Lazy day style: brunch and beyond

On Saturday mornings, most of us slowly drag ourselves out of bed, either because we had a long night celebrating the end of the week, or because we don’t have to work and therefore cannot motivate. This is, of course, with the exception of those of us in the service industry, who take random days off like Sundays and Mondays, so we can do your hair and makeup, or serve you bottomless mimosas on the weekends. It’s our job to postpone our play dates to serve our clientele, and we do it proudly.

Sometimes on Saturdays, I exit the salon and slip into the social scene, observing trends in style and beauty so I can report back to you, our readers, and also to get inspiration for our stylists. On one such mission, it seemed that I was the only person who had put an entire hour into getting ready, and probably one of the only people not feeding a hangover.

I realized that on Saturday and Sunday mornings, or Mondays for us service industry types, the trend is to put slightly less effort into your appearance. I mean, it is the weekend after all. Give yourself a break and save the heavy makeup for the evening. As far as hairstyles, the top knot seems to be a popular choice for an easy but appealing look, as does throwing on a hat, especially in winter months, but also a go-to all year round.

To pull off these easy breezy weekend looks with little effort and big results, we offer the following advice:

The Hat Head

Spray your locks at the root with dry shampoo, we recommend either Kevin Murphy Fresh Hair, or R+Co. Death Valley Dry Shampoo. These products absorb oil, reduce odor, give volume, and make your hair smell great. After applying, either toss your hair with your fingers to help distribute the product, or lightly blast your hair with a blow dryer. Top with a hat, and go on about your day. You can also throw a few curls in the front after your put on your hat; grab the hair that is showing and curl just the ends.

The Top Knot

Again, it makes sense to start with dry shampoo. If you aren’t washing your hair on a given day, these products help you fake it til you make it. No one has to know your hair isn’t freshly washed. Apply dry shampoo, flip head over, and briefly blow dry upside down. (Drying the hair upside down always increases volume.) While upside down, ponytail your hair on the crown of your head. Then, grab either side of the ponytail and pull the hair outward to tighten. Then mist the ponytail with R+Co. Rockaway Sea Salt Spray and scrunch the product in. Next, using a comb, tease the hair to create volume. The more you tease, the bigger the bun will be. Next, twist the hair around the ponytail holder, and fasten using a couple bobby pins. Then spray liberally with R+Co. Outer Space flexible hair spray, or Kevin Murphy Session hair spray for a stronger hold.

*Note: for those with thin or shorter hair, you can buy a small foam donut to wrap your hair around, or even use a sock with the toe cut off. Cut the toe off an ankle sock, twist what remains into a doughnut, slide it on top of your ponytail holder, and then wrap your hair around the sock. It makes the top knot look twice as big. Make sure the color of the sock is near your hair color in case it peeks out throughout the day.

Minimalist Makeup

Even I, a makeup artist, like to leave the house without makeup on occasion. After all, I’m human. However, as my friend’s mom always said growing up, a little blush and mascara never killed anyone. It’s a tiny step to bring color to your cheeks and brighten up your eyes. When I have a lazy day, at the very least I do my face so my skin looks radiant and clear. If you want to go light on the makeup, and let your face breathe a bit, but still look nice, I recommend a few easy looks:

1. Bold eyebrows + bold blush + chap stick
2. Face powder + blush + lipstick
3. Face powder + blush + mascara

So there you go, a few hair and makeup tips to get you ready for the weekend in 30 minutes. Look good with half the effort, and save that extra time to do something fun with your day.