f you’re a friend on Instagram (hi! let’s be friends!), you’ve probably met my other friends: Patricia, Barbara, and Betty. Or, rather, Patriciaaaa!! Baaaarbara! And Betty,” sung to the tune of the Schuyler Sisters from Hamilton. 😉 Growing up, my second grade teacher told my mom that I would change my hairstyle no less than three times a day. I’ve always liked to mix it up and have never shied away from trying something new, from a new color to a new cut, so this truly surprised no one. But for as much as I lovelovelove a funky braid…I have not been #blessed with the braiding talent of many an Instagram hair girl. You know the ones – the girls who get on camera and make magic happen on their heads, with these chunky, beautiful, perfect braided buns or braid headbands that look like Pinterest come to life. It ain’t me, friends. It ain’t me. For as much as I’ve practiced, it has unfortunately not made perfect (yet), and I’m perpetually calling my girlfriend Taylor asking, “Wait, do I go under here or over? Is this French or Dutch??” SOS. Your girl needs easy hair tricks if she’s going to personally pull off anything beyond basic.
Fast forward from second grade to now…and I’m a mom. And clearly time is an even hotter commodity nowadays that’s in even shorter supply. If I manage to whip wet hair into a Dutch braid before bed I’m a lucky girl. So…meet my favorite easy hair hack.
The fake braid headband.
Truly, the essence of “fake it ’til ya make it”…and if ya can’t make it, just keep fakin’ it! 😉 Because Lord knows this fake braid headband fools literally EVERYONE it meets. And for not even $20 on Amazon, it’s an easy hair hack that saves SO MUCH TIME and SO MUCH MONEY since you won’t have to go to hair school to make it happen!
Not playing favorites in the family…but my favorite sister is Patricia. She’s the oldest, but also just the best. And I think she looks the realest, too! I kid you not, she has fooled EVERY. SINGLE. SOUL who has seen me wear her on my head (and yes, she’s a “her” at this point – ha!).
Everyone from our handyman family friend (whose wife has owned a hair salon for decades) to girls at the grocery store – fooled ’em all. I’ve literally been stopped and asked, “WOW, how did you do your hair like that?!” And they’re so shocked when I say it’s fake that they need me to prove it. So, withohut further adieu…
Meet Patricia:
I have only gotten messages of obsession from those of you who have already grabbed your braid headband of choice – truly an easy hair trick for the masses! They come in a variety of shades and colors so that you can find the best match for your hair color; I wear the shade “chocolate.”
Patricia in action…
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At a wedding! The perfect party guest! 😉
Patricia is my favorite since she works just as well with an up-do as down. This particular braid headband isn’t AS sleek or tight as the other two, so it works especially well for a slightly more casual, toned down look. I lovelovelove how it looks with my go-to curls – and then once in place, I just pull at any bubbles that may be bigger than others to even everything out and get it exactly how I like it!
For a slightly different vibe, there’s this one that’s a multi-strand braid headband – who I fondly dubbed Barbara. 🙂 This one is actually a few dollars less, too! Because of how sleek the strands are in this one, I personally like it styled better with straight hair or light, loose beach waves like I did below. (Fun fact: I slept with my hair in an actual Dutch braid to achieve these beachy waves.)
Here’s Barbara:
Aaaaand Betty!
This last braid headband of mine is a fishtail; normally if/when I fishtail braid on myself, I pull it out a bit and tease it more for a looser, more disheveled and casual look. The Amazon listing looks more pulled out, but mine came more put together and a tighter braid. I’m guessing you can tease it out a bit yourself – I just haven’t tried it yet!
Aaaaaand that’s it! My 10 second easy hair hack that instantly uplevels any hairstyle to something more fun, chic, and polished. For not even $20, it sure beats an expensive blowout or salon up-do! I’m forever a fan.
Do you love this easy hair hack? Have you tried a fake braid headband yet?
