I rue the day that sleek, perfect, not-one-hair-out-of-place hairstyles come back into fashion because, duuuuude! — when that happens, I’m pretty much screwed.
Take this messy reverse French braid, par exemple. I don’t know why, but whenever I wear it, I usually get one or two compliments, and it seems like the messier and crazier it looks, the more it makes an impression.
Long live messy hair! 😀
Here’s how I do it…
- I start by prepping my roots with a dry hairspray to add some lift and volume (here I used Klorane Dry Shampoo with Nettle for oily Hair).
- Next, I spray a texturizing spray from mid-shaft to the ends, and my ride-or-die is Kerastase Spray a Porter (SERIOUSLY THE BEST!!).
- Then, I part my hair and do a reverse French braid (which is basically the same thing as a regular French braid, but instead of pulling the hair over to create the braid, you pull it under) on one side, and secure it with an elastic ponytail holder.
Then I do the same thing with the other side until it meets the first braid. After that, I gently pull the elastic off the first braid and use it to secure both braids together at the point where they meet.
- A quick spritz of an uber-hold hairspray (like Kerastase Laque Noire Extra Strong Hold or something similar) all over, and I’m done.
I love how easy this style is (takes less than 10 minutes once you get the hang of it) and that it doesn’t require any heat styling or fancy doodads. Plus, because it’s purposefully messy, I can pretty much let the hair do whatever it wants and just say, “Yeah…I meant to do that.”
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
LindaLibraLoca says
March 2nd, 2015 at 6:23 pmI love this braiding technique. The messier the better.
It has become my go-to hairstyle since the hair lost due to having a baby grows back. No chance in making anything look sleek…
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Agata says
March 2nd, 2015 at 6:35 pmI love this! Unfortunately I’m not very good either at a French braid or a reverse one. I will have to practice although right now I think my hair is too short anyways.
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Agata says
March 3rd, 2015 at 7:24 amBtw, Karen what makeup are you wearing in this post? The lip color and the cheeks look so pretty!
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Laarni says
March 2nd, 2015 at 6:50 pmI love it, Karen! Well, I am the most boring person when it comes to hair! hahaha!
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Erin says
March 2nd, 2015 at 7:06 pmI wish I could braid better. I’m hopeless!
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Alyssa Melanie says
March 2nd, 2015 at 7:16 pmYou make it sound so easy! I’m going to try it now and see if I can do it too. 🙂
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Rae // theNotice says
March 2nd, 2015 at 8:21 pmKaren, this messy braid is so cute!! I’m not sure if I still have enough hair to make it work, but I’m definitely going to give it a try 😛
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Bits says
March 2nd, 2015 at 9:27 pmI know I’m supposed to be looking at your hair but… what are you wearing on your cheeks?? Love your makeup in these photos!
Poo@beautyandmakeupmatters says
March 2nd, 2015 at 10:46 pmYou looking so prettyyy Karen.. the french braid totally suits you..u should do it more often!! 😉
I suck at styling my hair but you are inspiring me to try my hands on it 😉
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sone says
March 3rd, 2015 at 12:38 amReally digging the look on u Karen! Sweet ,laidback n fun!
Kim says
March 3rd, 2015 at 7:49 amIt’s been forever since I’ve done a french braid (or reverse) and I’ve only ever done a single, straight down the back. I like this “pig tail” version. I think I’ll give it a whirl before tonight’s workout. Even if it’s a disaster, it’s just to keep the hair out of my face and only my fam will see it. 🙂
Fancie says
March 3rd, 2015 at 9:51 amThis is such a cute style on you! I suck at braiding but I think I want to give this a try lol
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Kelly B. says
March 3rd, 2015 at 10:53 amThis is so pretty on you! I love to wear braids in my hair so I’m definitely going to give this a go!
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Adrienne says
March 3rd, 2015 at 11:37 amTHIS is the kind of stuff I really need a video for! I cannot figure out how to get my arms up high enough or at the right angle or how to hold my hair or what, which is strange because I learned to braid really quickly (lanyards were my first for what it’s worth, not hair).
Gloria says
March 3rd, 2015 at 1:22 pmOh, this is interesting!! I was trying to do a loop of reverse french braids last saturday but couldn’t finish.. I spend maybe 30min and 3 tryouts… However I failed at the back side or from back to the other side (if you know what I mean). I was so confused when I changed the way to hold the braids (from left to right), and messed up.
Gave up.
Instead, I’ll try this style. It looks way easier to manage!
It’s always fun to see your post, btw. Thank you!
Mary says
March 3rd, 2015 at 2:02 pmgorgeous as usual! love the earrings….spill
Tatiana says
March 3rd, 2015 at 3:28 pmI’ve had short hair for most of my adult life. I am hopeless when it comes to hairstyling, but somehow my daughter has figured out how to french braid her hair all on her own.
I love your makeup in these photos, what are you wearing on your cheeks and lips? It’s just so beautiful. Also love that nail polish color.
Kiss & Make-up says
March 4th, 2015 at 5:33 amSo pretty! I’m a big braid fan. Plaits for life!
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Heloisa says
March 5th, 2015 at 6:37 pmHi, Karen! If messy hair ever gets out of style, I’ll probably stick to the old times and gladly settle for “démodé” 😛
Your reverse French braids look amazing, and this is such a beautifying, sweet makeup! I love it on you and think it would look great for everybody. Sadly, it would me look super young, TOO young. Like a 15 year old or something (I’m turning 25 next week). Yesterday, I talked to a boy around 12 years old when I was heading home after eating sushi at the local mall. We were chatting about the alligators in the local stream that crosses the neighborhood and leads toward the mangrove swamp. I told him I was studying to become a Geography teacher. He asked me my age, got surprised, and said I looked MUCH younger, emphasizing the MUCH part. 🙁
I’m gonna try the hairdo tomorrow night for a party. Usually I think the messier, the better, but somehow, I feel my braids will need a lot of effort to achieve the rocker, cool, “I don’t give sh*t” messy level, instead of “just got out of bed with a hangover” 😛
Amanda G says
March 7th, 2015 at 12:05 pmAlso commonly called a Dutch braid. 🙂
Maddie says
March 31st, 2015 at 11:45 amGreat tutorial! This hairstyle is so cute, I love it. I will definitely have to try to out for my hair and see how I like it. Hopefully it looks as good as it did on you! Your makeup is gorgeous, by the way. You look great!
Maddie says
April 1st, 2015 at 2:05 pmBy the way, in addition to my last comment, here is a great blog that I highly recommend going to for some more hair tips. It’s really great: http://www.aroundthehair.com