I have naturally long, thick, straight hair. So when I wake up, giving it the once over with the flat iron is my daily ‘do and go strategy. Don’t get me wrong; I love my natural hair. But sometimes it can get boring. Well, not so much “it” but more so my routine look was feeling a bit stale. I wanted to try something new, but I certainly wasn’t into the idea of giving up those Zs for the sake of a new hairstyle.
So, I started doing some research (aka scouring Pinterest for new, inspiring looks that are quick and easy). As with any challenge, I decided to give myself parameters. Since I was already changing up my look, I certainly didn’t want to have to change much else. So I gave myself a maximum of 15 minutes for each looks because that is what I normally spend on my hair. At the end up of the 15 minutes, I would rate each style on a one to five scale.
One= Girl, I could do this in my sleep!
Five= Not difficult, but I’ll wait until I’ve had my coffee.
Here’s what happened.
Monday 
On Monday, I started with a fun cross between a braid and a pony tail. First, I pulled my hair into a low pony, completed twin braids and tied it with an elastic. To finish it off, I wrapped hair around the elastics to hide them.
Time: 10 Minutes
Difficulty: 5/5
Tuesday
Second day in and I’m feeling confident. I wanted to wear my hair down on this day so I decided to go with the classic curls. I have always liked this style, but sometimes I shy away from it because it takes a little longer than my normal routine.
Time: 15 Minutes
Difficulty: 2/5
Wednesday 
Halfway through the week, and I think I found my favorite style. I pulled my hair into a low pull-through bun and and then wrapped a small braid around the band. The end look was simple, but it takes a comfortable hairstyle to the next level.
Time: 10 Minutes
Difficulty: 3/5
Thursday
Thursday, I decided to keep it simple with a classic ponytail. I find that my hair can easily fall flat in a pony so I tried curling it to add some volume. My trick is to not pull the hair too tightly. I like to keep it loose and messy so it doesn’t look to overdone.
Time: 5 Minutes
Difficulty: 1/5
Friday
Friday at last! I was trying my best to channel my inner Amber Fillerup Clark with a chunky side braid. I wrapped a strand of hair around the elastic and made sure to pull apart the braid to make it look less “done.”
Time: 7 Minutes
Difficulty: 2/5
What are you favorite 5-, 10-, and 15-minute hairstyles? Let us know in the comments below!
