Yay, it’s #frinally #friyay (anyone else spending too much time on Instagram lately?!) Anyway, I’m so glad we made it. I thought I’d do a little Friday after Five and share five super fast and easy hairstyles I’ve been loving lately.
Before I get rolling, I have a confession to make: I’ve actually been “hair stupid” most of my life. (My hair is naturally a partially-curly, all-the-way frizzy consistency). So many “easy hair tutorials” I’ve tried a la YouTube have fallen flat. Anyone else watch one, think “easy enough”, then try to replicate only to look like you grew a bird’s nest? Yep, right here with you. Just in the last year or two I’ve discovered several styles that do work and added to my hair repertoire.
I attribute this recent breakthrough to two things:
(1) playing around and trying new things on a regular basis (and YouTube doesn’t hurt for inspo; some of the tutorials are helpful!), and
(2) investing in good styling tools. I can’t stress this one enough. A good hair dryer makes it possible to style your hair dry instead of just blowing dry (ending up with a head of frizz), and a good wand will hold curls better than hairspray. I’m a huge fan of T3; both my dryer and wand are from this brand and I can’t recommend them enough.
Ok, let’s dive in!
- Fishtail side braid:
This is a great option if you’re trying to showcase the details of a pretty blouse, because it gets your hair mostly off your shoulders. (I always try to think of how my hairstyle will complement my outfit; in fact I think of it as part of my outfit!). To create this style, pull your hair down to the side; divide in two equal chunks, then grab a small piece of hair from the outside of one chunk and cross it over in front and join with the other chunk. Do the same on the opposite side, then keep repeating these steps all the way down. Secure with a small elastic at the bottom. Next, pull the braid apart just a little to make it looser. Finally, pin at the top of the braid with a bunch of bobbies until it looks right and you feel like it will stay in place. Last, if you gals are frizz-challenged like I am, this Moroccan Oil does wonders to calm things down without weighing your tresses!
PS, my adorable off shoulder ruffle top is back in stock, and now also available in black, which I reeeally like! This top is SO CUTE (major heart eyes here) and I have a feeling will sell out fast!
You can find my full outfit details here.
2. Chic hair bun in seconds:
Some weeks this bun is my go-to style. I wear it when my it’s almost time to wash my hair, or on mornings when things are so crazy I don’t have time to do anything else. A few years ago I discovered this this $6 hair bun secret–then figured out a better way to use it. This one is a little long to type up, so I made a video tutorial you can find here. For you blonde ladies, it also comes in a lighter color.
You can find my full outfit details here.
3. Side braids:
This is one I like to do when I don’t have time to blow dry my hair. Two tips I’ve found when throwing in a pair of braids like this: (1) how far you turn your head to the right when braiding your left braid, and vice versa for the other side, matters. If you turn your head really far to the right, your left braid will be more in front/over your ear; if you turn your head only slightly your braid will be further back. I recommend experimenting to see what looks best on you; (2) once you’ve finished and secured with elastics, pull at the braids to make them looser.
You can find my full outfit details here.
4. Bombshell curls:
I did a complete “how I curl my hair” tutorial you can find here. My favorite time to curl my hair is towards the end of my three day hair cycle, because slightly “dirty” hair holds curls best. The best advice I can give on curling your hair is grab your wand and play around with it. After a few times, you’ll find what works for you. You may find it looks better to curl smaller sections (more defined curls) or larger ones (looser waves). Also experiment not wrapping the last few inches around the barrel as this can create a really cool effect. One other thing: if you aren’t thrilled with how your curls turned out (hey, it happens!), grab the front sections and pin them up. This is an awesome hack I learned in the last year. Here’s a recent example where I did just this:
You can find my full outfit details here and here.
5. Fancy Pony:
To get this style, I pull my hair in a high pony and wrap a small section of hair around the base to hide the elastic, securing in the back with a bobby pin. Then I divide the pony in two and wrap each of the two sections around my curling wand for about 20 seconds (your hair may need less or more time, depending on your hair type and thickness. The result: a glammed-up pony in under two minutes!
You can find my full outfit details here.
And there you have it! I hope you guys found some of these helpful. Any favorite hairstyle hacks of your own? Please share in the comments below. Goodnight loves!
Terra