The Cool-Girl’s Guide on How to Do a Top Knot

There’s no greater irony in the world of hairstyles than a top knot: how can something so relaxed and effortless-looking be so damn tricky to pull off IRL? To that end, we asked celebrity hairstylist Sheenon Olson of Atma Beauty to show us how to do a top knot like the ones you see on cool girls everywhere.

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Turns out it’s not voodoo magic that’s required to pull this look off. Instead, you’ll need a hair bungee, a combination-bristle brush (Olson likes the ones by Spornette), texturizing spray, a back-comb brush and some bobby pins—plus the step-by-step instructions in the video tutorial above.

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