How to Do a Swept Braid Updo
If your hair is long enough to braid, then you’ll have fun this season, because braids are back in several tousled styles that can bring out the messy but feminine nonconformist in any woman. Practice your braiding skills, then get ready to lift your bangs and front sections away from your face with bobby pins or let them fall freely around your face. Frame your braided updo with sparkly barrettes or signature hair clips to draw attention to the dramatic effect. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Comb
- Brush
- Teasing comb
- Elastic bands
- Hair clips
- Bobby pins
- Hair spray
- Curling irons (or flat iron)
- Mousse
- Hair dryer with diffuser
Instructions
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Ringlet Updo
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1
Part your hair on the side and section off your hair, from front to back, ear to ear.
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2
Pull the back section up into one loose ponytail or two tails. Don’t worry if some strands fall out of the tail(s); you can curl these to frame your face. Alternatively, create up to four ponytails, making sure that each tail contains roughly the same amount of hair.
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3
Braid the ponytail(s) and then twist the braid(s) up as far as you can and secure it with bobby pins.
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4
Take small sections of hair from the front and weave them into the updo. If these sections are too short, curl them with a 1-inch-barrel curling iron or a 2-inch-barrel iron for a softer effect.
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5
French braid updos are particularly feminine. Spray the side strands with hair spray.
French Braid Updo
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6
Work some mousse throughout your wet hair and dry it with a diffuser, scrunching it as you go, to create soft waves in your hair.
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7
Back comb several sections of hair, to create height at the crown, then smooth the sections out gently with a comb.
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8
Separate your hair into two sections and make a loose French braid in each one. Wrap the ends with elastic bands. (For help making a French braid, see dreamweaverbraiding.com/braids/self_french.htm.)
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9
Take the right braid and wrap it left to right (or as far as it will go) before securing it to the top of your head with bobby pins. Do the same with the left braid, wrapping it from right to left.
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10
Complement a loose bun with a braided updo. Pull out a few strands of hair around your eyes and ears and scrunch again lightly before spraying lightly with hair spray.
Braided Bun Updo
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11
Part your straight hair in the center.
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12
Separate 1-inch sections on each sides of the part, about 2 inches from the hairline. Then take a 2-inch section above each ear and secure with clips.
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13
Pull the rest of your hair into a low bun, wrapping it and then pinning it against the nape of your neck.
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14
Braid the top sections and pin the ends into the bun. Then braid the side sections and pin them to the top of your head.
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15
With or without someone to help, you'll need plenty of bobby pins for your updo. Curl or scrunch the side strands and spray lightly with hair spray.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Creating a braided updo is sometimes easier if you don't shampoo your hair beforehand, or when your hair has had a day to accumulate some oil first.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty Images Goodshoot/Goodshoot/Getty Images Creatas Images/Creatas/Getty Images Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
