• 2 years ago
Transcript
00:00 Hi everyone, I'm Courtney Bright. I'm the Senior Social and Digital Editor at AmericanSlot.
00:05 I'm super excited today to be here live in New York at the TG Academy with the USF Sessions Director Adriana Papaleo.
00:11 How are you?
00:12 Good, how are you today?
00:13 Good! And I'm excited because we just got back from Lollapalooza, which was super exciting in Chicago last weekend.
00:19 And you are the Brave Queen. That's how we left the weekend.
00:23 Thank you.
00:24 So, speaking of Braids, you're going to be showing the audience some braids today.
00:28 Yeah, a lot of different braids.
00:29 So, I'm in love with braids. If you've ever met me, you know that.
00:33 I just think it's an absolutely beautiful way to kind of showcase the strength of hair, the beauty of hair, the edginess, the softness.
00:40 A braid can be just about anything. It just depends on how you work it.
00:44 So, at Lollapalooza, yeah, it was all about the festival hair, which ultimately was all about braids.
00:48 And I'll be behind the camera. You guys, if you have any questions, please ask them and I'll let you get started.
00:53 Thank you.
00:54 Okay, so as I mentioned, the festival hair is really all about the braids.
00:58 But what I really wanted to do was make sure that people didn't all look the same.
01:03 It was about taking the inspiration and the fun of festival hair, which ultimately for me is inspired by being dirty, sweaty, and having a great time, and making that unique for each individual.
01:13 Some people like it softer. Some people like it a little bit stronger and dirtier.
01:17 So, today, our model, Lucia, she's got absolutely gorgeous hair, as you can see.
01:22 I've prepped her hair with just a little bit of Queen for a Day for timing's sake.
01:26 So, I applied that on dry hair and then dried it into the hair, so that way you get a bit more texture on the surface.
01:33 That, for braids, especially when you're going to deconstruct them, allows the hair to have a bit more texturing grit to it.
01:40 From here, at this point, it looks beautiful, but I still know it's not going to have the amount of texture that I need.
01:47 So, I'm going to go in with a bit of the Bed Head O'Beehive, which is the dry shampoo.
01:52 Again, on dry hair, even though her hair is nice and clean, and what that's going to do is give me even more grit and texture.
01:58 I'm going to be very loose and apply it very organically.
02:03 If there's one thing I can say about this style, about festival hair, and about summer hair in general, it is really all about being organic.
02:16 Okay, so giving a good coating to the hair. You can see it kind of plump up.
02:20 And there is a little bit of powder on the hair, just because I'm spraying it so closely.
02:25 However, we're going to hit it with the dryer on the hot setting, and that will just eliminate all of that.
02:30 (Dryer blowing)
02:46 When you're starting to approach, you're going to need a dryer to get it going.
02:53 We'll wait.
02:54 (Dryer blowing)
03:05 Now, would you use dry shampoo with someone who had thin hair as well?
03:11 That's actually a great question. I would use it even more.
03:15 So, the dry shampoo is what's going to plump up the hair and give it the texture and the support for the style.
03:20 So, if somebody, if you're trying to approach this where they don't have the massive mounds that Lucia has, adding that dry shampoo is definitely going to help swell that hair.
03:28 Okay, so now at this point, when it comes to approaching a very organic, natural style in this manner, I'm really looking at the model herself.
03:36 So, I'll turn her around.
03:38 She's obviously beautiful. That's easy. So, that makes it that much easier on me.
03:43 But I kind of look to see where the hair naturally wants to split.
03:47 Is it going to be a center part? Is it a side part?
03:49 For today, we're going to do a side part because that's the way the hair is naturally falling.
03:53 And I want this to be, again, natural and organic.
03:56 So, from here, I'm thinking about, alright, what's my inspiration?
03:59 I want to make sure that no person walks away looking exactly the same at any moment.
04:04 And also, I'm inspired by certain things on my own.
04:07 So, I'm going to be working, instead of what generally happens, which is working everything away from the face, I'm actually going to be working more down on the vertical.
04:15 That's going to automatically make it more progressive and different than something that people have seen before.
04:20 So, we're going to start on the side and I'm going to kind of spin her around in this direction.
04:25 And real quick, Ashley has a question. She says, "I've had a lot of problems with braiding finer hair textures.
04:31 Besides the tip you just shared, are there any other tips you could give for finer hair for it to look thicker?"
04:36 It's definitely all about the prep.
04:38 So, the dry shampoo is great, but it's not necessarily going to kind of do everything that you need it to.
04:44 So, one thing that I would recommend is using maybe something like the Queen for a Day or the Small Talk or Motor Mouth,
04:51 which is a more cream-based product, which is going to help to achieve the thickness inside of the hair as well.
