Easy Side Braid Tutorial
Try out this easy side braid tutorial below!
Hair styling has never been my strong suit, but I am slowly but surely mastering one hair style at a time. I’ve figured out the art of using a curling iron, and I can whip my hair into a chic bun in five minutes flat. Despite being skilled at half a dozen styles, I am helpless at braiding. I’ve watched hours and hours of YouTube hair tutorials and spent countless hours in front of the mirror trying to recreate my favorite styles from Pinterest with no luck. I can’t ever seem to keep the strands of the braid separate while braiding, and I lose my place at least once every few seconds. Even when I can somehow manage to successfully create a braid, my thin and fine hair slips out of the style in minutes.
This fall, I decided to seek professional help for my braiding problem. I visited my friends at my local Hair Cuttery salon and brought in a few pictures of braided hairstyles that I liked for inspiration. I asked the stylist to recreate one of my favorite styles, and I asked about a million questions as she completed each step of the braid. She was kind enough to answer all of my questions and gave me fabulous suggestions on how to solve my braiding dilemmas. While I’ll never be a pro at advanced braiding techniques, I did learn one trick that has completely changed my braiding game! Today I’m sharing the miracle product that my Hair Cuttery stylist shared with me and an easy side braid tutorial that’s perfect for fall. If you’re a horrible braider like me, don’t worry. Despite looking somewhat complicated, this side braid couldn’t be easier. If you can do a simple three-strand braid, I promise you that this hair style will be a piece of cake to recreate!
Easy Side Braid Tutorial
Before You Begin: Before we start braiding, let’s start with the basics. All fabulous hairstyles need a fabulous base. Prep your hair with a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner combo, like the Cibu Color Shampoo and Conditioner, and add a moisturizing treatment and smoothing cream before blowdrying your hair. Two of my favorite styling products for this step are the Cibu Shine Squad Argan Oil Treatment and Cibu Shimmer Smoothing Cream keeps hair looking and feeling healthy. All of these products are available at Hair Cuttery, and I’ve loved using them over the past year. In addition to creating a smooth and shiny base for your hair style, these products will keep your hair looking and feeling healthy all year long! If you want to learn why I love these products, check out my in-depth and honest review of Cibu products here.
Step 1: Now that your hair is smooth, shiny, and ready to go, it’s time to add some major volume. My hair stylist at Hair Cuttery informed me that the reason why my braids always fell out was because my thin and fine hair was just too slippery for braiding. Plus, the lack of grip makes it harder for my hair to maintain volume, which means that my braids often look disappointingly thin and wimpy. And that’s where my new favorite hair product comes in to save the day!
Meet Puff Me Volumizing Cloud Mist, your new best friend. This tiny bottle packs a big punch in the volume and texture departments. Simply lift up small sections of your hair around the top of your head and spray in a small amount of Puff Me on your scalp. This fine white powder gives your hair an incredible amount of grip, which makes volumizing incredibly easy and effective. Plus, the added texture has the perfect amount of stickiness to help your braids stay in place. After using this product for the past week, I can safely say that I will never attempt another braid without it! I am so, so happy that my Hair Cuttery stylist convinced me that I need this product! It’s a game changer and definitely one of my best beauty purchases of the entire year!
Step 2: Massage the Puff.Me Volumizing Cloud Mist or your desired texturizing / volumizing powder into your roots thoroughly. Your hair needs to be extremely voluminous to create a thick and chunky braid, so take your time and really pump up the volume by massaging the product into your scalp and fluffing your hair. My hair is extra thin at the moment because I just had a baby (slowly losing my thick and voluminous pregnancy hair, whomp whomp), so I added clip-in extensions to add even more volume to my hair. Keep in mind, adding hair extensions is totally optional and may not be necessary depending on the length and thickness of your natural hair.
Step 3: Braid a small section of hair along the top of your head. Be sure to choose a section of hair from the side where you’d like the braid to fall. Pull the section of hair towards the back of your head as you braid to ensure that it will lie flat in step 6. Tie off braid with a clear hair elastic.
Step 4: Gather the remainder of your hair (leaving out the first braid), pull it to the side of your head with the first braid, and complete a standard three-strand braid. Tie off braid with a clear hair elastic.
Step 5: Use your fingers to pull apart each section of both braids. Keep pulling and fluffing the braid until it reaches your desired thickness. In my opinion, this braid looks better when it’s messy, so be sure to thoroughly pull apart each section before moving onto the final step.
Step 6: Pull the small braid to the back of your head and secure with two or three bobby pins. I recommend using bobby pins that are a similar color to your hair to ensure they’re not noticeable. Then, finish the look by tucking the end of the braid underneath the back section of your hair and securing with two or three additional bobby pins.
Outfit Details: Floral Ruffle Dress (currently on sale + available in several prints) | Nude Lace-Up Pumps | Taupe Saddle Handbag (under $40 + available in 5 colors) | Rose Gold Beaded Tassel Earrings | Mauve Lipstick
And that’s it! With a few simple steps, you’ve created the ultimate fall hairstyle. Despite its intricate appearance, this easy side braid only takes minutes to complete, and it will make any fall outfit look better. I loved pairing it with this fun ruffle dress and nude lace-up heels, but I’ve also had fun wearing with ripped jeans and a baggy sweater over the past week.
I’m already planning my next trip back to Hair Cuttery because I am in desperate need of a haircut, and I’m seriously considering updating my hair color for fall. If I do decide to color my hair, I’m thinking about also trying the REDKEN pH-bonder treatment. It protects and repairs your hair while it’s being colored, so you can refresh your hair color for the season without adding extra damage. You can also get hte REDKEN Color Extend Bonder Kit, which is a 3-step system that allows you to maintain the treatment at home after your hair service. The best part? You can get $10 off this kit when you purchase any color service at Hair Cuttery. If you’d like to learn more about this new service, check out the HC blog. P.S. If you visit Hair Cuttery in October, be sure to take advantage of their Healthy Hair Event, where you can get savings and special offers on your favorite salon hair brands!
As always, Hair Cuttery has helped me on my quest toward good hair! You can find a local Hair Cuttery salon here and keep up with the latest HC news and events on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Shop Today’s Affordable Fall Outfit Idea
Are you good at braiding? Do you change your hair each season or maintain a consistent look?
