Just for the record, this picture is pretty close to what my haircolor actually is (I find that iphones like to change colors of real life). Mom likes to call it, Secretariat. It really is chestnut horse-like. But I digress.
Back to my desire for easy and cute hairstyles for a 3 foot long mane. You know, something that I could wear to keep the hair out of my face in case of a zombie attack or if I was thrown in the middle of a stadium to fight for food and survival. The usual.
My hair is almost always waist-length, I try to keep layers in it but I don't get haircuts nearly as often as I should (ask my beautician, I'm lucky if I make it back in at the six month mark).
So I have created a color coded diagram (stop laughing!) to better explain how I do this.
First, I need to tell you that I don't braid my hair like this using a mirror. I think it is confusing and I prefer to sit somewhere, close my eyes sometimes, and picture what I am doing instead. It just makes it easier for me and so much less likely for me to confuse my directions.
If you can french braid this is a piece of cake. I start my braid right at or behind my ear on my right side. I lean over to the left so that my hair falls that way to keep from grabbing pieces I don't want.
I start by grabbing about a 1inch or so section and dividing it in to three pieces (color coded in this picture to the side). I cross the right piece to the center, then the left to the center, just like a normal braid. Sometimes I do this twice to get in the flow. Then, with my next cross from the right (or outside of your braid towards your face, as you may prefer to start from your left) I pull a small section of hair to cross with it, pulling from the outside. I find it easier to cross the piece and then pull the section and combine with it, as opposed to pulling and then crossing.
Then I continue on to cross the left piece to the center, BUT I DON'T PULL WITH THIS ONE. I have found I prefer this method for braids crossing over my head. Only pull with the pieces you cross on the outside from your forehead side. As I get toward the top of my head I start to lean up straight so that my hair will fall back that way. Again, I just find this to be easier to avoid pulling hairs I don't want. The same goes for if I start my braid near where my head meets my neck, I flip it all upside down and lean forward over my bed to make sure I am getting what I want.
Now do you see why I don't bother with mirrors?
You can go as far or short as you want with this braid, and can either bobby pin it, put a hair tie in it, or braid it out so that you have a braid hanging in your hair, which is interesting as well.
Today, I did this braided part first and then teased my hair behind it and secured it with a clip.
For those of you who aren't good at teasing (I am just getting the hang of it) here is my method: I use my comb or brush (I lose my comb every time I use it, so the brush works too) to comb a section back towards my scalp that I have pulled up (teasing the underside of the section). Then, after I have teased it a bit I twist the section together multiple times, and THEN push it upwards on my skull and attach with pins or whatnot. My hair is pretty particular, and this is the best way I have found to keep volume in the poof.
This is another thing I like to do with the braids, which is adding in a messy bun behind it. A lot of times I will braid it starting from the back and crossing over the top and angling back towards where the braid will be. I have even added multiple layers of these, in which case I highly suggest using very small sections when you pull.
It's nothing fancy, but it is a great way to keep your hair out of your eyes in a cute and fun manner.
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