04:57 So, those are two things.
04:59 Also, you can work with things like back brushing if that is kind of going to suit the texture of the braid itself.
05:06 But you also want to remember that in a situation like this, if you had a strong base at the root,
05:11 you wouldn't be able to get the braid all the way down to the scalp.
05:14 Thank you.
05:15 Thank you for asking.
05:17 Okay, so at this point, if you notice, I'm using my rat tail comb, my pin tail comb, whatever you call it, wherever you're from.
05:23 And at this point, I'm making sure that that parting is very organic.
05:27 Okay, it's all about that zigzag.
05:29 That's going to allow the braid to sit naturally, and when I separate it, you're not going to see as much of the partings.
05:36 So, I'm going to begin at the top.
05:39 And on this one, I'm going to do a right side, so an inside on the scalp fishtail.
05:46 So, ultimately, I'm going to end with two strands.
05:49 But at this point, just to make sure that it doesn't feel like a separation at the top, I'm going to start with three,
05:55 like an everyday three-strand braid.
05:58 I'm going to cross over and cross over, and so now that becomes my two strands.
06:07 Okay, so at this point, I'm going to just pick up, and I'm working very organically.
06:12 In order to keep a fishtail on the scalp, you're picking up as you would with any other braid,
06:17 and you're taking a small piece from your side and bringing that whole thing over, keeping that in two.
06:26 Okay, again, picking up, and I'm working on a slight diagonal back.
06:31 So, what that means is I'm looking at Lucia's hairline, and I'm using that as my guide for my sectioning pattern.
06:38 So, that way, again, when I pull and deconstruct that apart, that's automatically going to sit with the hairline.
06:43 Okay, again, I have my section.
06:45 Here's my piece.
06:46 I'm taking a small piece from the piece on the right.
06:50 I'm bringing the slice I added, as well as everything else, over to the left.
06:57 Fishtails are super easy.
07:00 On the scalp is exactly the same thing.
07:02 It just takes a little bit of time to see that come to fruition, as opposed to when you're working a three-strand braid.
07:09 It comes together a little bit faster, but just trust the technique.
07:13 As long as you're taking a piece from the left, bringing it over to the right, you're good to go.
07:21 So, I'm going to quickly work through this, keeping that not super taut on the scalp, because I am going to be deconstructing it,
07:28 but just making sure that my two pieces are staying there at all times.
07:37 She's got a ton of hair, so I'm going to try to braid somewhat quickly.
07:41 I love all of these loops and pulls.
07:44 If you were looking for something a little bit cleaner in salon,
07:48 just making sure that you're really separating each piece as you're going will help keep that a bit more to the scalp.
07:58 We know that the smaller the piece that we work with a fishtail, the more intricate that looks.
08:04 So, I'm using rather small pieces, and I'm trying to keep that just really natural.
08:16 Do you ever braid on wet hair?
08:18 I will braid on wet hair when we're looking for a tighter, cleaner look.
08:23 Because this is festival hair, it's more about sweat and grit than it is about really moisture.
08:29 But if you're looking for a cleaner braid that doesn't have flyaways and you're not going to deconstruct,
08:35 then yes, I would definitely work on wet hair.
08:39 And I would say wet, not necessarily as much as damp.
08:53 She was asking, "Is this closer to the scalp on the side of the head?"
08:57 This is on the scalp, yes, on the side.
09:04 Amber says, "I struggle with deconstructing. Do you have any tips or tricks to help with that part of braiding?"
09:09 Absolutely. So, stick around because I'm going to get the braids in,
09:13 and then immediately, once I finish this, I'll start to deconstruct,
09:16 but it really does come together in that pulling apart,
09:19 and it's kind of about where you're pulling it from and to all the time.
09:25 So, we will definitely address that.
09:28 Just quickly, at the very bottom, to give it a little more tension,
09:31 I'm going to switch to that three-strand, now that I have the detail and the bulk of the braid.
09:38 And then from here at the very bottom, you could definitely use an elastic.
09:42 That's going to keep it, again, a little bit cleaner.
09:44 I will use elastic on some of the braids, but for now, just a bit of backcombing in there
09:49 is going to help me maintain that where I need it to sit.
09:52 Okay, so the next braid, now that I did a right-side in fishtail,
09:57 I'm going to take this again more on the vertical, as I said, using that zigzag pattern.
10:05 And from here, we're going to do an inside-out.
10:09 The inside-out fishtail, if you've never done it, definitely experiment with it.
10:13 It's exactly the same as the on-the-scalp fishtail,
10:15 just the reverse way that you're bringing the hair across.
10:19 But it is so interesting because it takes a long time to set up,
10:22 but if you trust that technique, it does actually have a little bit more structure than the way this sits,
10:28 and you'll see that as I come through.
