THE BRAIDED BUNCH
With Joico Celebrity Artist, Jill Buck, of 901 Salon
Fall hair has a major plot twist, thanks to Joico Celebrity Artist, Jill Buck, of LA’s hot Nine Zero One Salon: She’s shaking up the classic French and Fishtail with a clever new menu of bomb braids that you can fashion in a flash. Get the deets and watch her quick step-by-step demo for the surprisingly easy how-to’s. (They’re a treat – but not tricky!)
WHAT’S ON YOUR PLAIT? 3 LOOKS TO TRY
1: FALL SEASON: THE CROWN
Anyone who’s seen those IG ads for faux braid headbands knows that creating a hair halo is all the rage these days. Here, Jill shows you how to replicate the look using your own hair – no PayPal needed.
The hack in a nutshell: You’re creating a French braid on each side of the head (from the ear up; not the top down); then crisscrossing them at the center of your head and bringing both braids around to the back, where they get secured with bobby pins.
Product flash: Joico Beach Shake Texturizing Finishing Spray infuses the hairstyle here with “grabby” hold, and gives fullness to the braids after you’ve loosened them up.
THE STEP-BY-STEPS:
• Section out the front of the hair, parting hair from the back of the ear forward.
• Start with the section on top rather than the one closest to the ear.
• Braid hair in a French braid, working your way across the top of your hair, and moving across the face — from one side to the other.
• Hide the pins by pulling over the remainder of the hair that was sectioned.
• End the French braid when you have reached your center part, and finish off as a regular braid.
• Fasten with a small elastic and apply Beach Shake, pulling the braid apart to create an “undone” look.
• Take the section from the opposite side and repeat the previous steps.
• Intersect the two braids and cross over one another, fastening the braid at the bottom of your hair with bobby pins.
2: CRISS-CROSS APPLESAUCE BRAIDS
This utterly cool updo is deceptively easy to recreate — and it makes you look like a hairdressing genius! We love the way it gets hair up and out of the way in a classic top-knot; but uses mini braids to add interest and whimsy to the hair.
The hack in a nutshell: You pull most of your hair up into a high top-knot, leaving several small sections loose in the back of the head. Each section gets fashioned into a super-thin mini braid; then pulled up and twisted over each other and secured into the top-knot. It’s a riff on much more elaborate cornrows, providing the look of texture without the intricate work. (Bonus, those braids “cage” any flyaways that might be unleashed from the top knot.)
Easy pivot option: If you want to skip the updo, simply let the rest of the hair fall loosely over your thin braids – they’ll play peekaboo throughout the day, adding interest to your loose ‘do.
THE STEP-BY-STEPS
• Section off bottom section of hair and clip hair on top out of the way.
• Begin braiding in small (1/2-1-inch sections), keeping a 90 degree angle as you go. Continue until full bottom section is braided.
• Take another section directly above and repeat, creating 4 braids that vary from ¼-inch to ½- inch each. Tease the bottom of each braid by backcombing with a comb.
• Option 1: Leave hair down, allowing braids to peek out from underneath.
• Option 2: Pull hair up, securing in a bun at the top of your head with bobby pins, and hiding ends inside the bun.
3: GOURD-GEOUS GLAM BRAID
Just as a dress with an exciting rear view can turn the tamest style into something extraordinary, this back-braid changes everything.
The hack in a nutshell: It starts with simply pulling a section of hair from the side of the hair, braiding it, and then bringing it back and around, where it’s bobby-pinned to the head. And repeating the same move on the other side; effectively creating a “tiara” that’s glimpsed from the back.
Product flash: Joico Beach Shake Texturizing Finishing Spray lends hold and volume to the rest of the hair, which is curled and worn loose; and “fluffs” up the braids that are loosened for a more natural touch.
THE STEP-BY-STEPS
• Section a two-inch piece of hair on each side (start the section from the top of the head), leaving bangs out and in front of face.
• Pulling towards the back, braid hair and loosen the braid with your fingers, gently pulling to create the “undone” effect.
• Secure braid to the head with bobby pins, working from the front towards the back. Secure braid along the curve of your scalp, ending at the back of your head, right below the crown.
• Repeat on other side.
• Finish with Joico Beach Shake and add a few curls to the front pieces using a barrel curling iron.
Watch Jill demo fall’s best braids for you, here…
