Milkmaidin’

April showers bring….FRIZZ!!!

I actually love the rain, but I hate what it does to my hair. I’ve been on the lookout for new hairstyles I can try to keep my hair out of my face, especially since my hair has grown out a ton since last spring. I came across Blair Fowler’s tutorial on YouTube and thought it looked easy enough, and tried it free-hand one morning when I had a few extra minutes before work. I LOVED the result, and apparently everyone else did too! I got so many compliments on my hair that day (#humblebrag) and had a ton of requests for a tutorial on Instagram.

By NOOOOO means am I a beauty expert or even moderately qualified to teach people how to do hair and make-up. But I think that’s what makes me a good example: if I can do it, you DEFINITELY can! 

Hopefully these pictures are helpful, and let me know if you give it a try!

Step 1: Brush out your hair and split it into two sections, as if you’re going to do regular French braided pigtails.

You could easily use a texturizing spray before trying this look, but honestly it holds just fine for me with a few hundred bobby pins and some day-old hair. If your hair feels a bit too clean, give ‘er a spritz…my favourite texturizing spray is Bumble and bumble Surf Spray (I know, so uncommon). 

Step 2: On one side, do a Dutch braid all the way to the bottom and secure with a clear elastic. Pull your braid pretty tight, as we’ll be loosening it later…it’s better to have to loosen it then try to tuck away pieces that are falling out later.

What’s a Dutch braid…?  A Dutch braid is the same as a French braid, except instead of weaving the sections over one another, you’ll weave them under…it may be tricky at first to train yourself out of a French braid, but having the braid sit on top of the head is super useful for all kinds of styles. Now you knooooooooowwwww… (Bill Nye? Anybody? Nobody.)

Step 3: Dutch braid the other side as well, but start at the nape of your neck and braid up the side of your head towards your ear.

This was the hardest part for me, and probably takes the longest to figure out. It took me a zillion tries to figure out what was the best angle to approach the braid, and which way was “under” while weaving. Through trial and error you’ll figure it out! Remember: with this look, it’s okay to be a bit messy and unkempt! 

Step 4: From here you’ll be left with 2 braids going in opposite directions. Pause to play with them, and then gently pull the braids apart to give them some texture and increase the size.

I have a ton of layers so they tend to poke out a bit, but it just adds to the messy nature of this look. You can always pin back the major chunks. 

Step 5: Once your braids are the way you like them, it’s time to pin the ends in place. Connect the braids and tuck each end into the opposite side; be sure to hide the elastic within the braid, and pin away!

This is where dirty or textured hair may come in handy; you don’t want those braids going anywhere, so do your best to strategically secure and pin. Also, please excuse my super chic bandaid…

TA DAAAAA! Once the look is in place, feel free to mess up the braids a little bit more and pull out some face-framing pieces. Hairspray will definitely be your friend if you want this baby to last for an extended period, but if you did your job bobby pinning then it should stay put; mine lasted for my entire work day no problem.

Enjoy your milkmaid braids!  They can be super casual or elegant, depending how you choose to wear them. Orrrrr you can just wear them at home in your living room and take selfies like I do…to each her own!