We were recently checking out our friend Erin's blog and came across this amazing Bubble Ponytail Hairstyle tutorial she created that we fell absolutely in love with! We couldn't not share this beautiful hairstyle, so without further ado, passing the mic to Erin :) (Be sure to scroll down for awesome step-by-step photo instructions)

Erin: So, two weeks ago, I shared that my hairstyles basically consist of straight, curly, or topknots and that I’ve been in a rut with hairstyle ideas. And because of that, I wanted to start challenging myself to be more creative with hairstyles and share them. I got a few requests for creative twists on the ponytail, specifically for busy moms that want to be stylish but don’t have tons of time. So I’ve spent a lot of time scrolling through Pinterest for fun ideas. A lot of the styles include these crazy braids that, if I’m being honest, I’m not coordinated enough to do on myself. And even though I’m not a mom yet, I can empathize with the saying, “I just don’t have time for that!”

But what I love about this bubble ponytail is how simple yet stylish it is! It took me about 10 minutes to do, and with practice, I think it would eventually take me less time. So all you busy ladies out there – be encouraged! Cute hairstyles can still be achieved even when you have a lot to do!

What  I love about this hairstyle (besides that it takes such little time) is that it’s even better with dirtier hair! Seriously – the more dry shampoo and product in your hair, the better because we want volume for this ponytail.

Also, this ponytail tutorial can definitely be done with shorter hair, but I think it’s more fun when your hair is longer because you get more “bubbles”! If you’ve been on the fence about extensions, I can’t recommend these clip-in Luxy Hair extensions enough! They’re super simple to snap in and out, and they add so much more personality to your hair!

Let's get started

To get started, you’re going to begin with whatever hairstyle you have goin’ on. I just so happened to have had my hair curled the day before, so that’s what I’m starting with. (And if you’re wondering: Yes, my hair holds curls really well and yes, this is what my hair looks like with day-old curls. Don’t hate me for it!). But this style can be done with straight hair, creased hair, and just crazy hair in general! Also, if your hair has zero volume up top, use a teasing comb and tease the top roots to give your hair some volume. I also already have my Ash Blonde Luxy Hair extensions clipped in, which I had custom colored to match my hair better. If you're interested to learn about the process and how I clipped them into my hair, check out this post! 

Step 1

Pull up half of your hair and secure it with a clear elastic. I also tug on some pieces that are pulled back to give the top section of my hair some volume instead of having it completely slicked back.

Step 2

Take a section of the hair in the half-up ponytail and wrap it around the clear elastic until you get to the end of your hair (don’t wrap it super duper tight though!). Then, you’re going to find the clear elastic underneath the ponytail (where it isn’t visible) and pull the small section of hair through the elastic so it stays in place. The only way you’ll have enough “give” to find the elastic is if you don’t wrap the hair super tight at first. Once the hair is threaded through the elastic, you can pull downwards to tighten the hair wrapped around the pony.

The goal is to completely cover up the elastic and to not see the end of the hair section that’s wrapped around the elastic (it should be hidden under the pony).

Step 3

Tease the ponytail. This ponytail is going to be your first “bubble” and you want it to have plenty of volume!

Step 4

Repeat Steps 1-3 until you get to the end of your hair!

Pro tip: Because there’s not much of a “bubble” yet, you’ll have to tug a little at this section. Remember, you teased this part of your hair for volume, so it’ll be easy to create a fuller effect!

Don’t forget the repeat of Step 3 – teasing the ponytail!

Repeat all the same steps until you reach the end of the ponytail!

Don’t forget to tug and loosen the bubble to give it more volume!

Step 5

Tug at all of the bubbles to loosen them up a bit and to give them a little personality. You want all of the bubbles to be about the same size (vertically & horizontally), and you want the overall look to be messy. If the hairstyle looks a little too polished for your taste, continue tugging and teasing until you like the overall look! And I always hairspray everything down to keep all of my hard work in place.

And there you have it – A fun twist on the normal, boring ponytail! Here's a pictorial if you'd like to pin it for later:

Y’all are the best for checking out my bubble ponytail tutorial! Again, let me know in the comments if you have any recommendations for other simple hairstyles you’d like to see in the future!

xoxo

Erin Howards

Check out Erin's Instagram and Blog!

P.S. If you want to see a video tutorial on this hairstyle, check out this tutorial where we show you how to do it step by step: