{Bonus} #hairoftheweek: #tbt Braided Braid

As spring break comes to a close, it's time to unveil the bonus #hairoftheweek for Winter 2015. Typically, bonus #hairoftheweeks would be new 'dos like any other #hairoftheweek. The only difference is that it's not in the running for fan favorite. I'm doing something a little different this season. This one is a true throwback and we're gonna travel back in time to August 11th, 2014.

This particular #hairoftheweek means a lot to me both because of the day I originally wore it and the time it was posted on Instagram. First and foremost, I planned it so that this hairstyle would be posted on the one year anniversary of #hairoftheweek! One whole year! It's crazy to think that 365 (366, as this blog post goes up) days ago, I decided to continue trying new hairstyles. It hasn't been easy, but it's always worth the effort. I want to thank all my supportive friends for helping me with choosing filters and captions and sometimes even the hairstyles themselves. Without you, there would be no motivation for me to carry on with this project.

Speaking of awesome friends, the day I wore this hairstyle was the day I finally met Allison and Dee for the first time. They were the first (and so far only) internet friends that I have ever met in real life and that's really all one can hope for when you meet someone on Tumblr.

As far as timing goes it really could not have worked out any better, for relevancy's sake. I'm sure you've all heard about Zayn Malik's departure from One Direction by now. (A moment of silence, please.) I wore this hairstyle to the One Direction concert for their Where We Are Tour at Nationals Park. What a night. It was unforgettable and I am really grateful to have had the opportunity to see Zayn perform live. The feels are strong.

The Process:

If you know me at all, you know that having hair in my face simply will not fly. I also want to avoid the boring bobby pins and ponytails, especially in summer when there is so much room for creativity. This is especially true when you're on vacation. To keep my hair from falling into my face, I needed something foolproof and versatile. It had to be able to keep my hair back all day as well as look good when I tie it up during meals or if I put everything in my signature braid. I settled on the Front French Tail, which you might recall from Spring 2014. This one was particularly well suited for the DC humidity because, while my hair doesn't frizz, I would imagine braiding hair would control the frizz. I know the hair framing my face would be the last place where I would want anything to be frizzy. Seeing as this was a special and highly eventful day, I wanted to do a little something extra to make it extra memorable. I pulled everything in a ponytail and braided it. Simple, easy, and effective.

The Tutorial:

As I mentioned earlier, I was wearing my hair in a variation of the Front French Tail almost everyday in DC because it kept hair out of my face. In this variation, instead of braiding with the intention of dropping it, I positioned the braid so it would continue back and into a ponytail. Once the braid was in the ponytail, it didn't take much for it to be swallowed by the loose hairs in my ponytail. What was one little braid against a whole head of hair? For this very very special day in DC, I decided to showcase the little braid and braid it with the rest of the ponytail. Braid-ception. Using the small braid as its own strand, divide the rest of the ponytail into two chunks and braid with medium to high tension. Once that's done, you loosen the large chunks a little by either massaging it or using the "pull apart" or "pancaking" method. I left the small braid untouched but if you prefer to pancake that as well, by all means.

The Result:

3.28.15 #tbt braided braid (x)

A bit unruly from the events leading up to our arrival at Nationals Park (we had FLOOR SEATS at a ONE DIRECTION concert I can still hardly believe it) but I'd say it held up pretty well. I'm also really loving the Washington Nationals' logo because it reminds me of Walgreens (how confusing was that when I first saw the tickets).

The Verdict:

I will always have fond memories of this hairstyle. It had already made a lasting impression on me the day I wore it but with the timing of this bonus #hairoftheweek, it's only become more significant. This is my thank you to you for supporting and encouraging me in honor of the one year anniversary and also a tribute to Zayn and One Direction for the joy and the memories as well as bringing me to my wonderful internet friends.


There you have it! Winter 2015 is officially behind us. I'm definitely looking forward to Spring 2015 and the new hairstyles it will bring. Fingers crossed I have a cool one for my birthday (looking at you, future Yvette). Follow me on Instagram and we can discover what Spring 2015 has in store together.


Talk to you soon!

xo, Yvette