#hairoftheweek: Winter 2015 Recap

This season of #hairoftheweek will always hold a special place in my heart because during this time, I started this blog and celebrated the one year anniversary of #hairoftheweek. There were so many solid hairstyles. I don't know if I'm getting better at doing my hair or if I'm just choosing easier hairstyles. Regardless, a good chunk of these are going into my everyday hair inventory.

As usual, the link to each hairstyles' Instagram post is beneath the photo and the tutorial is linked in the description. Once we get to Feathered Braid, the original blog posts will be linked to in the paragraph and if you're interested in learning how to do any of these (and any future) hairstyles, you can find the tutorials for them in their respective blog posts.

Winter 2015 is the third #hairoftheweek season so if you missed Spring 2014 and Fall 2014, catching up has never been easier. If you're completely unfamiliar to #hairoftheweek, you must be new. Welcome! I have an Origins post that should explain everything. Now that we've covered all the background info, we can get on with this season's hairstyles!

January

Messy Faux Twist

1.10.15 messy faux twist (x)

This is a hairstyle I was playing around with for a while. I discovered that when you make knots in your hair, it can turn out different depending on which strand you put over the other. For these knots you need to alternate which strand you start each knot with. I don't know if that makes sense. If you crossed the left strand over the right for the first knot, the second knot would be right over left. As I worked my way down my head, I added hair from the sides to each strand of hair. This hairstyle is pretty delicate but the knots turn out looking like twists, which is really fun. 

Skills: tying knots

Materials: one elastic, bobby pins (as needed)

Difficulty: easy

Knot a Braid

1.16.15 knot a braid (x)

When I was practicing the previous week's hairstyle, I found that always crossing the left (or right) strand over the other resulted in a drastically different look. I wish I would've taken the time to redo this hairstyle. I don't like how it looks like there's a huge hole in the center. With more strategically placed bobby pins, I could've gotten the look I wanted. What's done is done. This is what I get for taking a shortcut.

Skills: tying knots

Materials: one elastic, bobby pins (as needed)

Difficulty: easy

Messy Split Fishtail

1.19.15 messy split fishtail (x)

For my weekend trip to San Francisco, I knew I wouldn't have internet connection for the entire trip. Keeping that in mind, I needed a hairstyle that was easy to memorize and no-fuss. As I was catching up on my YouTube subscriptions, I discovered this gem that Cute Girls Hairstyles posted. It immediately caught my eye and it was only a matter of when I would be wearing the Messy Split Fishtail. Thankfully, I didn't have to wait long. This hairstyle was perfect for my trip. I really like the way this one looks and the neat fishtail on top is a nice juxtaposition against the busyness in the back. Another thing that made this braid unique was how it looked like it was a set of stacked braids. I've always had trouble with stacked braids so this was a neat alternative. I also love how you can dress this braid up or down. It's versatile and as long as you don't go overboard with the pancaking and avoid zippered jackets, this will stay in place just fine. 

Skills: fishtail braiding 

Materials: one elastic

Difficulty: easy (but it takes some time)

Rope Accent Four Strand

1.27.15 rope accent four strand (x)

I've always loved this look. Having a lil somethin' peek through a four strand braid is such a cute detail. I particularly like having a rope braid in there because it made it look like you were somehow able to split that strand in two and keep it that way. I was inspired by this tutorial by Bebexo but the formula is always the same. As long as the third strand is your accent, your braid will always turn out (granted, you don't mess up the actual four strand part).

Skills: rope braiding, four strand braiding
Materials: two elastics
Difficulty: easy

February 

Feathered Braid 

2.6.15 feathered braid (x)

My first official #hairoftheweek blog post! I was astonished by the love this one received. This one employs a pretty basic technique.I like how simple it is and you can change the vibe of the braid by taking different sized "feathers." Thinner pieces of hair would make it look cleaner and more delicate and thicker pieces can sometimes blend in and make it look like just a really wide braid. Personally, I prefer to mix it up. I think it gives you something to look at. Read more about this hairstyle here! (P.S. It's still the #hairoftheweek with the most likes.)

Skills: feathering technique
Materials: one elastic
Difficulty: easy

Mermaid Heart Accent

2.14.15 mermaid heart accent (x)

I love heart-shaped hairstyles. There are so many ways to achieve a heart-shaped look, it's a matter of choosing just one. What drew me to this one was how simple it was. If you know me, you'd know that I'm not one for anything too extravagant. Minimalism is my style. I also liked how you could style the rest of your hair in any way that you wanted. Curl your hair for a romantic look, throw it in a ponytail if it gets in your way, anything goes with a simple accent piece. Another reason why I love this one is because I really like how my hair is so straight and it flows into each turn and the bulk of my hair is like a waterfall. It's mesmerizing. Read more about this hairstyle here!

