The Final 2 Hairdos and…a Giveaway!

Guys…this is one of those months that I’m really sad to see go. If you haven’t been able to tell from my Instagram feed, I’ve been having a ton of fun playing with my hair all month and it’s gonna be a major bummer not to have an excuse to give myself a fancy hairstyle every day.

Here’s my final list of styles I tried out from Braids, Buns, and Twists!:

  1. Sock Bun
  2. Angel Braid
  3. Braided Headband
  4. Bobble Ponytail
  5. Messy High Bun With Braid
  6. Triple Braid
  7. Triple Twisted Bun
  8. Heidi Braids
  9. Twist and Pin Bun
  10. Fishtail Braid
  11. Upside-Down Braid Bun
  12. Quiffed Ponytail
upsidedownbraidbun

Upside-Down Braid Bun

quiffedponytail

Quiffed Ponytail

dansbun

Dan had bun envy. Who wore it best?

So, that’s a wrap. I still have plenty of styles dogeared in the book though so you’ll probably see a hair-inspired selfie pop up here and there. Until then, I’m off to my next challenge—more on that later though.

Before I officially send this challenge on its way, I have a fun surprise for you guys…a giveaway! The first 3 people to comment on this post will get their very own copy of Braids, Buns, and Twists! courtesy of the kind folks at Chronicle Books.

Ready, set, go!

Fishtail Fails…and an Eventual Win

I’ve been wanting to learn how to do a Fishtail Braid forever but never took the time to figure it out until the other night. We had the Grammy’s on, and since I’m incapable of sitting still while watching TV, I decided that it would be the night that I conquered this tricky little braid.

I’ve been fairly successful this month at the hairstyles I’ve chosen so it was a little hit to my ego when I failed at this one—over and over again (and more times than are pictured). But eventually I figured it out—for the most part—and I’m psyched to have this style under my belt.

Practice makes perfect friends, or at the very least least, practice makes better.

fishtails_type

Looking to try it yourself? This Lauren Conrad video is what finally made it click for me.

Q & A With Christina Butcher, Author of Braids, Buns, and Twists!

Through the magical connecting powers of the internet, Chronicle Books, who published Braids, Buns, and Twists! caught wind of my little hair challenge and were gracious enough to offer to arrange a little Q&A between Christina Butcher, the author of the book, and I. So cool, right? So without further ado, here’s my mini-interview with Christina Butcher, the beauty and brains behind Hair Romance, and Braids, Buns, and Twists!

Danne: Do you have a natural knack for doing hair or did you teach yourself to become a hair goddess (i.e., is there hope for the rest of us)?

Christina: I’m completely self-taught and I really only learned to do hair in last few years. I don’t consider myself particularly coordinated so it is definitely possible for anyone to style their own hair! It does take practice and starting with the easier styles will help build your confidence.

Danne: Do you come up with most of the styles for your blog or do you gather inspiration and ideas from outside resources?

Christina: I find inspiration in so many places. Sometimes I’ll just be playing around with my hair and work out a new style. I also get inspired by fashion weeks and celebrity looks, then try to adapt the styles to work in my hair.

Danne: What’s your go-to hairstyle for when you’re short on time but need something that looks really put together? Conversely, when you do have the time, what’s your favorite “showstopper” style that wows people every time? 

Christina: My go-to hairstyle is the donut bun. It’s so quick and easy to style. It doesn’t matter if your hair is messy to begin with and you instantly look more polished (and taller!). My favorite hairstyle is the waterfall braid because it’s such a pretty and romantic style. It never fails to get compliments when I wear it. The waterfall braid is a lovely half up style that I can wear in curly or straight hair.

Danne: What do you do when you’re not helping people make their hair pretty—or has Hair Romance become a full-time gig for you?

Christina: I work with my husband and together we run Mr & Mrs Romance and I manage Nail Romance and Hair Romance. I get to write about beauty, travel and style across all the sites which I love. I also work as a speaker and consultant about blogging and social media.

Danne: If your 16 year-old self could see you now, do you think she’d believe that this was what was in store for her, or does it somehow all make sense?

Christina: No way! I had a lot of bad hair days when I was 16 but I was really into photography and I think that’s one of the reasons Hair Romance has been so successful. I was always quite entrepreneurial so running my own business was definitely a goal. Luckily I had a life changing haircut when I was 20 and learned to love my hair so Hair Romance was born!

Love, love, love this book

Love, love, love this book

Christina Butcher, author of Braids, Buns, and Twists!

Christina Butcher, author of Braids, Buns, and Twists!

The aforementioned Waterfall Braid, Christina's favorite hairstyle

The Waterfall Braid, one of Christina’s favorite hairstyles

 

 

 

Twist and Pin Bun

This one turned out pretty cool, but I had a hard time feeling psyched about it because I failed at 2 different hairstyles before giving up and trying it as a last resort. 1 outta 3 ain’t bad though, right?

The styles I couldn’t manage to pull off were the Crowning Braid (my hair is too effing long and pinning it up just looked like crap) and the Gibson Roll—which I really just can’t figure out for the life of me. Grrr…

Is anyone out there a master of the Gibson Roll? I’m in need of some pro-tips because I’m determined to check it off the list before my Braids, Buns and Twists challenge is over. Anyone, anyone?

twistandpin

Pay no attention to that bobby pin sticking out from the middle…

Heidi Braids

Or as I like to call it, the most perfect yoga hairstyle ever. Not only does it keep my hair up and out of the way, but the back and top of my head are free and clear for poses like savasana and headstand. Namaste, Heidi Braids, you are a yogini’s dream.

heidibraids

In other hair related news, I got my first haircut in 6 months—woohoo! This month’s heavy hair focus brought to my attention that it was looking a little scraggly on the ends so I had it trimmed up yesterday afternoon and I’m as good as new. The timing was perfect too because I finally went down to the Secretary of State (aka the RMV/DMV) and got my Michigan drivers license today. Since I miraculously looked like a supermodel version of myself in my Massachusetts license photo (when does that ever happen? Never!), I was pretty bummed to have to retake my picture, but I think the new one turned out pretty well. I’ll be sure to post when it arrives in the mail.

And no, Heidi Braids was not my license photo hairstyle of choice. I erred on the side of caution and opted for a simple blowout—I mean, I like Heidi Braids, but I’m not sure if I want to look at them every time I order a glass of wine for the next 4 years, know what I mean?

A Family That Braids Together…

Yesterday we went over to Dan’s parents house for a family brunch and of course, I brought Braids, Buns, and Twists! (I’ve taken to carrying it with me everywhere) so all the girls could play. I wish I had snapped a few shots of the finished products (we had a Triple Braid, an Angel Braid, and a Crowning Braid), but this shot of us in action will have to do:

The "Braidy" bunch, as the rest of the family called us

The “Braidy” bunch, as the rest of the family so cleverly nicknamed us

Dan's 9 year-old niece Eve working on her braiding skills.

Dan’s 9 year-old niece Eve practicing her braiding skills on me. After this Simple Braid, she did an amazing Triple Braid (which is a braid made out of 3 smaller braids) on me, which I regret not taking a photo of because it came out pretty awesome.