10:30 Okay, so once again, I have that hair clipped out of the way.
10:34 Taking my section.
10:36 I'm starting off with that three, so that way, as I cross under and under,
10:41 I'm going to put those two sides together.
10:44 And now from here, I'm going to pick up my piece, take a little bit from underneath, cross it over.
10:53 Two pieces.
10:56 Got my piece.
10:58 Sorry to pull, Lucia.
10:59 She promised me she did not have a sensitive scalp, which is always our favorite, right?
11:05 A tough scalp.
11:08 And we've got a question.
11:09 For naturally curly hair, for a Game of Thrones look, would you start with wet hair, diffuse it, and then braid it?
11:17 I'm a little curious on which Game of Thrones look.
11:20 If it were really curly, then I would probably try to smooth some of that out,
11:24 because if I'm going, let's say, like Khaleesi braids, you need to have that control and be able to get through it.
11:32 But if you're talking about more of a wave, then I wouldn't necessarily wet it.
11:37 I would work within that natural texture.
11:40 So if they want to kind of share which type of Game of Thrones look, I can maybe give a bit more better advice.
11:47 I'll keep you posted.
11:48 Keep me posted.
11:49 We've got someone asking, what sort of product would you recommend to be on the hair, or how clean should the hair be?
11:55 I find that my hands get sticky or just don't grip.
11:58 Yeah, those are two problems which we all run into, depending on the kind of braids that we're doing.
12:04 Definitely don't want to start with really clean hair, because really clean hair is beautiful for a commercial,
12:11 but it really just doesn't do that much for us as hairstylists.
12:14 I want to make sure that that hair is going to work for me.
12:17 So things like a little bit drier products, like the Queen for a Day, that's not going to add a lot of moisture or a lot of stickiness, is really great.
12:26 If you're going to work more wet, honestly, I would work with a lot of water.
12:31 So instead of layering the products on top to get sticky, you can work with just a little bit of water.
12:37 But again, if you're looking for this drier texture, I would go in with something like Queen for a Day,
12:42 which is going to thicken that hair and give the texture and support.
12:45 And then I would second, I would pair that back up with the dry shampoo.
12:51 And for those just joining, what braid are you currently working on?
12:54 So this is an inside-out, on-the-scalp fishtail.
12:59 So I'm making sure, keeping that at a two-strand, but I'm making sure to take a little from each side and bring it across.
13:08 And you'll see next to the right-side-out fishtail, sitting right next to it, the way that the two have a really different structure.
13:16 And fishtails take a bit more time, because they have that slightly more intricate look.
13:22 So once we switch into the three strands, they'll go a little bit faster.
13:26 But it's all worth it, in my opinion.
13:28 And Debbie's asking, what line is Queen for a Day?
13:31 That's a great question, and that's inside the Bed Head line right here.
13:35 Absolutely love this product.
13:37 It's huge, even on runways in New York and London, because it does give that grit and support to the hair that allows you to build on top of it.
13:46 If you notice, the hair still looks very clean. It doesn't look really heavy or laden down with product, which is really important.
13:55 You want it to be dirty-ish feeling, but you want it to look beautiful and clean.
14:04 So if you guys can see, start to set up the difference in the fishtail, one coming in and one going out.
14:12 So this one is right-side-up, this one is underneath.
14:15 The underneath, I find, just gives a bit more strength and structure to the outer edge of the braid.
14:29 And we'll finish this up.
14:30 As I get to the bottom of this braid, I'm going to, again, turn that into the three strand.
14:34 That's going to give me the support, the tension that I need to support that fishtail when I let go.
14:43 I have a response in regards to the Game of Thrones question.
14:46 She said, "Nothing in particular Game of Thrones, but the client definitely wants to work with their natural texture, tight small curls, and worried about the frizz.
14:54 I'm thinking getting it wet with proper product, then diffuse, then braid."
14:58 That sounds like a good plan.
15:00 One thing I would just be cautious of is the kind of product, making sure that you're not putting anything on it that's too sticky or even mousse-like, but rather has a bit more softness to it.
15:11 So something you might want to consider would be this product here from the Bed Head line as well called On the Rebound.
15:17 It's extremely soft.
15:19 You can diffuse it and still put your fingers through and separate all of that curl without getting that tackiness or the frizz built on top.
15:29 Okay, so really quickly, there's the two fishtails.
15:33 As we come through to the opposite side, I'm going to do three strands.
15:36 If you noticed, I did one inside, one outside. When I pull those apart, that's going to give me the variation inside of that.
15:42 So I'm going to do two more braids here.
15:45 I'm going to alter them a little bit so they're not sitting so much on the vertical.
