How to Make a French Twist

French twists may seem notoriously difficult. I first started doing them a year ago when I challenged myself to do french twists for a week straight. From that day onwards I never wore a bun to class again! I love the way a french twists looks (much less studenty than a bun, you can wear it on public transit without as many strange looks) and after a little practice they are also much quicker to make. You do not need a hair net, hair tie or a whole lot of hairspray. No more hunting for hair elastics which I believe is a good thing!

What you will need:
U-shaped hair pins
Flat bobby pins
Smoothie brush
Normal hairbrush
Water
Two mirrors (so that you can see the back of your head)
Hair spray

1. Make sure hair is a little damp

2. Brush hair thoroughly with a normal hair brush

3. Pull hair back as if you are going to make a low ponytail (use a smoothie brush to smooth things out)

4. Start twisting hair while it is still in the low ponytail position

5. Once you have twisted it a little bit start twisting it upwards along your head

6. Continue twisting until your hair feels secure

7. Tuck the length of hair that is sticking out in underneath your french twist 

8. Starting pinning your hair. Begin at the bottom. Stick your pin in at a 90 degree angle to your head, then fold the pin over, through the hair along your scalp and secure it back into the french twist 

9. Continue pinning until your hair feels sturdy enough to make it through class

10. Fix any little things using a smoothie brush, and hairspray

11. If there are any strange pieces of hair sticking out, use two flat pins crossing over each other to secure them.

12. Insert a nice clip along the side of your french twist for a change.

TIP: To ensure that your pins do not stick out through the other side of your french twist you can bend them slightly. Then insert the pins so that they lie flush with your scalp.

WARNING: Try to practice this hairstyle before you decide to wear it for class/ a performance. It will not feel as secure as a bun, but you want to make sure that it will hold up! Everyone's hair is a little different, some people seem to prefer to do their french twists when their hair is completely dry (thick black hair), whereas others like to do it when it is wet (thinner, frizzier hair). 

Sometimes the direction of the french twist also makes a difference. I like to twist mine away from the side of my head with the part. Also make sure that your french does not start too high up! Sometimes they can make you resemble a dinosaur... which is not a particularly attractive look!

I hope this tutorial helps! Remember practice makes perfect, so if you do not feel comfortable with a french twist at the moment keep trying until you get there. <3