Skills: n/a
Materials: two elastics
Difficulty: easy

Woven Fishtail

2.19.15 woven fishtail (x)

This hairstyle really speaks to me. I've always had trouble with stacked braids and while this isn't a stacked braid, it looks like one, which is good enough for me. Another thing I really liked about this one was that if you pancaked the woven bit in the center, they stick up and it kind of looks like the scales on a stegosaurus. (Running my finger down the middle of this braid was a fun time.) The thickness of the braid was a nice bonus. I didn't have to pull it apart at all. The nature of the fishtail allows for a wider braid. Read more about this hairstyle here!

Skills: fishtail braiding
Materials: two elastics
Difficulty: medium

Faux Waterfall Headband

2.27.15 faux waterfall headband (x)

I love this hairstyle because it works (and looks good) with all hair types and lengths. It also is surprisingly effective at getting and keeping hair out of your face. With my heavy hair, I thought it would slump and come undone but I didn't even need a bobby pin to get it to last all day. This one is really cute and with some tweaking, I think it can be worn in a ponytail, which would be adorable. I need to get working on that. Read more about this hairstyle here!

Skills: braiding
Materials: one elastic
Difficulty: easy

March

Twisted Edge Fishtail

3.5.15 twisted edge fishtail (x)

Not gonna lie, this one was pretty hard. Technically, it wasn't too difficult (thank goodness) but controlling the strands was a ride. It might be a personal problem due to the slickness of straight hair, but not having someone to hold the strands out of the way and keep the braid tight was not the easiest thing. With all the hair mixing together, some errors were inevitable. Thankfully, there's so much going on in this hairstyle that you wouldn't be able to tell unless you knew it was there or were paying scarily close attention. Read more about this hairstyle here!

Skills: fishtail braiding
Materials: one elastic
Difficulty: hard

Merged Braids

3.13.15 merged braids (x)

For the longest time, I have been experimenting with combining different types of braids but it never occurred to me that it could be this simple. Putting two different braids side-by-side? What a concept. I can't believe how I could've missed this. That being said, this one can be a difficult one to get right. It's really up to chance. Depending on where you start merging and how well your bridge pieces flow, it can really make or break this hairstyle. Read more about this hairstyle here!

Skills: regular braiding, fishtail braiding
Materials: two elastics
Difficulty: easy

Fan Favorite

#tbt Feathered Braid

3.20.15 #tbt feathered braid (x)

I asked a lot of people for their vote and they delivered! Thank you to everybody who voted, especially the ones who I didn't personally extend an invitation to. I know I'm usually hesitant to participate when I don't think I'm included but trust me, everybody is included when voting for the favorite #hairoftheweek. While I'm not surprised that this was the winner, I still don't know why this one was so popular. I'm not complaining though. This is good if you're in a rush after a shower and your hair is still damp. I'm considering wearing this one on vacations when I don't have time to sit around, waiting for my hair to dry. Read more about this hairstyle here!

Skills: feathering technique
Materials: one elastic
Difficulty: easy

Bonus

#tbt Braided Braid

3.28.15 #tbt braided braid (x)

Where do I begin with this hairstyle? It means so much to me for so many reasons. By posting it on the first anniversary of #hairoftheweek, I only made it more significant. This hairstyle holds many great memories. In fact, any time I wear just the ponytail, I'm reminded of that trip. I had so much fun wearing that hairstyle, it's been immortalized in my personal Hall of Fame. I could literally go on and on about this hairstyle, but I think I did enough of that in my original blog post on this bonus #hairoftheweek. Read more about this hairstyle here!

Skills: French braiding
Materials: three elastics
Difficulty: easy


I had a lot of fun this season. I think there was a good variation in difficulty but I did notice I was partial to side braids, especially fishtails. While I don't mind, I want to have a greater array of hairstyles in future seasons. They're harder to photograph but I want to be able to provide a wider range of hairstyles for you to choose from. Tell me what you want to see in the future! Spring 2015 has already kicked off over on Instagram and don't forget to go back and like any of the hairstyles you missed from this last season!


Talk to you soon!

xo, Yvette