Ace the easy-to-do messy bun like Meghan Markle with this step-by-step guide

Back when Meghan Markle, or the Duchess of Sussex, made one of her initial public appearances with Prince Harry late last year, her laid-back, messy bun became an instant hit.

Such was its popularity that Pinterest's 2018 trend report found that the most-searched hairstyle for weddings was the "messy up do". And much as hairstylists predicted, Markle decided to go with her now signature do for her wedding day. "The messy bun is the epitome of being chic, subtle and timeless. The key is to keep it messy for that cool kid, great attitude, carefree look. For a hyper-glam look, keep it tight and sleek on the sides. It keeps its charm for hours, even as strands come loose," says Florian Hurel, celebrity hair stylist.

Florian Hurel
Here, Hurel decodes the simple look.

1. Pull your hair into a tight low ponytail. Divide the ponytail into two sections.

2. Twist each section and wrap them around each other until the hair forms a bun. Pin it in place.

3. Spray the teeth of a comb with hairspray and smoothen the hair out around the bun and the pulled back hair - the sides need to look tight and sleek.

4. If you like, pull out some loose strands and set the look with some hairspray. The loose strands either at the back or front will add a soft, trying-not-too-hard touch to your look.

Not a fan of buns? Do a ponytail version of this hairdo for a simple day look like actor Aditi Rao Hydari. pic courtesy/ instagram.com/eltonjfernandez

It's best to keep the make-up minimal with a busy hairdo like Alia Bhatt's au naturel look. pic courtesy/instagram.com/florianhurel

Add a pair of jhumkis to instantly go desi-cool like actor Tamannaah Bhatia. pic cour tesy/instagram.com/sanjanabatra

The man behind the look
It took New-York-based hairstylist Serge Normant 45 minutes to create the messy chignon for the royal wedding ceremony. Normant revealed at a press conference that the idea was to do "controlled messy".

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