The Secret to Incredible Braided Hairstyles

FP Me babe Lindsey Pengelly shares the secret to her amazing braided hairstyles…

We’ve all seen them, we’ve all envied them at some point. Those thick, gorgeous braids that seem to permeate our Pinterest and Instagram feeds, the kind of braids that seem so easy in theory yet so impossible to achieve in execution. Just how do they do it? To get some answers, we turned to none other than our own FP Me babe (and hair guru) Lindsey Pengelly, who is almost always sporting a few fishtails or French braids of her own.

Lucky for us (and you) she was kind enough to share her secret weapon for achieving next-level braid status, and it’s way simpler than what you might expect. Get ready because all you need are some clip-in extensions and some practice. Read on for her tips and to learn how to recreate two of her signature styles. Take it away, Lindsey!

IMG_5026

For these hairstyles I used Hot Head Tape-In Hair Extensions in the front of my hair to create a big boho-style fishtail braid. Below you can see the tape-in extension, which lies flat against your head and is super comfortable.

I have two clipped in on one side, two on the other, with one placed underneath the visible clip. Nearly everyone’s hair is shorter in the front than in the back, so I always use four extensions to even them out.

IMG_4696

It’s essential to identify the best way to curl your extensions so they look natural and blend with the rest of your hair. In the photo below I grabbed the extension and added in my own hair. Always hold the curling iron upside down, open the clamp, then wrap your hair around the barrel. Hold out about an inch of your hair. and move the curling iron up and down to stretch out the curl to create waves that will mimic the natural hair.

IMG_4685

Look One:

IMG_4745

IMG_4722

Step 1: After curling all of the hair, I wove a normal fishtail braid using the front two extensions, secured it with an elastic and pulled it apart for a fuller look. Without these front extensions, the braid wouldn’t be nearly that long!

IMG_4737

Step 2: When doing a messy bun I won’t put up all of my hair at once; I take my hair piece by piece and fold it into my other hand, which creates texture. By also pulling up the extensions on the other side, the bun will look thicker.

IMG_4762

Voila! So simple but so detailed.

IMG_4962

My sister already owns fairytale princess hair and therefore does not need extensions. BUT, she’s always wanted to add a little contrast to it, so I used my color extensions in the front of her hair to add dimension.

IMG_4930

The Crown Fishtail Braid is my absolute favorite! It really stands out, mainly because of the color depth created by the slightly darker extensions!

IMG_4769

Step 1: Grab a section of hair at the top of your part, including the front extension.

IMG_4799

Step 2: I made a Dutch fishtail… similar to a normal fishtail but, instead of braiding the strands over each other, they weave under one another.

IMG_4879

Step3: PULL APART! This will help to create texture. And because the hair (both yours and the extension) is all one length, it will not fall out no matter how much you pull!

IMG_4837

Step 4: This is what the first braid looks like. Repeat steps 1-3 on the other side of your head.

IMG_4902

Step 5: Pull the fishtails to the back of your head, and place one underneath the other. For my sister’s hair, I used several bobby pins to secure the braids. I also used bobby pins to to mask the elastics.

IMG_5142

IMG_5045

IMG_5101

Get the look: Border Print Dropwaist TunicHybrid Heel BootEasy Cable V Neck Pullover

Pictures by: @t_kern
Follow Lindsey on Instagram at @lindseypengelly and @salonluxreno

+Tell us how you perfect your favorite hairstyle in the comments! 

5 1 vote
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
25 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
8 years ago

Both of the looks are my favorite :). Seriously… these braids to an excellent job of showing off highlights and lowlights.

Beautiful. Makes me wish I had my long hair back.

Sara k
8 years ago

I’m obsessed with this girl! Serious hair envy love the looks

Cal Renee
8 years ago

Beautiful!

8 years ago

was so happy when i saw this post, love lindseys hair tutorials. so creative!

http://www.thewhimsicalwildling.com/

So gorgeous! Will definitely try these braids!

http://www.theglamgreengirl.com

Parker
8 years ago

I love Lindsey!

Stacie
8 years ago

Lindsey is the cutest!! I do hair myself and am obsessed with all her blissful braided creations!

Marsha
8 years ago

I’m one of Lindsey’s clients, not only is her art of hair beautiful, but she is beautiful from the inside out and always makes me feel beautiful when I leave the salon. I’m grateful Iv gotten to know her!

8 years ago

So so stunning!

Taylor c
8 years ago

I love when I see her on the blog!

8 years ago

Love the tutorial

Vicky
https://vickysscrapbook.wordpress.com/

8 years ago

These hairstyles look amazing :)

xo-marie.blogspot.com

8 years ago

Wow, they both are amazing!

http://carinazz.blogspot.com.ee/

Anna Christine
8 years ago

these are so great.. obsessed!

8 years ago

Hi, I love these hairstyles! Amazing photos too. Very well done tutorial!
Ashley@ http://www.korabstyle.com

Janine
8 years ago

Nice tutorial and very nice pics congratulations, that braids look fantastic and are very versatile.
Janine on http://www.mispeinados.com/faciles/

Tori shepherd
8 years ago

Does anyone know what brand hair extensions she uses?

7 years ago

Amazing info for make a beauty haircut, amazing web thanks a lot.

http://cortesdecabelloparacararedonda.com/el-peinado-de-jessica-alba/

7 years ago

I must say that this braid hairstyle tutorial is quite simple to follow. Though I don’t have very long hair but I would give it a try with my short hair. Good job :)

7 years ago

Nice! Very creative!

7 years ago

Nice tutorial and very nice pics congratulations, that braids look fantastic and are very versatile.

Ann
7 years ago

Thank you for this tutorial. Love that!

6 years ago

woo-hoo! looks great.

Laura
6 years ago

What a good collection of hairstyles you have. I love them all and this fine I try some, thanks !!

Laura en https://lospeinados.com/faciles