#hairoftheweek: Faux Waterfall Headband

We've officially completed xo, Yvette's inaugural month! So far I am really satisfied with this blog and typing up these blog posts is so relaxing. Having the most important things in my life in one space gives me a sense of organization that I'm constantly striving for. Hopefully you are enjoying this blog as much as I am!

Did you know there was a #hairoftheweek last week too? If you missed it, you can find that post here. In fact, there's a #hairoftheweek every week. You can learn more about that here! I tried something new with my previous post and if you're interested, you should check that out here.

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The Process:

Most weeks I have a hairstyle chosen by the time Monday rolls around but this week I hadn't decided on one until Wednesday. I had a couple ideas floating around and while they may come up in a future #hairoftheweek, they usually don't make the cut. This week I've chosen the DIY Faux Waterfall Headband by Cute Girls Hairstyles. Cute Girls Hairstyles is one of my go-to places to look for hairstyles. Recently they've been doing more DIY styles, which is great for me because that is the foundation of #hairoftheweek. Also, a lot of their hairstyles happen at the back of the head and that can be strenuous (this girl has just enough upper-body stamina to get through the day).

If there are two things on the hair front I cannot master, it'd be waterfall braiding and ponytail wrapping. Ironically, those are basic hair skills (I'm working on it). I think the waterfall technique is so cute but my hair is too silky to hold it. When I saw that this was a faux waterfall, I was immediately on board. I can do faux. When I first practiced this hairstyle, the last couple sections would drag the braid down. I experimented with the size of the chunks of hair and I'm still not sure I have it down to a science but the trick is to get them small and uniform. I also had to ration my hair so I would have enough for each stitch of braid while keeping each strand going straight back. Diagonal is not a good look. Thankfully, I nailed it on my first try on Friday. Getting the photo is a whole 'nother story.

The Tutorial:

The DIY Faux Waterfall Headband is so adorable and easy to do. I was skeptical at first because, like I mentioned earlier, waterfall techniques have not been kind to me. It ended up being really simple. The first step is to make a deep (like, deep) part, making sure you leave enough hair past the point where you want to start your headband to braid. You then take that extra section of hair and braid it like normal, over the top of your head where you want the headband to be. I opted to braid as far down as possible and left the extra braid out. Leaving the braid out looks nicer with straight hair. This hairstyle done on curly or wavy hair might look better with the leftover hair hidden away the way CGH does it. The next step would be to go back to the start of your braid and pick up the first stitch of the braid and separating the top strand from the other two, just enough to get your pinching fingers through. Using your other hand, take a small section of hair from the front to pull through the "headband." This hair you've pulled through has created the waterfall. These things are hard to explain without pictures or video so if all this flew over your head, no worries. I would refer to the original tutorial.

The Result:

2.27.15 faux waterfall headband (x)

Ooh, waterfall. Finding a good angle for this #hairoftheweek took some effort so if you haven't liked it on Instagram yet, now's your chance!

The Verdict:

The longer I wore this hairstyle, the more I fell in love with it. I love how the photo really shows the waterfall effect, which was one of my main concerns. All this work for it to not show up on camera?! (I was pretty much bending over backwards finding good lighting AND a good angle.) In real life it's harder to see the waterfall unless you can see the top of my head but, let's be real, that's not a very tall order. It also made my hair look like it had volume, which is difficult to accomplish with hair as long and thick (see: HEAVY) as mine. I'm glad I have this hairstyle in my repertoire now. This will probably become a regular. If you know me at all, you'd know I hate having hair in my face. The front can get a little bit messy but my hair didn't actually fall into my face so it didn't bother me. I'd definitely recommend this hairstyle to anybody who knows how to braid (I don't think this hairstyle was meant for those with bangs, though). It's quick and easy and super cute. I know I can't wait to wear it again. Don't forget to let me know if you try it!


Talk to you soon!

xo, Yvette