A MORE PHOTOGENIC BRAID

PIC OR IT DIDN’T HAPPEN. In this wild world of social media, braids have become more and more of a “must” on every fashion and beauty instagram, facebook, pinterest and twitter feed. If you don’t have photos of braids and flowers, you’re probably missing out on a whole lot of likes. While I can’t help you in the floral department, I can help you learn how to create the most photogenic braids! Here are my favorite tips and tricks…

• Forget about the classic french braid for photos. Yes, itt’s gorgeous, we know that, but most of it’s texture potential is hidden on the inside. The bulk of it gets tucked in when you do a regular french braid, so stick with inverted French braids (aka: Dutch braids) instead when it comes to photos.

 

• See the difference? The “bulk” of the braid is on top of the hair instead of being tucked in. If you prefer the classic version, knock yourself out! I don’t discourage that! It’s just not able to get as fat as the inverted one.
• Wash your hair with something that will give it a little texture. I like THIS SHAMPOO and THIS CONDITIONER for building a good braid foundation!
• Prep the hair with a product like a LIGHT HOLDING MOUSSE or an OCEAN SPRAY before blow drying or air drying. You don’t ever want to prep with something too sticky or it will be too hard to braid.

 

• Learn how to “pancake” or gently pull your braid apart. This will help fatten it up. When you do this on an inside-out-braid/inverted braid, the fullness you can achieve is amazing.
• Always have plenty of TEXTURE POWDER on hand. Sprinkle a little on top of the braid before you pull it apart. I’ve talked about this in nearly every braid tutorial I’ve ever done. It’s my favorite technique. The powder has a lot of grit and really helps to keep the braid from falling apart when you’re tugging at it.

 

• Don’t be afraid to pull the braid out to the max! If a couple little pieces fall out of place, let them or tuck them back into the braid!
• Always have THIS TEXTURE TOOL to get that extra texture-y glow. You may remember it from THIS POST! If not, read up!

 

• Another thing you should always remember is that placement is important! Look at this before and after for example. The braid up top is the same as the braid on the bottom, the one on the bottom just runs closer to the ear and the hairline. If you’re trying to get a good photo of a braid without turning full profile, braid a little closer to the front or the hairline.

• The fact of the matter is that braids just photograph better on dark hair with highlights or lighter hair because you see more depth. Now, am I saying braids are not gorgeous on darker hair? Not at all. In person I think braids on darker hair colors are classic and beautiful, but sadly we all know that texture-wise, they just don’t read as well in a photograph. You tend to lose the look in a photo because you don’t see all the twists and turns of the braids as well on solid or darker hair colors. This post is about how to get a more photogenic braid, so I’m not telling you that you should color your hair, I’m just saying adding in a couple lighter extension pieces like we did in THIS POST may help you get a stronger braid photo for your beauty blog or feed!

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