With hairstyles like – undone and messy– popping up in the hottest hair stories these days, it’s no wonder that folks are moving on from the braid to the simpler but just as stunning knot hairstyles.

It’s all about easy hair right now and there are only two strands needed for the knot, instead of three in the braid. Although there may be some of us who struggle to make a perfect braid, everybody can make a knot. Plus, they can be timely and chic, especially if you just have a few moments to spruce up.

Image: Beauty Snap

The style above is perfect for day or evening hair and works superbly on second-day or unwashed hair. Instead of dressing up your wavy style with an iron, again. Just knot it.

To get the look, pull a section from each side, twist it and tie into a knot. Place your bobby pins, directly into the base of the knot to hide them. Make a second loose knot beneath your first and pin again.

[Note: To ensure your bobby pins actually stay in, criss cross them in an X shape for added hold.]

Click here to get the full step-by-step tutorial on this hairstyle.

To take the same style hairstyle to the next level, keep going with your knots as you move down the head to achieve the style below.

Image: Beauty Snap 

Want the detailed step-by-step on the style above? Click here.

Use the knot on a timeless bun to make it fresh and current. Gone are the days of the perfect ballerina buns, in are the days of the knotted bun.

Image: Marilyn Jenkins/Flickr

To get this affect, pull dried hair back into a low pony. Make a knot with the tail of your pony and pin with bobbies. Leave a few soft pieces out to give it an effortless modern twist.

Natasha Sunshine-Antonioni is a Hairstylist and Beauty Expert, Pureology Brand Ambassador and founder of www.Beauty-Snap.com – a quick tip beauty site for the woman on the go. Natasha’s had the opportunity to work on the tresses of celebrities and models alike including Molly Sims, Ivanka Trump, Stephanie Seymour, Eva Herzigova, Dean Mcdermott and Gael Garcia Bernal, as well as being featured on The Rachel Ray and Tori & Dean Shows. 

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The post Are Simple and Elegant Knot Hairstyles the New Braid? appeared first on EcoSalon.

For the woman who covets the fun and funky braid hairstyles of her youth and has no idea how to pull it off, here are some great braid styles.

Short braids, long braids, loose braids, tight braids. The procession of best braids in my mind reads like a Dr. Seuss picture book, with an assortment of lovely styles on parade. Tragically, my braiding skills are about as adept as a cat diving into a pile of yarn—something happens, and it usually involves a lot of tangles. Maybe because this skill has always been completely beyond me, I’ve always loved elaborate braid hairstyles.

Or maybe my early obsession with braids is 1000% because of this.

Throughout my life, the second I had longer locks, I was asking someone to braid my hair. But as I got older, I started dialing back on the Heidi-inspired braid hairstyles. Yes, this was partially due to my own braiding skill level (see: cat/tangled/yarn), but it was also because I was working. As a woman in a TV writer’s room, you already walk in with a giant “Judge Everything about My Appearance” sign over your head. Fun and quirky hairstyle went the way of my soul, crushed under the heel of Hollywood.

And for the record, if you’re proudly sporting elaborate braids in the courtroom or under your surgeon’s cap, rock on. But for the woman who covets the fun and funky braids of her youth and has no idea how to pull it off, I am you and you are me. Because as I got older, my braids became smaller. Subtle. A wisp here, a strand there. They practically disappeared.

And then my niece Katherine was born.

Katherine, you see, is a braiding savant. If she were a chess player, she’d be Bobby Fischer. If tennis were her game, she’d be Serena Williams. Now that she’s a teenager, she can spend a few minutes in front of the mirror and emerge looking like she wandered off the set of Lord of the Rings.

In case you doubt me, I recently showed her a picture of the Khaleesi braids from Game of Thrones. She appeared a half hour later, sporting this braid hairstyle.

It is possible that she has dragon eggs hidden somewhere in her closet.

Katherine and her nimble teen fingers have become my ambassador back into Braid Land. So I recently asked her to share her thoughts on braids, her favorite styles, and to remind us why braids are completely awesome.

ES: Katherine, tell us why you think braids work so well as a hair style.

Katherine: Well, I like braids because if I’m not wearing a fun outfit, I can wear fun hair. French braids are the best because you can tweak them, making them messier, tighter, or whatever you want. You can really make them your own.

ES: Good point. How do feel when you’re doing braid hairstyles?

Katherine:  When I do them myself, I feel proud. And it’s fun when my friends like them too, because it makes me want to share them. So I really like to do my friends’ hair too. It’s something I can do to help them to feel good about themselves.

ES: That’s such a good reminder for us Olds—fun hair makes you feel good. So let’s talk style. What’s your favorite braid for long hair?

Katherine: I have pretty long hair right now, so I like to wear it up out of my face. French braids always work well, because I can wear them with a bun or a pony tail. It’s great for summer. Lately, I’ve really been into the Fishtail braid. Here’s a great video showing you how to do one.

Also, I think a really great style for longer hair is the corset braid. It’s a big more formal and subtle, and I think can work well on grown-ups. Here’s my favorite video showing how to do it.

ES: Love it! So what is your favorite braid style for short hair?

