Summer is a unique time of year. The days are super long, it’s sunny and the evening is the perfect time to party.
You can pretty much wear whatever you want and if you’re lucky, your days are full of beaches and barbecues.
But the question remains: with all these good vibes and fashion freedom, how ever will you choose the perfect hairstyle for your big events? Or even for basic day-to-day activities?
Don’t worry… I gotchu covered with a little hair inspo.
Here are 15 ultra-trendy cute summer hairstyles for your viewing pleasure. Let me know what you think…
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1. Simple Waterfall Braid
Let’s kick off this list with a crazy cute summer hairstyle that never gets old… the waterfall braid.
The internet is full of exquisite braid ideas that are probably intimidating to most, but I just love the idea of a basic waterfall braid incorporated into a daily hairstyle. It’s the perfect way to add a little spice to your hair.
The only downside is that it takes practice to get the technique down. 😩😩😩
HOWEVER… I recently discovered the coolest hair hack in the world! Did you know that there’s a stupid easy way to transform a basic braid into a waterfall braid by using a Topsy Tail?
This tutorial by Beauty Tips by Karla shows you exactly how easy it is to do!
You can thank me later. 😉
2. Mermaid Updo
XoMerlissa is my favorite mermadian influencer, so this hairstyle inspiration comes from her. There are several different “mermaid updo” ideas to choose from, but I think the double crown braids are a perfect fit!
SweetHearts Hair has an awesome tutorial that shows you how to create the same look.
3. Boxer Braids
To be honest, this is one of my favorite summer hairstyle ideas. It’s so simple and easy to do, but will still leave you looking like a Kardashian.
To create this look, you just need to part your hair down the middle and braid each side.
Start with tiny braids at the hairline. Pick up more hair as you go, and take bigger sections of hair as the braids get bigger. This will make the braids get thicker as they move down your head.
Follow an imaginary diagonal line out from the bang area to the crown and then move the braids back inward as they move down the back of the head.
Look… it’s easier to show you than to explain. On Hair With Erin has a perfect tutorial that shows you exactly how to do boxer braids at home.
4. Bubble Ponytail
The bubbled-out ponytail is one of my favorite mohawk-type hairstyles for women, and a perfect hairstyle for summer!
It’s fun. It’s innovative. And you can put the look together in just minutes.
Alex Gaboury has a great video that shows you just how easy it is to do.
5. The Perfect Messy Bun
Summer is ultimately about being lazy. You should do everything you can to enjoy life and not worry about the little things.
That’s what makes the messy bun a perfect fit for summer. With this cute summer hairstyle, you can look ultra-cute while focusing your time on having fun.
💡TIP: Use a sock bun for extra bunnage! Or if you don’t have enough hair, you can even augment your top knot with a hair wrap! No one will know…
Kathryn Ann has the absolute best tutorial on doing a perfect messy bun. It even works on super fine hair.
6. A Twisted Half-Updo
Twisted half-updos are such an easy way to add a little oomph to your hair. They’re also the perfect way to rock beach waves while keeping your hair out of your face.
I love this video by laineymariebeauty. She does a great job describing the process.
7. Side Fishtail Braid
One of my favorite summer hair ideas is a side braid that wraps around your head and pops out on one side. Better yet…I particularly like it when this look is created with a chunky fishtail braid.
The fishtail braid just gives it a unique look and adds tons of volume to the hair.
Don’t know how to do a fishtail? Don’t worry… Shonagh Scott has you covered.
8. Side-Wrapped Ponytail
This is probably the easiest cute summer hairstyle on this list… but don’t underestimate its power.
Finish off a low side ponytail with a little hair wrapped around it. You can even incorporate some braids or twists into the upper part of the style if you want a little something more.
Bebexo shows you a cool trick for wrapping your hair around the ponytail without using bobby pins.
9. Pinned To Perfection
It’s no surprise that this summer is all about jumbo hair clips placed at the hairline. This is a super trendy way to jazz up any other hairstyle and you’ll see this look all over Instagram right now.
