You Got This: Five DIY Braids

If you think carefree summer days when you think braids, think again. Braids can be timeless and will transition seamlessly from one season to the the next.
“Braid styles don’t really differ much from summer to fall,” says celebrity hairstylist Gabrielle Corney, who has worked with Gale King, June Ambrose, Rachel Roy, Selita Ebanks, and Adrienne Bailon. “Some women like to wear braids during the summer months to beat the heat and combat humidity, while others like to tuck the hair away for the fall and winter months.”
Now that the cool air of fall is slowly creeping in, we want to offer some braids styles that will enhance your style and keep you fly all through fall.
Accessorized Center Braid
Don’t limit yourself to head bands, wraps and pins; reach for a piece of gold ribbon and either loop it through your braid or braid it into your single braid. Not into ribbons? Follow the lead of the always-stunning Jonell Monae and add some hair rings to a center braided mohawk with slick edges. Gabrielle’s favorite product to use when styling braids is Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla Edge Control Smoother: “it smoothes hair that may creep out and also lays those edges.”

TRY:
Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla Edge Control Smoother ($8)
Antique Gold Satin Ribbon ($8)
Hair Rings ($12)
Micro Box Braids
This staple has gotten a revival, thanks to stars like Gabrielle Union, Yara Shahidi, and Tia Mowry, who’ve been spotted rockin’ their micro box braids in chunky fishtail braids and goddess-like crown braids. Gabrielle loves fishtail braids and crown braids for fall and generally uses very little product to style the hair. She recommends Carols Daughter Lisa’s Hair Elixir Fortifying Scalp Spray for “refreshing the scalp while wearing braids or after you take them out.”

TRY:
Carols Daughter Lisa’s Hair Elixir Fortifying Scalp Spray ($22)
Girl + Hair Clarifying ACV Rinse ($17)
Girl + Hair Leave-In Conditioner ($18)
Top Knot Braid
Celebrity stylist, Tarryn Feldman, loves Danielle Bradbery’s new album cover that features a top knot braid. Tarryn recommends using pomade or a dry shampoo when doing braids: “I need the control of a paste and the texture of a dry shampoo.”

TRY:
BioSilk Silk Therapy Dry Clean Shampoo ($17)
BioSilk Silk Therapy Finishing Spray: Firm Hold ($20)
Kevin Murphy Powder Puff ($38)
The Lazy Girl’s Single Braid
This is possibly the easiest braid style to pull off for fall. Make like the ponytail princess, Arianna Grande, and work a few braids into a high pony. Take it a little further and do a top knot accented by your single braid. If you have big bouncy curls or an afro, a couple of braids in the back of your hair, accented by some hair jewelry, will give you a serious Boho moment. The possibilities are endless with a single braid or two. If you have shorter hair or textured hair and want to try this trend, Gabrielle suggests, “stretching out the hair with a blow dryer and using a little oil and/or moisturizer. It elongates and smoothes, which makes shorter lengths easier to gather into a braid without excessive tension.” Skipped the hair braiding tutorial? don’t fear, pick up a few pre-braided pieces to get the look hassle-free.

TRY:
Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Featherlight Styling Cream ($26)
Ouidad Mongongo Oil Multi-Use Curl Treatment ($38)
Curls Blue Berry Bliss Curl Control Paste ($9)
Braided Crowns and Fishtail Braids
Tarryn and Gabrielle both agree that fishtail braids and braided crowns transcend seasons. “Loose braiding styles like a fishtail look great on fine, straight hair. This technique gives you the option of pulling it apart to create volume which is great for less dense textures,” explains Gabrielle. Tarryn recommends adding hair, using a texture iron or back-combing the roots to add volume to fine hair before braiding: “It’s amazing how much thicker you can make your hair look with little tricks!”

TRY:
Clip in Hair Extensions ($136)
Bed Head Little Tease 1″ Tourmaline Ceramic Crimper ($30)
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray ($22)