Finish with a mist of hair spray.