Pearl hair barrettes and statement pins are the way to go if you care about following the current trends.
McKenna Mitchell shows you a few fun ways to incorporate jumbo hair clips into your hairstyle. You could even use them on short hair. Just do it.
10. Boho-Chic Updo
Bohemian messy updos are one of my absolute favorite summer hairstyles since you can pretty much do whatever you want, and it will still look good. Add in some twists, braids, buns or whatever else you can think of to make your hair come alive with movement.
The key is to make it look undone, lived-in and full of texture.
Jess Gonzalez has an awesome video tutorial to get you started. Remember that you can build upon this concept and add in your own elements. Anything goes with this look.
11. Chunky Pull-Through Braid
You absolutely love chunky types of braids but don’t have the coordination or patience to make them happen. Sound too familiar? The struggle is real, girl.
Well, the pull-through braid is pretty much the best thing since sliced bread.
It’s a super easy way to braid your hair with multiple ponytails that wrap around each other. You can even take a break in between or redo a section if you need to.
Loepsie has a fabulous tutorial on how to do the look on your own hair!
12. Voluptuous High Ponytail
A high ponytail is my go-to look for hot weather. It gets your hair off your face and is super easy to do. You could even let your hair air dry beforehand to cut down on heat damage.
But there’s a right way and wrong way to do a ponytail, and if you do it right, you’ll look glam as heck. Don’t worry… it’s still pretty easy to do.
Rachel Vitullo’s tutorial is pretty much perfect.
13. Timeless Beach Waves
What would an article about summer hairstyles be without beach waves? I mean…. this is the epitome of summer, right?
This timeless look can easily be created by loosely curling your hair with a curling iron or wand. Lightly spritz with some dry texturizing spray and tousle with your fingers
Brad Mondo (one of my absolute favorite hair gurus on YouTube) has a fabulous tutorial that teaches you multiple ways to create different beach wavy looks.
14. Blinged-Out Festival Braids
With huge events like Burning Man and Coachella picking up traction, party-worthy hairstyles are becoming more and more creative and fun.
It’s a common trend to see girls cornrowing their hair, or putting them in boxer-braids at these events (I mean… do you want to deal with hair in your face on the playa?) But to be festival-ready, you need to take it a bit further than just that.
A fun and easy way to spruce up your braids is to feed in fake hair of all different colors. It makes your braids look much thicker and longer, it works for all hair types, and it’s really not that hard to do. If you can French braid, you can probably do this look by yourself.
The fake hair even makes this an easy hairstyle for shorter or mid-length hair.
Here’s a fabulous tutorial by Lana Summer that shows you how simple it is.
If French braiding isn’t your jam, here’s a crazy easy way to do the same thing with a pull-through braid. This tutorial by LOZNITSA is in Russian, but it still gets the point across.
To take things a bit further, sprinkle glitter all around your hairline, mix-match different braids and put clips, jewels or flowers throughout the braids.
I think this is a perfect summer hairstyle as it keeps your hair out of your face, and also makes you look majestic AF.
15. Infinity Braids
Since the dawn of Pinterest, braids have been slowly evolving into complex Daenerys Targaryen-type styles. With that, comes creative new ways to weave the hair together to produce different looks.
One of the more popular types of braids this summer is the infinity braid (named because of its resemblance to the infinity symbol).
Don’t be deceived by its super intimidating look… it’s actually quite easy to do. Here is a super helpful tutorial by Another Braid.
The difference between the diamond shape and normal braid has to do with how much hair you bring in to the braid. HAU2 has a nice tutorial to teach you how to do a normally-proportioned version of this braid.
How’s that for an incredibly cute hairstyle for summer?
Final Thoughts
Summer is a seriously fun time of year, but it won’t last forever, so enjoy it while you can.
Embrace the season by adding a little spice to your hair. Follow these simple summer hairstyle tutorials, and I promise you can’t go wrong.
Until next time,
YOUR TURN: Are there any other cute summer hairstyles that you love? Do you have a tutorial you want to share? Drop them in the comments below! 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
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