How to make this updo? - french braids

[MasCat]

Hi!

A friend of mine really likes the updo of this bride. As far as I can see it's three french braids, pinned up.
http://www.timeofjoy.eu/portfolio/magda__tomek.html
(you can click through the album ,there are some gorgeous photos there)

What I don't get is how to make them so "poofy" looking - that is how to get bigger hair under the braids and have them look loose, but still neat... do you think the hair was curled prior to braiding?

My friend has thick yet very fine hair, on the curlier side (I don't know her hairtype but loks like a 2b-2c to me)

So - brainstorm time, ladies :D (and gents of course :P)

[MeganE]

I don't know. Her hair looks to me like it's got that the dried poofy texture you get with badly damaged hair. The updo itself is just the braids, and if the texture is different from your friend's, I don't think there's much you can do to make it look the same. I guess if it was me, I'd be looking for updos that complement my natural texture.

ETA: That is profoundly unhelpful. If I really loved this look, I would probably be using mousse and gel and blowfrying it and hair spraying it to try to mimic the texture. Then it's just about artfully parting and braiding.

[CurlyCap]

It looks like very loosely braided crown french braids. Some droopiness could be done on purpose by decided how tightly to braid certain sections.

But I agree that some of the texture is just the brides hair. Whether it's damaged (my guess is bleached leading to a rougher texture) or just her natural texture, I don't finer, smoother hair could hold such loose braids on it's on.

But maybe if your friend make focused on one crown french braids and added sparkly hair pins to highlight the 3-dimensional nature of hairdo?

[longNred]

Looks to me as if the braids were pulled loose prior to being secured, maybe a little like this: http://www.crochetclouds.com/2011/10/braided-bun-tutorial.html

What beautiful photography on that wedding!

[Wildcat Diva]

I have seen Lilith Moon videos on you tube where she plumps the braids up by pulling on them after braiding. Her hair is fine textured.

[Madora]

Looks like pancake technique..i.e. very loose braiding wherein each crossover is slightly "pulled apart" to create the loose look.

[gonzobird]

What kind if texture does your friend have? I agree her hair looks damaged, but dirty hair and a bit of product could do mostly the same thing. Clean hair is flat. I prefer my hair on day 3. More texture. Better up do days.
and yes..... gentle pulling apart the braid makes it look bigger.

This girl does it all the time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCdXiKsdLMs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[akilina]

Yes to get that look you would just braid very loosely and maybe even pull on the braids a lil bit here and there once its done like separate them a bit if that makes any sense.
What a pretty up do thanks for sharing

[Lady Neeva]

Then it's pulled under, by the looks.

[Tisiloves]

For the texture try spraying some dry shampoo on dirty hair, that tends to give a bit more poof.

[Anywhere]

I must be looking at a different photoset, because the one I see doesn't look like poofy extremely damaged hair. It reminds me a lot of my hair. Baby hairs and frizzies (probably from plumping up the braids). :shrug:

I think some mousse would help with the volume, but I can't figure out how the braids work. I guess it might be tucked under like a tucked french braid, but at the same time I can't help but feel that the flowers in her hair might be hiding the ends of the braids, or even holding on to the tucked-in ends.

If your friend has thick hair I think some gentle tugging on the braids alone would work, but if she doesn't mind products then I think it would look better with mousse or hairspray or a texturizing paste of some sort.

[torrilin]

On my hair, I'd soak my hair but not wash it (I'd guess around day 2 or 3 hair, right now in the 4-6 range my scalp starts getting somewhat greasy). Add leave in conditioner as "curl creme". Smear a small amount on hands, scrunch in, repeat until I have some wave formation. Then do the same thing with alcohol free hair gel. Let air dry. It will dry faster than normal due to the product. This will give bigger hair and can even make it look like my hair has actual wave sometimes for more than 15 minutes. (technique taken from Jessicurl's Pahoma video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7KCldodunk)... I don't use their products, but the video was super helpful for technique)

When it's dry, I'd gently section it for the 3 braids. IMO a mixture of French and lace braiding was used, and they probably were pulled for additional puff. I'd probably do the smallest braid first (least pulling), then the "big" braid on the opposite side of the head (lots of pulling), and last the center braid (probably some pulling, but nothing extreme).

Since my hair is waist, not APL, I'd probably have lots of excess braid, and some sort of vortex or infinity bun variant would be needed to eat length and provide a perch for the hair flowers.

I'd probably also get pissed off and end up with my hair stuffed in a Celtic Knot in pretty short order. My patience for complex braiding is fairly low :).

[WaterMusic]

I would put it in some sort of large curlers the night before, on damp and somewhat dirty hair, to give it more poof. Maybe headband curls? Something like that.