Right on top

CEBU, Philippines - With the summer season practically only a couple of months away, we shouldn't only be thinking about putting forward the best of summer's sheer, flowy maxidresses or the most interesting of macramé bikini cover ups. More than the clothes we'll be putting on in the season of sun, there's much to worry about what hairstyle we'll be donning for both lazing around in the summer sun and being with the cool crowd on exclusive resort parties.

For this upcoming season, here are two 'dos that will elevate you to summer siren status for its too-cool-to-care attitude.

Day time Diva

The braided topknot is your best bet in making sure that you're off to coolsville with a hella of an attitude. This is a variation of the umbrella trend which is braided hair. It's sexy, a little messy, and it rocks big time. Although born from the runway of Sass&Bide, this is a relatively easy hair do to cap since you can do it on your own and it really doesn't have to be super polished for you to turn heads.

For the braided topknot, it's important that you're hair is long enough to braid and that it's textured. This is best if you don't have pin-straight hair.

1. Work a spray mousse through your hair and allow your hair's natural texture to dominate. If your hair is pin straight, dare to use an ample amount of mouse. Work it through your hair and blast it with a blow dryer while scrunching your hair to create some semblance of texture. If more mousse won't do the trick, use a curling iron or a crimper to create messy waves throughout the hair.

2. Tilt your head forward and begin braiding. Start at the nape with the braid travelling in the direction of the top of your head. Take note that the braid here is raised instead of the usual flat. This is what you call the inverted French braid or a Dutch braid. To do this, each strand of hair must be woven under and not over each other.

3. Continue braiding until you get to your forehead's hair line. You should now have a braid that runs up the back of your head with an end that sits atop your head. You can tie the end with an elastic for starters. When you get used to it, you can easily hold it with your hands.

4. Gently pull at the plait section of the braids to add more texture and a more casual, just-out-of-bed feel.

5. Grab the end of the braid on top of your head and twist it in a small knot. Mold it into a shape as neat or as messy as is to our liking. Take note that you don't have to make this too polished. Secure the top knot with hair pins at the base.

6.   Finish off with some hairspray to hold the style in place. 

Night Goddess

The bird's nest bun is the evening counterpart of the braided top knot. It's wispy, it's a little messy, but it's definitely elegant for those poolside parties. The style, which is also called the powderpuff has been a hit on the Lanvin runway. The bird's nest bun is an oversized topknot wounded around loosely to create something effortlessly chic.

1. Apply liberal amounts of mousse to mid-lengths and ends of the hair. To dry the mousse, blast your hair with a blow dryer.

2. Pull the hair up into a very high ponytail at the top of your head. Divide the ponytail into several sections and tease each section with a comb to create a lot of texture and volume. Expect it to look crazily messy.

3. Brush the ponytail out a bit to even out the texture. Wrap the hair around the ponytail to create a messy topknot.

4. Secure the topknot with hairpins all the way. 

5. Hold the style by spraying on an ample amount of hair spray.

6. Accessorize with an embellished head band.

Sources: Annika, GHD