photos: wireimage.com (top) kohls.com (bottom)

The only real secret to braiding is patience. And while it can take some serious time to really perfect “the plait” (as our friends from across the pond like to call it), there is one thing that I always depend on when doing braided hair styles on my girls… Redken Rough Paste. The words paste + pomade may seem a lil’ sketch at first, but this has been my secret weapon in the war on clean hair for years. It’s water-soluable, oil-free, inexpensive and one tube will last you a good year or so. Before braiding, if my client’s hair is freshly washed + blown dried it’s lovely, but it’s a bit too soft, slippery + hard to control. And while we know braids are always easier to do on hair that’s a little dirty, it’s never as shiny. Here’s how I solve that problem…

(more…)