The beauty equivalent of a Rubik’s Cube, the milkmaid braid can be deceivingly tricky. If you’re anything like me, you’ve tried mastering the feminine hairstyle, only to end up embracing your non-so-feminine qualities: random bursts of obscenities, your hands a crumpled mess in the nest of hair on top of your head, and eventually kicking your bathroom counter in frustration (this also happens when my hand slips while I’m applying mascara).
Considering the fact that I’m still trying to master the fishtail braid, I quickly realized that no matter how easy Lauren Conrad makes it look with her vintage filter photos and video tutorials, my milkmaid braid always seems to look like it was inspired by the Bride of Frankenstein.
Drastic times call for drastic measures, and while I don’t condone cheating on an exam, on a spouse, or in a casino, I cheated my way to a milkmaid braid updo in less than 30 seconds. Here’s how:
What You’ll Need
- A synthetic braided elastic headband in the same shade as your hair colour (I got mine at H&M for $5).
- A handful of bobby pins
- Hairspray
Step 1
With your hair down, slip the elastic headband over the crown of your head. If you want a bit of volume in the back, puff your hair up slightly at the nape of your neck.
Step 2
Starting with the hair around your face, tuck two inch sections of hair behind the headband. Once you’ve worked through one side of your hair, switch to the other side. Then finish off by tucking any leftover hair at the back.
Step 3
Secure your updo with bobby pins and hairspray.
The great thing about this sneaky updo is that even if you have clunky gorilla hands, you can’t mess it up. If you get stuck, just keep tucking your hair behind the headband.
And there you have it! You look like you should be in a field, surrounded by cows.
