Pop quiz: how are you doing your hair these days? Right now, my nine-month-old baby Emiliano is in that “grab and tug everything” phase, so I’ve been looking out for styles that keep my hair out of reach.

For the past year, I’ve been a fan of claw clips (wear my hair like Rachel Green? Yes, please.) But lately, I’ve been seeing photos of women with sleek buns and romantic twists, and peeking out the top is the elegant curve of a French pin. Here are a few:

A tight twist, perfect for dinner dates.

A tidy bun for knocking around at home or having friends over for snacks.

This soft, tousled twist with untucked ends reminds me of Julie Delpy in Before Sunrise.

Inspired, I tried doing a twist. My hair was on day two of a salon blowout, so I wasn’t surprised when every strand stayed in place. If you, too, want a sleek twist, blow dry and smooth out any waves with a straighter before wrapping it up. (If you do a twist on air dried hair and have layers, a couple layers will poke out, leaving you with a pretty tousled look.) Here are tutorials for long and short hair.

Next I tried a top knot. I realized that, to make it last, you should hook the pin into the piece of the bun that is above the bun tail, then weave the pin underneath the tail and straight into your bun. This technique anchors your hair down. I really like this TikTok video, which gives step-by-step instructions.

Finally, keep the pin poking out. Part of the charm is seeing the pretty pin at the top, don’t you think? I’ve been loving the hold of this Target one, and I also have my eye on this cool tortoise number.

Thoughts? Would wear a French pin (or have you)? I plan to wear these easy updos all fall.

P.S. Three tricks for parting your hair and wise words on beauty.

(Photo by Deborah Pagani.)

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