Braids and festivals go hand in hand, a perfect pair for both aesthetic and practical reasoning. Whether it’s a braid's organic weaved nature, or the festival ground's sweaty, dusty, hot and humid conditions that inspire a look to keep your client's hair out and off of their face and neck, it’s easy to see why a braid is the perfect way to prepare clients for a weekend of fun.
“I think it’s an absolutely beautiful way to showcase the strength of hair, the beauty of hair, the edginess, the softness. A braid can be just about anything, it just depends on how you work it“, says TIGI Professional US Session Director Adriana Papaleo (@adriana_papaleo), who demonstrates how to create festival looks using fish tail, corn row, two strand rope and five-strand braid techniques. Watch the process below:
Tips:
- Braiding on damp hair will create a tighter and cleaner look so, for festival styles prep on dry hair and aim to add lots of texture and plumpness. Papaleo used TIGI’s Superstar Queen For A Day thickening spray on dry hair and followed by drying it into the hair with a hairdryer. To reinforce texture, TIGI’s Oh Bee-hive! matte dry shampoo was then sprayed throughout and blasted with a hairdryer to eliminate excess powder and residue.
- When picking your braid pattern and sectioning at the crown look at your clients natural parting. By starting on their hairs preferred part it will add to the styles originality and organic feel.
- Use a rat tail comb to select your braid sections and allow it to zig-zag. This will help the braid sit more naturally and help with hiding partings later.
- The smaller the pieces are within your braid, the more intricate it will look.
- To add variety with your braids, play with deconstruction, stacking, deep diagonal partings in your section patternand even braiding together other braids (in the video, Papaleo braided three two strand rope braids into a simple three strand), all of which can make your style interesting and unexpected.
- To deconstruct your braids, pulling from the same part of the side of the braid all the way through will give a flatter more consistent shape, while twisting and pulling from different levels will give some twist and tweak.
- Finish with hair pins (not bobby pins) to pull together lines and hide partings.
- Set your braids with a high shine hairspray for a wet looking shine. Papaleo used TIGI’s Masterpiece Hairspray.
About: TIGI Professional US Session Director Adriana Papaleo is a NYC based hair stylist, session artist and advanced educator. She works in editorials and fashion weeks both in NYC and abroad.