The messy ponytail trend is everywhere because it's effortlessly chic (and SO easy)

Sometimes it’s nice to spend ages washing, drying, styling and perfecting your hair, but other times it’s even nicer to have an easy-to-achieve look that literally takes a couple of minutes, requires zero maintenance and yet still looks like you’ve made an effort.

That style? A messy ponytail. OK, so it might sound like a cop-out, but it’s actually the lazy girl’s dream – and if it’s good enough for Kaley Cuoco to wear to the actual Emmys, then it’s more than good enough for you. And us. No matter how posh the occasion.

Despite the fact Cuoco’s hair looked like it’d been planned to perfection, the finished style was actually a last minute decision after her hair stylist, Christine Symonds, tied it up while Cuoco was having her makeup done. Posting on her Instagram Stories, she had a hard time deciding whether to leave it down or not. And, well, the finished result speaks for itself.

It was also the red carpet look of choice for other celebrities, including Mandy Moore, who teamed hers with a classic red lip and a striking red dress.

Margot Robbie is also often seen sporting a similar style, although she likes to position hers slightly lower at the nape of the neck, which is just as chic and proof that a messy ponytail really can work any which way you like.

The joy of this style comes from the fact that it’s super easy to create, and there’s an abundance of tutorials on TikTok (of course there is). In this one, @taybeckerbeauty starts by sectioning the top section of hair, clipping it as far forward as possible.

Then she takes the remaining hair and ties it up into a high ponytail. She ditches a brush and instead just uses her fingers throughout, that way the style won’t ever end up being too polished. Next, release the top section of hair and and either tease it with a comb, or use volumising spray (like Living Proof’s Full Dry Volume Blast, £26). Once that’s done, combine the top section with the ponytail before pinching and pulling pieces of hair out, making it as messy as you like.

See, we told you it was easy.