An Easy Braided Bow Tutorial

Just because your favorite beanie or wide-brimmed hat might be easing into constant rotation, cooler temps don’t have to limit the creativity you employ with your hair. Below we’re sharing a simple braided bow brought to you by the same talented lady who taught you how to master this summer’s braided crown.

Read on for Cara McLeay’s easy step-by-step hair tutorial that we think would perfectly dress up anything from sweater to sweatshirt.

What you’ll need:

XO Styling Iron
XO Styling Beach Hair Texturizing Spray
XO Styling Radiant Weightless Finishing Oil
Clear Elastics
Ribbon

Directions:

1. Spray Beach Hair Texturizing Spray generously through your hair. This will help protect against the heating tool and give you some extra volume and texture. You can also run a vey small amount of Radiant Weightless Texturizing Oil through your hair (especially the ends) that will also help to protect against heat. For best results, spray the Beach Texturizer & use the Radiant Weightless Finishing Oil in wet hair before styling.

2. Create soft beach waves using the XO Styling Iron. To curl, place the XO Styling Iron at a 45 degree angle, close the plates, spin it once towards you and gently glide it down to the bottom of your hair, and release. Repeat until all of your hair is curled.

3. Next, take a small piece of hair close to your face, twist behind your head, and repeat on the other side, tying the two pieces together with a clear elastic. To hide the elastic, take the tail that you’ve created and place it behind the elastic, flipping it underneath.

4. Braid the tail that you’ve created, and instead of using an elastic, pull up on the end of the braid with your fingers (like backcombing) to keep it in place, no elastic needed! To give it that effortless look, slightly pull on the braid to make it more undone.

5. Take your ribbon and tie it around the braid as well as a small section of hair from underneath your braid, and tie in a bow.

6. Finish your look with XO Styling Radiant Weightless Finishing Oil by using a small amount to tame any flyways and seal the ends of your hair. I like to put a small pump in the palm of my hand and rub it in my hands before running it through my hair to ensure it gets evenly distributed.

7. You’re done!  You can spray a small amount of hair spray if desired.

**Darling readers receive a special Discount Code on all XO Styling products. Enter code XODarling at checkout to receive 20% off your order!**

Images & Styling via Cara McLeay; Products in partnership with Mode