15:49 The back, I know I'm going to do one big braid so that way I can just sort of isolate that out of the way.
15:54 I don't have to worry about it.
15:56 And in the underneath, on the side, I'll do a smaller braid.
16:00 I kind of wanted to bring you as many types of braids as I could today because I find them to be so beautiful and such a source of inspiration when you see them worked in different ways.
16:11 So at this point, I'm going to kind of think instead of totally vertical as the opposite side on a stronger diagonal back.
16:18 So that way, maybe this side would sit right at the top of the ear.
16:24 And then I would have one more up top, which I can work another type.
16:30 Clip that out of the way.
16:33 Get myself organized.
16:36 And then go ahead and tell your head. Perfect.
16:39 Someone says, just curious, why do you backcomb the ends of the braid? Is that better than using a rubber band?
16:45 I wouldn't say it's better, but you don't have a rubber band on the end.
16:48 So if you're doing something editorially that you want to see not have a band, then you can use that.
16:55 It doesn't always 100% work.
16:58 You know, it doesn't work 100% all the time, I should say, because if you have somebody with really thick hair, then you're not going to be able to set it up where it's going to stay all day for the longevity of your clientele.
17:11 But in terms of this, and when, you know, the inspiration of festival hair, when she goes out, she can kind of rock that and it can fall out and be really sexy and fun.
17:21 And, you know, it doesn't have to be too, too taut.
17:24 But if you're looking for longevity, nothing's going to beat a nice elastic band.
17:31 And what braid are you currently working on now?
17:34 This is a classic three-strand inside-out braid, so classic idea of what would be a cornrow.
17:44 That way that pulls it off of her face.
17:46 I'm just thinking about, you know, the organic nature of working with face shapes.
17:50 You want to pull the hair up and away so that way it's not closing them off.
17:54 Rather, it's showcasing their face.
17:57 The other side, it being a fishtail that was right-side out and going away from her face, when I separate that, it's not going to close her in.
18:04 But it will be a little bit more down.
18:07 So it will feel a little bit more, I wouldn't say fringy, but it will have that inspiration.
18:12 So on the left-hand side, by keeping that cleaner and pulled away, that will give an entirely different feel from side to side.
18:19 With the festival hair looks, it really is about having a lot of different feelings.
18:26 Because if you think about what the inspiration is, ultimately it came from being hot, being sweaty, being out somewhere where it's probably either dusty or humid.
18:36 You want your hair off of your face and off of your neck.
18:40 So that's where the inspiration comes from, and you're sort of playing to that idea.
18:45 It's the ultimate long hairdressing version of being DIY.
18:54 So we've got this one.
18:56 Again, with that little backcombing.
18:59 If you notice, I'm not going crazy. I'm really just keeping that right at the base of it.
19:03 So once I separate that braid, you won't even notice that.
19:06 I'm going to do one more over-braid, and I'm going to keep this down, coming right down on top of it.
19:12 So when I separate them, it'll feel interesting.
19:16 And again, it's all very kind of organic and whatever is inspiring me.
19:20 Even as I go, I will sometimes change either the braid I'm using or the direction or the sectioning pattern, just to have fun.
19:29 Really, braids are fun and they're beautiful, and I feel like people should never be afraid of them because there isn't really any mistakes.
19:37 So Natalie's asking, "Where are you located, and do you offer hands-on training?"
19:41 Oh my gosh, that is such a great question.
19:44 So we're in New York, and we're here today at the TGE Academy in SoHo, New York, and we absolutely offer hands-on training.
19:52 So that's sort of exactly what we're here for, and we have all kinds of hands-on,
19:57 whether that be long hairdressing and braiding inside of our session courses.
20:01 We also have classic cutting foundation work, all the way to very creative and advanced work.
20:07 And where can they sign up for those classes?
20:10 We have a few different ways.
20:12 There actually is an app, so if you guys are all hanging out on your phones, there is an app called TG24/7, so T-I-G-I, and then 24/7.
20:24 And that allows you to actually see the calendar and sign up for classes.
20:29 And then we also have our TG Professional website.
20:38 I'm pretty into what's shaping up right now, and I'll be really honest, I let this be organic.
20:44 I have a plan of what I want to do, but I really let myself play.
20:48 So as I'm working, I had the idea to bring that on a stronger diagonal back and this one on a vertical right on top.
20:54 And I actually really love the way the two varying braids and sectioning patterns are sitting on top of themselves.
21:00 So I'm going to kind of--I'm just enjoying that.
21:03 I hope you guys are as well.
21:05 Betsy's asking, "What products do you recommend to keep down baby hairs, or do you braid them into the braids?"
21:10 Baby hairs at the front or baby hairs internally, like the breakage hairs?
