So, braids are having a bit of a moment aren't they? Until recently, when I thought of braids I thought of the face stretchingly tight pair of french plaits that my mum gave me whenever there was a dance show or someone in my class got nits. Oh the glamour.
But you only need to look at Pinterest, or any blogger's Instagram to know that braids are back, and it looks like they'll stick around a while. Over the last month or two I've been experimenting with braids a lot more (more on that soon) and I've assembled a small army of products and tools to help make complicated hairstyles so much simpler.
Let's talk products first. There are two occasions when I tend to go for a braid, the first being when my hair is freshly washed and I haven't had time to style it. Freshly washed hair is a total pain in the ass to braid, it lacks the texture and grip necessary to make chunky, messy plaits, it either sits perfect and super tight to your head (a la nit braids), or it falls out. See, nightmare. However, I've literally found the perfect solution, and it comes in the form of Bumble and Bumble's Texture Undressing Creme. This stuff was made for braids and messy bedhead styles I'm sure of it. I take a tiny amount, the size of a pea, and run it through the lengths of my hair. It feels quite tacky but it dries and just makes your hair feel thicker and grittier. Perfect. It also offers a bit of hold too, so when you pull apart your braids to make them look messier.
Also good for this scenario, the V05 Give Me Texture Texturising Spray. This stuff is the drugstore equivalent of the purse achingly expensive Oribe Dry Texturising Spray, and it's fantastic. I like to spritz this into my finished braid before I pull it all apart, and it just makes it look a bit better.
The other braid necessary occasion is when my hair really should have been washed already and I just didn't do it. Bad Jaye. But you know, it happens, and on those occassions it's all about the Co Lab Rio Dry Shampoo, which smells great and doesn't leave a powdery residue in your locks.
Hairspray is of course, a given, I love the Fudge Urban Iced Vanilla and Raspberry Hairspray, because not only is it a great hairspray (there's not much to say about hairspray is there?), it smells FREAKING AMAZING. Seriously.
Moving on to more tool-y things, first off, these tiny little elastic band hair bands, they are amazing for braids. I always pick up the clear ones from places like Claire's Accessories, and they're just great because you can't see them in your hair. Especially if you're doing something where you are pinning the braids up, they're invisible and they don't leave lumps in your hair either!
Also handy are these big hairdressing clips, I got mine from Sally's Beauty Supply, but I'm pretty sure you can get something similar in Boots! These are great for when you're only braiding a section of your hair, they hold everything else back! Easier to clip in and out than using a hairband (and they're great for blow drying too!).
And lastly, I find that if I'm wearing my hair in a simple side braid, or just braiding a section of my hair, I want a little more volume in the roots of the rest of my hair, so I've been taking to my mane with a Backcomb brush. Again, I picked this up in Sally's for about £2, and it's great, I just use this to tease the roots of my hair at my crown, to make it look less sleek!
That's everything I can think of! Is there anything that you find essential for braids?
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