#hairoftheweek: French Twisty Bun

I actually put a little bit of effort into all my outfits this week and that is enough of a victory for me to call this week a success. I'm also riding that calm post-test wave so it's been smooth sailing. Gotta enjoy it while it lasts. Who knows when it'll be ripped from my hands?! (Looking at you, 8am business law.) At least I know that when it happens, my hair will be looking fantastic.

The Process:

As I was drifting to sleep last Friday, I conjured up an image of an updo in my mind that didn't end up working. I just that idea as a foundation over the weekend to come up with the French Twisty Bun. I don't want to give away what the original idea was just in case I end up making it work in the future but trust me, it looks really cool in my head. One of the failed incarnations of the mystery hairstyle looked a bit like a rope braid so I took that element and ran with it.

The Tutorial:

You have the option to wear this hairstyle in a bun or a ponytail and on #hairoftheweek day I actually did both so it's been Yvette-tested and approved. (1) The first thing you want to do is to section off the chunk you want to go into your rope braid. This isn't a problem if you don't mind the messy look but I like having clean lines. It also helps if you tie up the rest of the hair that won't be going into the twist. (2) Take two sections at the front of your chunk and start rope braiding. It's a weird angle to be rope braiding so this hairstyle might be for the more advanced rope braiders out there. (3) Before you start your next twist, add hair in. This technically makes it a French twist but that's a separate thing and naming this hairstyle that would just be confusing. (4) Rope braid to the crown of your head and continue for another inch or two before tying it off. (5) Pull all your hair into a ponytail. When you're satisfied with the placement of everything, you can untie the little rope braid tail. (6) If this is the end of the line for you, you're done and you have a cute ponytail for your day! If you're opting for the bun, tease the ponytail a little and bun it up. Once you've got that up and pinned to your head, you're ready to go!

The Result:

10.26.15 french twisty bun (x)

You can't see the volume from this angle, but take my word for it -- it's there. Don't forget to give it a like on Instagram if you haven't already!

The Verdict:

I love that this bun looks like you have a poofy pompadour but if you look at it the right way, the light will hit the twist and you can tell it's much more than just some teased hair. I didn't do any teasing and it stayed up all day. The rope braid did get looser as the day progressed but that might've been because I kept messing with the ponytail/bun. Twisting tighter may remedy this problem but I'd suggest not going to too tight because you can see that bald spot on my head and it was not tight at all. The tighter you go, the larger and more glaringly obvious that spot will be. Other than that, I have no complaints. I think it looks timeless and it's great for any occasion.


Rope braids are so cool (like how awesome is it that they work?!) so I might experiment with them more to see if there's anything else I can come up with. If you missed last week's #hairoftheweek, check it out here! As always, don't forget to follow xo, Yvette on all the usual platforms (in the sidebar) and let me know what you think in the comments below. Definitely tag me if you recreate this hairstyle!


Talk to you soon!

xo, Yvette