Ask A Las Vegas Stylist: Three Easy Braided Hairstyles

The Daily Meal Staff|July 8, 2014 7:00 am EST

Choosing a hairstyle in the hot summer usually involves a ponytail holder and some bobby pins. You don't have to throw your hair up into a boring ponytail to keep cool. A braided hairstyle is the perfect way to put your hair up while adding an element of style. Hope Shoemaker of Sam Villa's HairShow has put together three easy braided styles that can be worn for work, a night on the town or an elegant summer wedding.

hopeshoemaker Ask A Las Vegas Stylist: Three Easy Braided Hairstyles

Hope Shoemaker (Credit, Sam Villa's Hair Show)

Hope Shoemaker
Sam Villa's HairShow Blowout Bar
LOOK Style Society
6539 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Suite 110
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702) 712-4345
www.look-stylesociety.com

Hope is a Dean's List graduate of Paul Mitchell The School. After graduation, Shoemaker became a stylist in Florida. Her success there led to an opportunity of working for the Robert Cromeans Salon at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Hope joined Sam Villa's HairShow Blowout Bar located inside LOOK Style Society at Town Square Las Vegas as part of the opening team. She loves braiding and her go-to styling tool is the Sam Villa Textur Iron. The unique waving tool creates long-lasting volume in a unique way. These braided hairstyles are inspired by the boho chic look and use SamVilla's unique love of texture.

You can increase the volume of these braided hairstyles with a technique called scrimping. Section clean hair and use a thermal spray to protect hair from heat. Use a Sam Villa Textur Iron to randomly tap down each section of hair, until the entire head is texturized. The texturizing iron will expand the cuticle and add body to your hair.

Braided Bardot

Set your part where you naturally wear it. Separate the sides by combing hair off the face to where it naturally splits. Create a circle with your hands and place the circle in your crown area for a visual guide. Use a tail comb to separate the hair and use a clip to secure it. Divide the bottom half of your hair into three sections. French braid each of them and cross the braids around the head and pin together. Using a long hair pin, anchor the crown piece into a secure bun. Spray with hairspray to set.

The Mohawk Braid

Create the mohawk section by separating your fringe area by placing your index fingers at the corner of your eyes pointing up. Pull a triangle section from the fringe (front) through the crown to the back of your head. Secure this section with a clip. Pull the side into a smooth low ponytail. Take a small section of hair from the underneath of the ponytail and wrap around the base to cover the elastic and secure with a hairpin. French braid the top (the mohawk piece) and then lay the braid over your ponytail and attach it with a hairpin. When using a hairpin, start by placing the pin thru the shape in the opposite direction, then secure it back toward the desired shape using a hook movement.

Three French Braids

Texturize hair if desired. First, section your hair and sides, starting by creating a triangle section at the top and going all the way through the crown to the back of your head. Next, French braid each of the three sections and secure each of them with a clear elastic. Then, braid the three braids together, secure with an elastic and tuck the ends under the large braid and secure it with long hair pins.

Christa Emmer is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in broadcast journalism. She has experience as a news writer, editor and producer in television news. Christa has been a Las Vegas resident for more than 20 years. Follow her on twitter @ChristaEmmer. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.