August 28th, 2019

Braids, Twists + Waves Tutorial

By Makenna Ashley

Hello gorgeous ladies! Makenna here again to share a beautiful tutorial with all of you. Now, if you've seen some of my previous posts on the Cashmere Hair blog, you know I'm typically all about "the quicker the better" when it comes to hair.

Being a mama to two cute girls, I'm more than likely to spend 5-10 minutes or less on my hair. However, when I do get a few extra minutes to get ready, or am trying to get dolled up for a date night out with my hubby, you better believe I take full advantage! I love getting to spend a little extra time to do something that's not so typical for me, and the result always makes me feel extra special.

For today's tutorial, we're going to be adding in a nice chunky braid, and a couple elegant twists, paired with loose, textured curls. It is a style that I would love to wear with a bright summer dress, and strappy sandals. Let's get started!

1. Brush out your extensions

I really like to do this before I get started with styling to eliminate any tangles along the way. The way I like to go about doing this that seems the most effective, is to gather all of your extensions into one hand, and brush out all together with the other. Doing this step is crucial to doing the style with ease so don't leave this out!

For reference, I wear and love the shade Pale Ash Blonde, and mine are the 20". I am 5'11" so these may look a bit longer on someone with a shorter height than myself!

2.Divide hair into layers and place the extensions

I start off with my lowest layer and work my way up. First, I'll place the three larger wefts in. Then, since this style has a heavier need on the left side of my part, I will place an additional two smaller wefts where I'm going to be braiding. Keep in mind you'll want these smaller wefts about an inch and a half away from the front of your face, so that when you start braiding your wefts remain hidden.

3. Create a deep side part

This step isn't totally necessary, but I do feel it gives the hair style that added element of drama and romance.

4. Create your dutch braid

A dutch braid is simply when the pieces are woven underneath one another rather than over top. This type of braid really adds a pop and extra volume. When I want a braid to really stand out and be the eye catcher of the style, I will do a dutch braid rather than the regular braid.

The dutch braid is also really fun to pull apart or "pancake." All this means is you simply tug on each strand to create more of a volumized effect. Pulling out the pieces will give more depth and also make the braid appear much larger.

Once you've completed this step, just tie off the braid with either an elastic or a clip to make sure the braid doesn't unravel while doing the next step!

5. Twist the front section into a twist

Now, the key to this is to keep the two pieces you are twisting, separate. If you mesh the two together, you won't get the same effect and it will not hold in place very well.

In the same way we pulled apart the dutch braid, you'll want to do the same with this twist. This step is what really makes the twist come alive and super gorgeous!

Grab a small section from the opposite side, twist and then join the three in the back with a clear elastic!

6. Curl your hair

For these curls I used a 1.25 inch barrel, but you can also use a 1" barrel. Curling all of the pieces away from my face, I would alternate the curls using two techniques. The first would be your traditional curl, the second being wrapping the hair around the barrel. I love mixing these two styles to achieve the beachy, undone curls.

You can finish off with a hairspray, texture spray, and definitely don't forget to spritz the Cashmere shine spray on your ends for added shine! That spray makes my extensions so shiny and healthy looking - I love it!

I hope you loved this hairstyle as much as I do, and if you have a few extra minutes to get ready let us know if you give this one a try! Did you know you can tag @cashmere_hair on Instagram and you may get reposted?! How fun!

I sure hope you've been enjoying your summer whether it's brought rest and relaxation or crazy summer schedules, remember you can always find joy in each of your days! Hope you have a lovely day and we'll see you in the next post!