21:18 She didn't specify.
21:19 Okay.
21:20 So we'll just--I like--maybe we can just make this a conversation.
21:23 I'm just going to pretend.
21:25 So the baby hairs at the front, I will usually leave them out unless it's something where I'm looking for it to be very, very clean.
21:32 And so one recommendation for that is to use a little bit of a wax, something like up front.
21:41 You know, if you're looking for those braids to be really clean and you have that bit of water or moisture in the hair,
21:46 you can pair right on top of that as you're working, just a little bit on your fingers as you're taking those pieces of a wax,
21:53 like up front, which we have right over here.
21:56 And that's going to actually just keep that really nice and clean.
22:01 We've got someone asking, "What is your favorite braid that you like doing?"
22:05 Oh, my gosh.
22:06 That's such an impossible question for me.
22:09 I just--I really don't know.
22:13 I think I like braids that are kind of paired on top of themselves.
22:21 I think that that's really interesting.
22:23 So that's something that I'm going to do really quickly right now just to show you since you're asking.
22:27 One thing that I love to do is let's say, okay, I have this piece of hair here.
22:31 I'm going to do a small braid.
22:32 I'm going to take this.
22:33 This is going to be a two-strand rope braid.
22:36 So I'm twisting the hair in the same direction as I go, nice and clean.
22:42 Once you get the hang of this, this braid takes three seconds.
22:46 I'm literally just rolling my thumb and forefinger together as I go down.
22:51 And I'm going to do this quickly three times.
22:54 And then I will take those braids, and then I'll just do a fast three-strand braid with those.
22:59 I like to make braids interesting and unexpected, whether that's the way they're deconstructed or where they're placed on the head shape.
23:09 But I'm also pretty into five strands right now, which I'm going to do on the back of the head shape.
23:14 And we've got someone asking if you're going to pull out any of the braids.
23:17 100%.
23:18 That's going to be really the thing that makes it have a whole different attitude.
23:22 So as soon as I get the rest of the braids in, so I'm going to do these two little ones and then one in the back, and then we're going to really pull that all apart.
23:32 And Julie's asking, where do you find your inspiration for creating new looks?
23:37 All different areas.
23:40 I think I find inspiration from places as far as, you know, the subway.
23:47 The way that cords are piled on top of themselves I think is really cool.
23:52 I love knots, you know, boating knots.
23:56 But also just looking at fashion.
23:59 I think it's very important to pay attention to fashion week, things that are happening, because our clients are going to be bringing those to us in three to six months.
24:07 So if we're on top of that and really looking at what's happening, then that gives us the opportunity to kind of have that source of inspiration already bubbling over by the time they come in and ask for it.
24:17 We've already been given into them.
24:20 And if you were in a salon and you had a client come in asking for just a braided look, how much time would you allow for the appointment?
24:27 At least an hour.
24:29 I would say an hour.
24:30 Personally, I feel like if somebody's coming in for, let's say, an event, I'm going to show up to that place wherever I'm styling it, and I'm going to definitely request an hour.
24:40 Usually, I'll be honest, we know as hairstylists, we don't always get that time, whether it's because they're late or there's makeup happening or whatever.
24:48 But my comfort zone would definitely be an hour, especially without prior consultation.
24:58 But, you know, we make it happen.
25:00 We always make it happen.
25:01 So I have these three two-strand rope braids.
25:04 You can even do this with four, which is really beautiful.
25:07 And then I'm just going to put them together.
25:12 So then suddenly that takes on--it's got thicker, so it feels hardier, a hardier braid.
25:18 It also has interesting variation inside of the strands themselves.
25:23 And then as soon as I separate that, that looks really cool.
25:32 But I love to do this even in, like, you know, just someone who is, like, kind of randomly hanging around during the day, having one braid mixed into their hair.
25:42 It's nice because a lot of times if you do either a three-strand or a fishtail or something, you kind of lose it in their hair.
25:48 But if you do something and then braid them together, then it gives that much more interest to it.
25:58 So I am going to put the elastic on this one, and I put it on the thicker one as well, just to keep those together.
26:06 I'm going to do that one last braid in the back, and then we're going to tear it down, tear it apart.
26:15 Okay, so this is a really fun braid.
26:20 This is a five-strand braid.
26:22 I'm going to have Lucia tilt her head down.
26:24 That hair is all the way--it will be asymmetric, so it won't sit, you know, totally balanced.
26:30 But I definitely want that because, again, festival hair, DIY.
26:34 I'm going to start at the top, take my little zigzag pattern.
26:39 And it doesn't have to be big zigzags. It just shouldn't feel totally perfect.
26:46 Now from here, I'm going to use all of my fingers and just separate all of that hair.
