If Lauren Conrad has ever had a bad hair day, it’s never been documented. We’ve envied her thick, shiny, highlighted strands since the day we got the lowdown on a little California town named Laguna Beach, and obviously way before the Speidi drama. But her perfectly messy blonde waves and voluminous ballerina buns shouldn’t come of a surprise—the celebrity is something of a beauty guru herself, in addition to curating the prettiest Instagram feed in existence. Back in 2012, she published Lauren Conrad Beauty, a guide to mastering not only her signature cat-eyes and braids, but developing your very own routine.
The best part about Lauren Conrad’s hairstyles, though? While they’re incredibly chic, they’re also relatively simple to recreate without a celebrity glam squad at your disposal—because let’s face it, not many of us do. Here, we rounded up a few that you can totally master at home, with the help of a blow-dryer, a curling iron, some bobby pins, and maybe a three-strand braid.
VIDEO: Beauty Talk with Lauren Conrad
Wavy Ponytail
Sweep freshly curled (and separated) hair into a mid-ponytail, letting any shorter face-framing angles fall. A few spritzes of Kevin Murphy Bedroom Hairspray will give your hair a matte finish, a slight hold, and also amp up the volume in the lengths of the pony.
Loose Waves
These ultra-loose waves complemented her multidimensional bronde hair color. Instead of relying on texturizing products or a curling iron, use a large round brush like Raincry's Smooth 2.0 Brush ($70; nordstrom.com) and the heat of a blow-dryer to create this subtle bends.
Blunt Bangs
Spray in OUAI Memory Mist ($28; nordstrom.com) to your damp hair before blowing it out to ensure the blowout lasts for more than one night. After you’ve created the texture you like, take two small sections on either side of your hair and pin them in the back. The blunt fringe give this hairstyle and entirely new vibe.
Formal Updo
For maximum shine, an essential in a loose updo like LC’s, prep your damp hair with a shine-enhancing and heat protectant blowout balm like R+Co’s Park Ave Blowout Balm ($16; nordstrom.com).
Braided Half-Up Half-Down Hairstyle
To recreate this romantic wavy hairstyle, first part your hair in the center, and then separate two small sections on either side. Loosely braid each section and connect them with a pin in the back of your head. We find it easier to create the waves before braiding, but you can add in more bends with a curling iron after you’ve secured the plaits, too.
Air-Dried Lob
Yes, Lauren Conrad lived that lob life, too. Master her air-dried texture with a product like Shu Uemura Air-Dry, Blow-Dry Multi-Tasking Primer ($33; barneys.com). It conditions your hair, detangling knots and preventing frizz, while enhancing your natural texture that shows through when you let your hair dry without the help of heat tools.
Messy Bob
Confirmation that LC looks amazing with any hair length. You’ll need a small-barreled curling wand to create those undone waves that she wears so well, and add in extra body with the help of a texturizing spray like Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray ($22; nordstrom.com).
Precise Side Part
Prep is one of the most important and underrated steps of any great hairstyle. Create a healthy base to this wavy side-parted look with a moisturizing shampoo like Kristin Ess The One Signature Shampoo ($10; target.com).
The Barrette Accent
Accessorize a shiny and smooth blowout with a diamond-encrusted barrette like the Cara Crystal Oval Barrette ($10; nordstrom.com).
Voluminous Ballerina Bun
Lauren Conrad’s topknots veer more on the ballerina bun spectrum—voluminous and always perfectly placed. You’ll need plenty of bobby pins in order to keep your fanned-out-bun secured, plus a setting spray like TRESemmé Flexible Finish Hairspray ($19; jet.com), a formula that won’t leave your hair looking shiny or stiff and will be easy to brush through later in the evening.
Deconstructed ‘20s Updo
So you don’t have your crimping iron anymore? You can use a small flatiron like ghd Classic Styler ($149; sephora.com) to create small bends in the hair for this 1920s-inspired textured updo.
