I've always been an advocate of the saying "your hair is your best accessory." After all, there won't be a single person that has the same set of locks as you, so why not take full advantage of them? Lately, I have noticed a lot of girls adopting the braided look, and I am definitely a fan of the trend.
Why are braids so great, you ask? Well here are a few reasons...
[1] they are a great way to put a chic hair do together when you are rushing to class, stayed up late for an exam, etc.
[2] there is a braid for every hair length, thickness, and style...what other hairdo can accommodate this magnitude of diversity?!
[3] you can dress it up, down, or whatever other way you like! From headbands to ribbons, you can really "customize" your braid!
Types of Bodacious Braids:
The "Snake" Braid
Gossip Girl star Blake Lively sported a snake braid style at the Emmy awards recently. This style is soft Rapunzel meets the edgy ninja chick.
Style.com (by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)
This style is perfect for you if you have:-long layers or single -layered hair (if you have hairs that poke out, use a tacky gel product to tuck them in!)
-sleek, straight locks
-longer hair
How to achieve this look:-Straighten your hair using a flat iron. I would use a taming, sleeking spray before applying heat to prevent fly away hairs and frizz. I like the
Tigi S Factor Smoothing Lusterizer Defrizzer & Tamer.
-Use a fine bristled brush to bring all of your hair into a high ponytail. I would avoid wide tooth combs or anything that is going to show parted lines.
-Braid the pony tail all the way to the bottom. If you have thin ends (like Blake's) you might be able to manage using a tacky, thick gel to hold your braid. However, if you have thicker ends or will be doing a lot of dancing, jumping around, etc. I would recommend going ahead and tying the end.
Braid + Headband Combo
This is the look I've been sporting a lot lately. I have naturally wavy hair, and when I don't have time to straighten it I throw it in a braid, add a thick elastic headband, and viola! My mane has been transformed =)
This headband is available for sale from Free People, and let me tell you, this headband has saved me on my worst hair days. I've received a lot of complements on it, and I really like the 1920's/1960's fusion.
This style is perfect for you if you have:
-A bad bang day! Tuck them under your headband and kiss your worries goodbye!-Wavy, frizzy hair that needs a headband to tone it down a bit
-Lots of layers, no layers, long layers. In other words, this style is good for any hair cut because if pieces do or do not fall out, it'll look adorable
How to achieve this look:
-This look is very natural, so let your hair be imperfectly chic. I would recommend using a curl enhancing mousse while it's still wet if you have really flat hair, just to add a bit of a tousled look to your hair when it dries.
-Loosely braid your hair in the back and secure with a hair tie.
-Place your head band over as if you were going to wear an ear cover during the cold. Then, sinch the band up about a 1/2 inch from there. This will add a bit of volume to the top of your hair, so the headband doesn't totally flatten your hair
-If you want, you can take a blow dryer and blow by the base of you braid to allow a few pieces to "naturally" fall out. This will help you achieve a look similar to the image shown!
Across Braids
This picture was taken from an Oscar de la Renta fashion show and even includes some ribbon woven through the braids for an extra splash of color!
Style.com (by Greg Kessler)
This braid is probably one of the most prominent braids I have seen on campus. I have seen girls who have their hair braided across in the front and then the rest is loose, or braided across and pulled up (similar to the picture).
This look is perfect for you if you have:
-French braiding skills
-Enough hair to put into an across braid
How to achieve this look:
-Part the hair you'd like to braid using a pick comb and tie the remainder of your hair back temporarily. If you plan on wearing it down, only lightly tie it, so you won't have any kinks.
-Check out this tutorial on how to braid your hair across!
The Fishtail Braid
Style.com (by Hayden-Harnett)
This is a style that is named for the loose end that looks like a fishtail. I haven't tried this look myself, but I do think its a great twist on a classic favorite.
This look is perfect for you if you have:
-long layers or single -layered hair (as I mentioned before, if you have hairs that poke out, use a tacky gel product to tuck them in!)
-locks that can be straightened or are straight
-medium-to-long hair
How to achieve this look:-After straightening your hair, part to one side with a parting comb. If you aren't sure which side is better for you, a great way to check is to flip all of your hair down in front of your face and then flip up quickly. Your hair should naturally fall more to one direction than the other.
-After parting your hair bring it down to the base of your scalp (near your neck) and braid tightly! You can even pull it to the back or side, depending on where you want your braid to fall.
-Stop when you have a few inches left and secure!
Thoughts?
Now that you've seen my favorite bodacious braids, what do you think?
Is there a particular style you like or have noticed on your campus? Are there any other styles you like?
