hair

GUEST POST

photos by: Kathleen Bly  post designed by kristin ess

Mad love for our first guest post winner, Taylor Nick!!! I am fully obsessed with this bohemian-inspired-braided-goodness! Even though Taylor had some SERIOUS competition, there’s no doubt that this little lady took the cake in our hair tutorial contest. She created a beautiful, textured, easy hairstyle that will work with almost any hair type. Congratulations Taylor, and thanks to ALL of you who entered this post contest. We’ll do it again soon. For now, let’s let Taylor show us how this is done!

“My look is inspired by all of the bohemian braids on the 2011 runways. It can be worn at the beach or dressed up with heels & jewelry for a summer night out. It’s also the perfect accompaniment to cozy knits & denim as the weather cools off in the coming months.”

Tools:

• 2 Claw clips
• Bobby Pins
• Hair tie, preferably matching your hair color
• Fine tooth comb
• Hairspray

Steps:

1. Start with wavy hair. If your hair is naturally straight, curl some sections to give it texture.

2. Separate the hair on the left & right sides of your head. Using your part as a guide, continue the part down the middle of the back of your head. To maintain the effortless, imperfect look, use your fingers instead of a comb. Tie one section with a hair tie to keep it out of the way.

3. French braid the free section of hair back to the nape of your neck & secure with bobby pins or a clip. To add more texture, try a Reverse French braid: Alternate crossing the 2 outer sections of hair UNDER the middle section instead of over. To make the look more free-spirited, leave out bangs & short layers around your face.

4. Repeat Step 3 on the other side of your head, clipping the French braid at the nape of your neck.

5. Gather the hair into a low ponytail below the clips & secure with a hair tie. When the ponytail is secure, remove the clips from the braids.

6. Time to add some volume! With your fine tooth comb, tease 1” sections of hair where they come out of the pony tail, keeping the ends less distressed, & secure with a medium hold hair spray.

7. Create more volume & texture in the braids by lightly pulling the loops apart with your fingers.

8. To finish the look, wrap a section of hair from underneath the pony tail around the hair tie. Secure with bobby pins.

XO Taylor