When I wrote my #15in15 earlier this year, I set a goal of learning to dutch braid. It took a decent amount of practice, but I’ve learned and then some! I’ve been wearing a variety of different styles and shapes of braids, while in Europe, at the farm, and pretty much all the time.
David even papped me braiding on the go- I thought he was taking pictures of architecture, but not so much.
I’m not claiming to be any kind of braid guru, I’m just a beginner. But today I’m passing on a little guidance, as I acquaint you with some of the hair vloggers from whom I’ve picked up my fancy braid skills.
Abby actually wrote a braiding ebook- girl really knows her stuff. She also introduced me to a favorite product for braiding, Kenra Platinum Texturizing Putty. As someone without a ton of hair, I don’t always want to wear my extensions, and most of her styles don’t need them. Her upbeat but not saccharine attitude and stinking adorable family (especially those twin baby boys) are also points in Abby’s ‘pro’ column.
Mindy is mom to four daughters, and therefore has lots of hair to do. She and her girls span ages, hair length, and hair texture, so there are lots of diverse styles demonstrated. Their specialty is styles that can be done in less than five minutes, which is awesome for any girl on her hustle, regardless of age.
She’s strikingly beautiful, and has the most amazing mane of icy lavender-silver hair- it makes me want to race to the salon, bleach my hair out and rinse it pale pastels. With that gorgeous color, I’m pretty sure she could tie it in knots and it would still be swoonworthy, but it seriously upgrades her braids to fairy tale status.
Kate was one of the first vloggers I came across. She seems incredibly down to earth, and breaks things down into manageable steps really effectively. It sounds ridiculous to even watch the tutorial, but her lived-in messy bun video is super useful for a topknot that appears full and sloppy, but isn’t tangled into an actual knot below the surface. She teaches in-person braiding and curling classes near her hometown in Raleigh… I’ve always thought attending one would be so fun!
With a sheet of long, blonde hair, Amber incites hair envy with fat, lush braids. But she owns that it’s comprised of lots of extensions, and I appreciate knowing that from the outset. Her tutorials can be a bit rambly, but it’s nice not to have to rush to keep up with a hyperspeed video. Her directions for hiding my extensions within braids were really useful, and I wear what she calls a fishhook braid often.
I follow all of these lovely ladies on Instagram as well. I love speedy braid videos and micro-tutorials, plus the eye candy of some simply beautiful braids. And I’m still learning- working on a dutch fishtail now, but it’s tangly going!
loveRavayna