How to:
1. Elegant? Yes. Time consuming? Nope. Start by blow-drying hair with a small round brush, leaving sections of hair wrapped around the brush for ten seconds at a time and locking in each wave with a cool shot.
2. Gather the hair above your ears into a half ponytail at the crown of your head, using a paddle brush to smooth any bumps on top. Secure with a ponytail holder.
3. Twist the ponytail around itself to create your bun, making sure to hide the ponytail holder. Use a small, clear elastic and a few bobby pins the same color as your hair to secure it to your noggin.
4. Mist all over with a shine-enhancing hairspray, and prepare to impress your new beau's mom.

Image via Getty

How to:
1. Yep, short-haired ladies can rock a half bun too. We swear — your hair won't look flat. Just start by curling large sections of hair with a 2-inch barrel curling iron, alternating the direction in which you wrap the hair around the iron as you go.
2. Create a center part, and gather all of the hair from your temples up into a ponytail at the crown of the head. Secure with a ponytail holder.
3. Roll the ponytail under itself to create your bun and secure to your head with bobby pins.
4. Mist all over with a medium-hold hairspray.

Image via Getty

How to:
1. Start with clean, blow-dried, straightened hair. This is the workplace, ladies. Time to get our sh*t together.
2. Using a soft-bristle brush, brush hair back into a mid-height ponytail. The hair on either side of your head should sweep over just the very top of each ear. If you have bangs, feel free to leave them loose in the front.
3. Secure the ponytail in the back of your head with a mini clear elastic. Then twist the ponytail, curling it around itself to create a tight bun. Secure it to the back of your head with a few bobby pins the same color as your hair.
4. Mist the bun with a medium-hold hairspray, and whip out your spreadsheets.

Image via Hair Romance

How to:
1. This romantic hairstyle creates a half bun in the shape of a flower. Start by curling all of your hair with a 1-inch barrel curling iron, alternating the sections of each wave to create a tousled look. When you're finished, break up the curls with your fingers.
2. Grab two small sections from either side of your head and secure them together in the back with an elastic.
3. Create a small opening in your hair just above the elastic, then flip the ponytail up and through the hole to create an inverted "topsy" ponytail.
4. Braid the ponytail until you're a few inches from the end (a regular old braid will do), and secure with a mini clear elastic.
5. Yank tiny sections of the braid outwards to create the "petals" of the flower.
6. Rotate your braid inwards, up towards your head to create the circular flower shape.
7. Secure the flower bun to the back of your head with a few bobby pins, making sure to pin it from underneath so the pins remain hidden.

Image via x3THuha

How to:
1. This cute chignon version of the half bun is perfect to flaunt over mimosas and blueberry pancakes. Start by curling the bottom half of your hair with a 1-inch curling iron to create flirty, messy waves.
2. Grab an elastic, and gather all the hair above your ears into a high ponytail. Turn your ponytail into a loop by not pulling the ponytail all the way through the elastic the last time around. The bigger the chignon (or loop) you want to end up with, the more hair you'll pull through.
3. Take the tail that's left over, and wrap it around the elastic to cover it up. The longer your hair, the more times you'll need to wrap it around. Secure it at the base of your ponytail with a bobby pin.
4. Now you'll have a big loop in the back of your head. Bobby pin it to your head from the inside of the loop, so the pins are hidden. Voila — adorbs.

Image via Kayley Melissa