#hairoftheweek: Faux Half Shave

I hope you're liking my originals because this season is setting a new record. I'm so glad I actually prepared ahead of time because amongst this chaos we call school, I don't have to worry about coming up with a #hairoftheweek. I can just pull from all the hairstyles I have saved up! Not procrastinating really does pay off. This week's #hairoftheweek gave me a chance to pretend to be edgy for a day while showing off my ear cuff. Two birds with one stone, ya know?

The Process:

This hairstyle has been on my radar since Spring 2015. It was around the time when I started looking into ear cuffs (and actually got my first one for my birthday!) that I saw this interview with the hairstylist for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 talking about her inspiration for Natalie Dormer's character's hair. Don't get me wrong -- I love #hairoftheweek but even I am not that committed. I knew that if you braided tight enough, you could get all your hair really close to your scalp so I did just that. That also gave me an opportunity to showcase my ear cuffs! They're one of the only accessories I wear so I think it's fair to shine a spotlight on it every once in a while.

The Tutorial:

As with all the other hairstyles in this season so far, this one is super easy. It's as basic as it gets, really. (1) Part your hair to one side. I prefer my ear cuffs on the right so that's the side I went with. (2) Start Dutch braiding, loosely following the curve of your hairline. Try to keep it as tight as possible so it gives the illusion that all that hair's been shaved off when you're looking at yourself straight on. (3) When you get to the base of your head, stop adding in hair and finish braiding the length of your hair. (4) If you don't want to tuck the tail away, you can leave the tail out. It'd look super cute with waves or some sort of texture in your hair. If you opt to hide the ends, you can shorten the length of your tail by ending the braid earlier (or braiding all the way down then going back and putting another elastic in where you want it to stop if you're unsure about your measurements). (5) You're done if you choose to leave the tail out but if you want your tail tucked, you gotta tuck it. Take some bobby pins and hide it under some hair. (6) Sweep everything to the side that your braid is not on and pop that ear cuff on!

The Result:

10.21.15 faux half shave (x)

I chose the edgiest (very literally) of my ear cuffs. Don't forget to give it a like on Instagram if you haven't already!

The Verdict:

I would be lying if I said I didn't feel super cool all day. It is so not me that it felt like I was playing a character. It was also very empowering for when I was taking my accounting test. Income statements? Retained earnings? Nothing me and my "half" a head of hair can't handle. I did have an issue with keeping the tail pinned to my head, though. I think it had something to do with the fact that it was positioned in a place that's almost always in motion. There were also small pieces of hair from the bulk of it that kept falling over to the "shaved" side so I would probably see if I could do something with my part or the pieces of hair I choose to include in the Dutch braid when I do this hairstyle in the future. Overall, I'd suggest wearing this hairstyle with a mean look on your face and strut. People will get out of your way.


This is simultaneously a statement 'do while being so simple. The Faux Half Shave is not as universally appropriate as previous Fall 2015 #hairoftheweeks (which you can read about here, here, and here) but it's definitely a fun one for any informal situation. As always, follow xo, Yvette via email or via Google+ in the sidebar! Let me know what you think of the Faux Half Shave in the comments and definitely tag me if you try this hairstyle yourself!


Talk to you soon!

xo, Yvette