#hairoftheweek: Half Up Mini Fishtail

We haven't been in May for long, but it has already been so generous. We've had a handful of bright and, more importantly, warm days, but that's not to say we haven't also had our share of rain. In fact, the day I wore this hairstyle, we went from borderline summer to massive thunderstorm. Lightning and all. It was quite the eventful day.

The Process:

When I asked around for hairstyle suggestions, a response I got more than once that it had been a minute since I had done a half up. Your wish is my command. There are so many ways to do a half up hairstyle, it amazes me that there are still ones out there that I haven't thought of. It's even more surprising that they are so simple! There's no reason for me to not have thought of this hairstyle myself. Thankfully Missy Sue came to the rescue and showed me the light.

The Tutorial:

Is today arm day? With this hairstyle you bet it is. I would advise stretching before beginning.
(1) Brush all your hair and section off the hair at the top of your head, using your temples as a guide.
(2) Smooth it out and make sure you don't have any bumps before tying it off.
(2a) This is an optional step I skip because it never works for me, but you can take a small piece of hair and wrap it around the elastic to hide it.
(3) Split the tail in half and braid one inverse fishtail stitch.
(4) For all the subsequent stitches, incorporate a small piece of hair with the strand, starting with the loose hair next to the braid and gradually moving out towards your temples. This probably makes more sense in the video.
(5) When you've added in all the hair above your ears, do one or two more stitches before tightening the braid. I do this by holding on to one section and combing it with my fingers, then repeating on the other side.
(6) Tie it off and and gently pancake the braid (or vice versa if that's what you prefer).
(7) If you have any pieces that are too loose, bring in the bobby pins to do some damage control.
(8) To finish it off, you can wrap hair around the elastic, pop in a hair accessory, or curl the loose ends. I opted to brush it. It's versatile like that.

The Result:

5.4.17 half up mini fishtail (x)

I lost the signal and put you away... Don't forget to give it a like on Instagram if you haven't already!

The Verdict:

If you know what you're looking for, you can see my attempt at repairing my rookie mistake. I did not tighten the braid enough before pancaking it. If you're doing any sort of Dutch braid (but especially with a Dutch fishtail), this has the potential to be a fatal mistake and it didn't even occur to me as I was braiding. I will chalk it up to my heavy, heavy arms. Fortunately I didn't have to redo my hard work. All I needed was a couple bobby pins to bring in the loosest pieces underneath the fishtail. This hairstyle is versatile and nice for everyday if you have a little bit of extra time to actually do a fishtail. Doing this hairstyle for a few consecutive days would probably get your arms as toned as they've ever been.


When my arms recover, I will give this one another go. What did you think of this hairstyle? Share your thoughts in the comments below! It's a step above a back-to-basics hairstyle so it's fairly easy and is a great way to spice up any outfit. As always, don't forget to follow me on Instagram to stay up-to-date on #hairoftheweek and remember that the person with the most first likes gets an extra vote for Fan Favorite! Better get on that soon while it's still up for grabs!


Talk to you soon!

xo, Yvette