A messy updo bun sounds like it should require zero effort, but the styles that actually photograph well are more deliberate than they look — there's a real technique behind the "I just threw my hair up" appearance.
Texture, looseness, and a few strategically pulled-loose pieces are the actual ingredients, not just gathering hair and wrapping an elastic around it.
Pull loose pieces at the very end, after pinning — pulling strands loose before securing the bun usually just unravels the whole shape instead of adding soft texture around the edges.
Save this tutorial for later — pin it to your updos board.
Mist dry hair with a texturizing sea-salt spray and scrunch lightly — starting with some texture makes the finished bun look intentional rather than simply undone.
Gather the hair into a ponytail at the crown or slightly lower, leaving it a little loose rather than pulled taut.
Twist the ponytail loosely around itself, letting some texture and volume stay in the twist instead of smoothing it flat.
Wrap the twisted length around the base of the ponytail in a loose coil, securing with a few bobby pins placed at different angles.
Gently tug a few strands loose around the face and at the nape to soften the shape, then set lightly with a flexible-hold spray.
Adding texture spray before starting and deliberately pulling a few pieces loose at the end — those two steps signal intention, while a bun that's simply not secured well just looks unfinished.
Loose — a tight, taut base fights against the relaxed look the style is going for, and also tends to look more severe than the soft, undone aesthetic a messy bun is meant to have.
It often works better on second-day hair, since hair with a little natural oil and texture holds the loose twist shape more easily than freshly washed, slippery hair.