26:51 From here, the outer goes under and then over the middle.
26:59 Separate her hair.
27:01 And then same thing on the opposite side, so it goes under and over the middle.
27:07 Now I'm going to pick up a piece on the side.
27:10 It's going to just enter into my outer edge.
27:13 Tilt your head down just a bit, your chin the opposite way.
27:15 Perfect, thank you.
27:17 And it's going to go--same deal.
27:21 It's always under the outer.
27:25 You have your piece, so it's going to go under the next piece and over the middle.
27:34 Woo!
27:41 Betsy says, "Great tips. Do you have an Instagram?"
27:44 I do. It is my name.
27:46 So it is @adriana_papaleo.
27:58 So it's @adriana_papaleo.
28:03 "Behind me."
28:08 This braid definitely does take some time to work out.
28:13 I wouldn't try this for the first time on just a client.
28:17 I would take a mannequin or something like that and start to work it out at home,
28:21 so that way you have the strength and the confidence that when they sit down in your chair,
28:25 you know exactly what's going to happen.
28:28 So we have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
28:32 Can you turn your outer chin down a little bit more?
28:34 Perfect.
28:39 You go under and then over the middle.
28:58 If you have an assistant in the salon, this is always really nice to enroll them in this experience as well,
29:03 so that way that makes it a little bit easier.
29:05 They can just hold the outer pieces, but it's definitely not necessary.
29:09 It just takes a little bit of time.
29:12 Do you recommend this braid on someone with short hair?
29:16 I wouldn't necessarily say short hair would be my favorite person to do this braid on,
29:22 only because if they've got short hair, then I'm going to be pretty limited.
29:26 But it's definitely not something I would never do.
29:31 It would just be about the experimentation of it.
29:50 Get in there.
29:51 See, so I still have this really skinny piece because that's how long it takes me to kind of get through all of those five pieces.
29:59 It takes time for them to sort of weave all around each other.
30:03 So don't get freaked out if the piece feels small or you lose it.
30:07 Just take a step back and organize yourself.
30:11 With a braid, you may need to start it once or twice.
30:14 You may need to start it three times.
30:16 But I think it's important to give yourself that ability to play and have fun so that way braids don't feel stressful.
30:22 I think a lot of times when I talk to people about them, they're like, "Oh, I can't even do a three strand.
30:26 I can't do it."
30:27 And I think that, yeah, I mean, I get it.
30:31 Nobody's born with the ability to braid, not that I know of anyhow.
30:35 And so if you enjoy that process and allow the journey and the discomfort to be a part of the learning process,
30:42 then it's something that becomes joyful.
30:45 It's a process where we are always performing.
30:48 We're always being on for our clients.
30:51 So we have to create the format or the forum to actually enjoy that process and feel uncomfortable and, you know, dive in a little bit more.
31:01 And now it says, "How do you choose your sectioning when you're braiding?
31:04 Does it depend on the style you're going for?"
31:07 Yes, it definitely does.
31:10 So if I'm working something very classic and clean, my sections are going to stay classic and clean.
31:15 If I'm working something like this that's more organic, I let hairs fall out.
31:19 I, you know, use sectioning patterns that are more zigzaggy.
31:24 And then also it depends on do you want that to be in the face?
31:28 Do you want it to move away?
31:30 But definitely if you're using more than one braid and you're pulling them together at the end, you want that to be -- those sections to be a little bit softer and looser.
31:41 So not super clean straight lines.
31:43 And we've all been there.
31:45 I mean, I can't tell you how many times I've gotten myself in hot water because I want that look to be a little bit more organic, and I went too clean on my sections.
31:54 If that does happen, just deconstruct the braid, you know, the braid itself, especially up at the partings, and try to pull those pieces together a little bit.
32:06 Okay, so now I have like this really skinny little piece.
32:09 I'm going to go ahead and just turn this back into a three-strand because I can.
32:14 Why not?
32:18 And then that will give the structure.
32:22 But with all of the interest on the internal portion of that braid, this doesn't look anything but the five-strand.
32:29 It doesn't suddenly look like what happened, especially when you start to take that apart.
32:34 Okay, so there we go.
32:42 The band.
32:44 And now we start to pull them all apart.
32:48 All right, so this is that point of deconstruction.
32:51 I'm going to start in the back because why not?
32:54 And from here, I just start to pull.
32:56 I want this one to be a little bit flatter and more consistent of a shape, so I'm pulling from the same part on the side all the way through.
33:05 So if you notice, my hands on the left and the right are staying at the same point, so I'm not coming this way.
33:12 Okay, I'm lifting and I'm pulling those outer edges to loosen the braid.
33:17 I tend to be a very tight braider.