Katherine: I really like the headband braid for short hair. And you don’t even need a lot of hair to do it. Here’s a video that shows you how to do a really cool one.

ES: What about a braiding style like cornrows? Can you do that on long or short hair?

Katherine: You can do cornrows on both! Here’s a good video on how to.

ES: Say you were going to wake up 35-years-old tomorrow. What style would you choose?

Katherine: I really like the nested side braid. It’s very simple and you can wear it for any occasion.

ES: Even at the office?

Katherine: Why wouldn’t you want to feel good about yourself at work?

ES: Excellent point, Katherine. Excellent point.

photo credit: chantel beam photography via photopin cc

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As we hurtle towards Labor Day, the sweaty summer season is only going to get well, sweatier. Here at EcoSalon, we’ve given you wardrobe and make up ideas to beat the heat, but how about some tips to tame your tendrils?

There has been a notable anti-straightening iron movement for the past few years in hair in favor of more natural-looking textures. The loose and beachy waves du jour are the perfect accessory to summer’s carefree looks, but when it gets truly hot and sticky out there, even the most perfect waves experience wipeout.

It’s tempting to want to chop it all off. But there’s an undeniable predilection for repunzel-like long locks right now. Thanks to layered cuts that add movement and volume to longer hair and celebrities, like Demi Moore, turning the ridiculous notion of age-appropriate hair length on its head, hair that reaches the mid-back is beautiful for all.

If you’re determined to remain sane and hang on to your mane in this summer’s epic battle of hair versus humidity, how about trying herringbone or fishtail braids – a sophisticated, on-trend solution to keeping your hair out of your face.

There are lots of tutorials on how to do fishtail braids online, I liked this sexily-voiced one. The trick to keeping the effect cool girl – not school girl – is to wear them deliberately loose and messy, teasing out volume on top and a few strands to frame your face.

A side swept style complements every face shape by helping to offset unsymmetrical features. A deep, statement making, retro part will perform the same trick. For a finished look, pull a piece of hair from the underside of the tail and wrap it around the elastic as many times as you can, securing it with a bobby pin or adorn jauntily with eco hair accessories.

I’ll attest to finding it a bit fiddly at first – it’s one of those things that gets easier with practice, which is just as well because come fall, those braids are getting decidedly more polished (check out hair guru Orlando Pita’s guide to creating Doo Ri’s fall catwalk look seen above) along with a return to sleeker hair textures.

It seems that fashion’s frisky self-referential cycle has become so short that even the pin straight hair of the mid-nineties, straightened then to accompany Tom Ford’s seventies redux, is now considered vintage and ripe for reinterpretation.  So before you arm up with your straightening arsenal – dryer, irons, paddle brush – dressed in high-waisted flared pants and once again wrestle your locks into long, straight, face drapes à la Jerry Hall (pre Mick), it’s time to embrace your natural texture, twisted, twirled and braided into summer’s hottest trend, tended tendrils.

The post Taming Summer Time Tendrils appeared first on EcoSalon.

I have never had a bad hair day. Also, if you look out your window, there are unicorns dancing about on rainbows. Why? Because we’re in fantasy land! My days are mostly made up of bad hair days, primarily because I work from home and am rather – unmotivated to style my hair. Seriously, the other day I ran out to the bank and happened to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I looked like the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz, but without the cute hat.

But you don’t have to suffer bad hair syndrome! Check out these sweet, quick hairstyles for when your hair won’t cooperate – or when you’re just too unmotivated to do more. (We’ve all been there.)

Ponytail

How to do a ponytail? This action is so second nature that it’s almost difficult to describe – gather hair with both hands, hold with left hand, snap band into place with right, pull through, and smooth. Ponytails, which were clearly invented as a gift from the gods, are the staple of gym workouts, hot days, and even the red carpet. All hail ponytail!

Braids

Technically, a braid, or plait, is three or more strands of hair interwoven to create a textures length of hair. Called the “ultimate hair do for summer,” braids are making a big comeback for both red and home carpet events. They add awesome texture to plain ponytails, messy buns, and up-dos.

Pigtails

A grown woman’s relationship with pigtails can be complicated. Frankly, I’m not a fan of them on anyone over the age of 12. But millions of pig-tailed women would disagree. Loose, messy pigtails can be a cute look some women. Check out these “grown-up” pigtails that can provide an elegant edge to a childhood classic.

Messy Twist

Has this ever happened to you? Without thinking about it, you throw your hair on top of your head – and find that you’ve somehow magically created a professional updo that could only be replicated by a team of expensive stylists. Sometimes carelessly putting your hair up in a comb or band can create a look worthy of hours in a salon chair. Check out the “lazy-girl updo” featured here.

Chignon

Chignon can be the last word in elegance, but they can be a little more complicated to create. For a comprehensive guide to chignon, check out these excellent tips for an easy low updo. Want further inspiration? These messy chignon are an excellent choice for a hot summer’s evening, because they still look great even when they start to fall apart. And who can argue with this “hair off the neck” elegance?

Images: fauxto_digit, obo-bobolina, littledebbie11, Sarah G…, Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Commons

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