The Super-Cute Ponytail Style I'd Be Wearing if I Hadn't Just Gotten a Pixie Cut (And, How to Get It)

If I hadn't just lopped all my hair off into a Pixie cut (which I'm loving, btw, but that's a story for another day), I'd be all about copying the ponytail Kate Beckinsale wore to the "Going the Distance" premiere in Hollywood. I mean, seriously, a style like that -- adapted for a busy mom/career gal -- is like the perfect end-of-summer style.

In fact, I liked her high, flouncy look so much that I talked my friend Lisa into giving it a whirl so that I, and my inch-long locks, could live vicariously through the experience.

Lisa's one of those women who has straight, heavy hair that looks good no-matter what -- kind of an overgrown brunette Barbie -- so it's fun to watch her experiment with new styles. Especially when there's wine involved!

So, two nights ago while the kids were snuggled up watching "Percy Jackson" for the umpteenth time, we retired to her bathroom to give it a whirl. Or, should I say, I sat there and watched as she took her hair, which is mid-back length, and transformed it into the spitting image of the Beckinsale style -- only a little less red carpet; a little more carpool. That's my girl, Lisa. She's a monster in the hair department. "It wasn't even hard to do," she said.

But, how did she do it? Lucky for you, I took mental notes and it breaks down into a couple of easy steps:

Step 1: First, using a small comb, she teased the roots at the crown to give her volume and lift the hair off her head, spraying each section with a light-hold hairspray as she went. (She used Herbal Essences Dangerously Straight Pin Straight Hair Spray, $4.)

Step 2: Then, without disturbing the poufy front part, she brushed her hair into a very high ponytail and secured it with a clear elastic. Then she picked up a small section from the pony and wrapped it around the band to hide it. (Fancy!)

Step 3: This step can be skipped unless you have time to spare. Lisa wrapped sections of the ponytail around a wide-barreled curling iron and combed out the resulting curls with her fingers. The result? Full, bouncy loose waves.

And, that was IT. Can you believe how easy? No wonder Beckinsale's been sporting it for a couple of years now -- it looks great and is easy to do. Seriously simple. She (and Lisa) could even throw a thin headband on top of the "pompadour" and that'd be pretty cute too.

Betcha this style catches on big time with the carpool/lunch bunch set when school kicks back into gear next week and moms don't have the time to futz with their hair in the morning. It's sort of "Mad Men" meets soccer mom. Now there's an idea for a show ...