33:20 It's been a challenge for me in many different situations, so I have to really make sure, one, that I'm focusing on being loose and light
33:28 and also that I'm really giving myself the leeway to deconstruct the braid.
33:38 So remember, it's festival hair, so it should look like they did it themselves, and it should look like when they did it, they were hot.
33:46 And sweaty and enjoying life.
33:52 Okay, so that's braid one.
33:55 So now from here, you guys will see the way that those zigzag patterns really help me out.
34:00 I'm going to just pull this fishtail apart pretty dramatically.
34:05 This is the inside out, so you can see the way it sits away from the head.
34:09 And I'll actually twist and pull it so that way it actually will start to twist for me, which I think is fun too, especially in this type of a style.
34:20 Obviously, again, if you're looking for something a little cleaner and neater, you're not going to deconstruct as much.
34:26 If you're looking for something a little softer, then I would recommend deconstructing more the way I did the back braid,
34:32 where you're at the same level all the way through, as opposed to different levels.
34:36 And different levels is going to make the braid twist and pull and tweak on itself, which I think is really fun.
34:42 But if it's not what you're going for, then you get yourself in trouble.
34:47 And Amber's asking if you ever deconstruct as you go instead of after you're done braiding.
34:51 I do. I definitely do.
34:53 I think for today, for timing's sake, I just wanted to get all my braids in.
34:56 What I generally will do is kind of deconstruct a little bit as I go, and I use that almost as a source of inspiration.
35:03 So I say, "Oh, you know what? That looks pretty cool."
35:06 And then I'm happy about my work.
35:07 And there's nothing more fun than being happy about what you're doing.
35:11 That's why we do what we do.
35:13 So, yes, I definitely will deconstruct as I work often, just not necessarily all the time.
35:19 I've got someone asking, "How would you say a good technique for pulling out braids?
35:24 I braid tight as well. Sometimes when I pull out the braids, I tend to think it messes up the braid."
35:29 I think that that's a hard thing to combat as hairstylists.
35:33 I think that happens inside of cutting as well when we start to work ideas of disconnection or more progressive techniques.
35:40 We feel like everything has to match and blend.
35:44 If you look at the braid as opposed to being torn apart or like you've ruined it,
35:49 if you look at the new element of what it actually is, then you can sort of try to appreciate that beauty.
35:54 I mean, look at that. It's so interesting.
35:56 That's the three two-strand rope braids coming apart.
36:00 It's going to have much more separation inside of it, so you'll see more loops just due to the braids themselves.
36:05 But ultimately, you could see that as a disaster or you could see that as really beautiful.
36:11 So I think it's just a little bit of letting go, enjoying that process and saying, "You know what?
36:16 Whatever happens, happens."
36:18 And that's just a part of it, a part of the game, the game of braids.
36:26 Okay. So I'm going to separate this.
36:30 And then I'm going to actually use some hair pins just to pull things together so you don't see the partings.
36:37 That's why it's kind of important that you really loosen this so that way once it's done, you have the ability to pull those parts together.
36:51 Thank you so much, everyone, by the way, for the questions.
36:54 I really appreciate it.
36:56 I love talking about braiding.
36:58 So if there's anything else on your mind, anything that is a gray area for you or any challenges that have come up with braiding,
37:06 please, please don't hesitate to ask because I'm sure somebody else out there is thinking the exact same thing.
37:12 All right.
37:14 So this is where I actually am looking at where my partings are.
37:17 I look at what pieces of hair would be most beneficial.
37:21 How are you doing, Lucia?
37:22 You're okay?
37:23 Okay.
37:24 Most beneficial to kind of pull together, and that's where I'll bring them in.
37:30 And braiding for me, like this is about taking something really simple, really simple.
37:35 I mean, I do understand that the five-strand braid obviously feels to a lot of people like, "How could I ever do that?"
37:40 I promise you can if you just work it out on a mannequin.
37:43 But for the most part, these are three- and two-strand braids.
37:46 And by the time they're done and those are pinned together, they're going to feel that much more unattainable.
37:53 And it's about, for me, hair is about creating something so beautiful and magical-looking, but doing it in a way that for us is very simple.
38:02 And would you say braiding tighter is better for when you're pulling out, or would you say looser braids?
38:07 A little bit on the looser side is definitely going to be your friend.
38:12 If you come through and you braid extremely tight, then you kind of end up hoping that your client doesn't have a sensitive scalp.
38:19 So that way they don't react because it can be a little bit intense for the client or the model when you're pulling it out if it's super tight.
38:30 Just changing the color so that way there's no shine on there.
38:34 [pause]
38:44 So hairpins, if you're not used to using them, are such a huge part of what I do with braiding
38:52 because a bobby pin is going to disrupt that line, whereas a hairpin blurs it.
