The 5 Easiest, Prettiest Hair Tutorials You’ll Ever Try

To keep curls from falling limp or poofing out after a few hours, lift and spritz sections with a texturizing spray (if you want a soft, matte, volumized finish), or a lightweight finishing spray (if you want a shinier, more-defined finish). Rake through the curls with your fingers—don't worry about being gentle; softer curls look more natural—as you spray, and remember: Less is more.

PRODUCTS TO TRY:

1. Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast, $29; at Living Proof

2. Garnier Fructis Dry Touch Texture Tease Spray, $4.29; at Garnier Fructis

3. Bumble and Bumble Dryspun Finish, $31; at Bumble and Bumble

Just a little bit—we promise. Hold your bun in place to stabilize it, then gently tug at the crown of your hair for volume and pull at the short layers around your face and at the nape of your neck. If your bun looks too small and wimpy, lightly pull at the edges until it fattens up, then pin the bun in place so it doesn't fall.

OK, deep breaths—we promise this isn't as difficult as it looks. The fishtail braid is just like a normal three-strand braid, where you're constantly pulling outside pieces inwards, towards the middle of the braid. But instead of three sections, you've got two. To start, divide your hair in half, gripping both sections in each hand. Then, with your index finger, pull a half-inch piece of hair from the outside of the left section and cross it over, nestling it on the inside of the right section. Repeat on the other side, pulling a piece of hair from the outside of the right section and crossing it over to the inside of the left section.

To take your fishtail from elementary-school playground to holy-wow-your-hair-looks-hot, blast the entire braid with texturizing spray (less isn't more, here), then gently tug at the edges of the braid from bottom to top until it's loose and full of volume.

Taking your rollers out too soon is the enemy of volume and happiness. Seriously—wait until your rollers (not just your hair, but the actual rollers) are totally, 100-percent cold before unrolling them.

To keep your volume from deflating by the end of the hour, you'll need to add some grip and texture to your (now) ridiculously soft hair. Blast your hair from root to tip with a veil of texturizing spray, then gently brush through your curls with a paddle brush, like the EcoTools Smoothing Detangler Brush, until your hair is soft and bouncy.

PRODUCTS TO TRY:

1. Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast, $29; at Living Proof

2. Garnier Fructis Dry Touch Texture Tease Spray, $4.29; at Garnier Fructis

3. Not Your Mother's Double Take Dry Finish Texture Spray, $6; at Target

Unless your hair naturally dries in mermaid-like waves—in which case good for you, now go away–you'll need to diffuse it to bring out some waves and texture. Lightly twist and plop sections of hair into the bowl of the diffuser (keep the heat and air flow on medium) until hair is about 75-percent dry, then remove from heat and let the rest air-dry to prevent flyaways or poofing.

The trick to natural-looking waves and curls is to make sure you alternate the direction in which you curl each section. So after curling the front piece away from your face, pick up the two-inch section next to it and twist it around the wand towards your face. Hold for five seconds, then release and tug. Continue alternating directions around your hair until all pieces are curled.

Now's the fun—or possibly anxiety-producing, depending on your personality—part: Mess it up. Beachy waves should look imperfect and accidental, which means you don't want to see any distinct curls by the time you're finished. Rake through the waves with your fingers, and, if you want more piece-y texture, blast the roots with a texturizing spray (like IGK Beach Club Spray) for volume, and lightly mist the lower-lengths of hair with a lightweight, hydrating sea-salt spray, like Herbivore Coconut + Sea Water Hair Mist. Let dry, then scrunch, shake, and let your inner "OC" kid feel vindicated.