38:58 You're creating more separation with a bobby pin, whereas when you use a hairpin, you're almost blending those two lines together.
39:06 [pause]
39:15 This braid underneath, I'm just going to bring it into the five strand, and I'm going to pin it there so that way it looks like it's coming out of the five strand.
39:23 Again, just for fun. I really urge you guys to just play around. This is totally personal preference.
39:32 Find somebody really open to just rock in it. Maybe you guys have a music festival or a film festival or something in your town where the people are looking to stand out a little bit.
39:48 Every town has them, I promise you. I have spent time in many a small town and had to find many a model to share those shapes with me.
40:01 There's always somebody.
40:04 >> And how many sections total?
40:06 >> How many sections total? One, two, three, four on the other side, five with the five strand braid, and then that little braid for the detail in the underneath.
40:14 So five sections total, and then pulling them together so that it blurs those lines.
40:23 Letting your ear poke out or not. You could always tuck that behind if you wanted to as well.
40:27 I'm going to take a look from the front in just a second so I can pull out that bit, and I'm going to start to use hairspray to finish it off.
40:39 You guys can see the way that that's coming together. These little loops here, if you want them to be tighter to the head, just using that hairpin.
40:53 Stretching it out, bringing it in.
41:06 She's obviously blessed with the hair of the goddesses.
41:14 All right, so now from here, I will turn her in just a second.
41:26 If you're starting to pull it apart and the pin is in the way, just take the pin out.
41:46 I can't tell you how many times I'll readjust something as I'm working.
42:02 I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be perfect and not touch something a second time.
42:15 The first time we touch it is the last time, but I think ultimately our clients and our models and us, for our sources of inspiration, really want something to just be what we want it to be.
42:22 It doesn't have to be perfect the first time. It just has to be perfect in the end result.
42:28 I'm using a bit of Masterpiece spray that's going to help me to seal that style and pull that all together.
42:37 It also will give that last little bit of wetness and grit, so that way I can just use my fingers to pull those pieces out in the front.
42:50 I'm confirming this is not a dry shampoo you're using.
42:53 This is Masterpiece medium hold hairspray. It has a ton of shine to it as well, so that's always a nice element.
43:20 Has anyone out there had any experiences with festival hair that they've been able to play around with these kinds of braids?
43:28 Have they been seeing them come into the salon more? Maybe more people ask for more deconstruction?
43:38 I think it's a big part of what's happening in hairdressing, and it's really about knowing the foundation so you can jump with confidence, knowing that no matter what happens, you'll be able to execute something really beautifully.
43:53 There's no shortcut for experience, so practice, play around, and enjoy the process. Don't put the pressure on yourself to be perfect.
44:09 I'm also looking from the side. I have this mirror in front of me, so I'm making sure that I also look at it from all angles, not just the front and the side that I'm looking at.
44:18 I'm also looking at the back of the head, which I think is something that we forget to do, is actually look in the mirror, look around us.
44:25 There's just a few loops that I want to be a bit closer to the scalp, so I'm just pinning them in.
44:33 While you're doing this, I'm going to box back in here.
44:36 If you guys are just joining us, I'm Courtney Bright. I'm a senior social and digital editor at American Salon. I'm also the voice behind the camera.
44:43 I'm also the director of the CG Soho Academy. It's a gorgeous space. If you guys haven't been here, you should definitely come check it out.
44:50 I'm here with our US Session Director, Adriana Papaleo. If you are just joining, you can go back on our Facebook page at any point in time and watch Five Brades? Six Brades?
45:00 All Five Brades from start to finish. You can get the education, the tips, the tricks, the products she used.
45:09 It's here on Facebook, so you guys will have that as well. We still have a couple questions for those that missed it on your Instagram. Where can we find you?
45:16 Oh, sure. Absolutely. It's my first and last name. It's A-D-R-I-A-N-A, and then underscore P-A-P-A-L-E-O. It's Adriana Papaleo.
45:29 Now you guys have somebody else to follow for inspiration all day long. You guys know where to find American Salon on Facebook because we're all here.
45:37 We're on Instagram at American_Salon, and we're online all the time at AmericanSalon.com. Thank you for joining us today.
45:43 Absolutely. You want to stand up? Give a final twirl?
45:47 All right, guys. Festival-inspired hair here. It is really about the DIY elements of being organic and fun and allowing yourself to not have any mistakes, but rather enjoy the journey.
46:00 I hope you guys enjoy it. There's all elements of two strands inside out and right side in on the scalp and off, as well as three strands and two strands and a five strand.
46:10 I hope you guys enjoy it. It was an absolute pleasure. This is a big source of inspiration for me, so thank you so much.

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