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A 7-Minute Braided Style for Busy Chicks

Do any of you all receive Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP newsletter? I love it. Despite the mixed reviews I’ve heard, I think it’s chock full of great tips on dining, exercise, fashion and beauty.

Imagine my joy when this week’s newsletter was all about hair. HURRAH! In the newsletter, she highlighted Orlando Pita’s “easygoing hairstyle” for this season. Now, I adore Orlando Pita. I thoroughly enjoyed him on the greatest show ever, Shear Genius. Orlando was the contestants’ mentor, although his docile temperament and great advice made me think of him as more than just a mentor. A personal buddha. Or Obi Wan. Yes! The Obi Wan of Hair.


photo credit: bravotv.com

Teach me, Obi Wan.

Look at his sweet smile! Orlando, I love you! Kisses!

Anyhoo, here’s the dish from Gwyneth’s newsletter on how to achieve this great style, and you can read tons more about her style and product picks here.

Then, I’ll show you MY MUCH EASIER VERSION.

Okay, that’s gorgeous. GORGEOUS. The fishtail braids are so incredibly lovely.

But here’s the deal. Given the limited time I have in the morning to get my 8 1/2-month pregnant ass out the door with my preschooler in check, I don’t have the patience to perfect this look.

(I also don’t have Obi Wan Pita at my beck and call to personally create this look on my head.)

(Or, frankly, the arm strength to hold my hands over my head for 45 minutes.)

(Although, Orlando! Call me!)

So! Would you like to see the Orlando Pita-inspired hairstyle that took me 7 minutes to complete?

Sure, this is NOT as lovely or intricate as Pita’s version. It just involves regular braids and no flat iron, but I really like the simplicity of the look, as well as highlighting my hair’s natural texture. Plus, the look is so loose and flowing that you absolutely don’t need to worry about making the look perfect.

What you need:

A hairband that matches your hair color
A ribbon (optional)

What to do:

1. Grab a a 1 to 1.5-inch section at the front of your hair

2. Braid about halfway down the length of the hair

3. Secure the braid with a bobby pin

4. Repeat on the other side

5. Pull the bobby pin out of the first side and join the two braids together

6. Wrap a hairband around the two braids to secure

7. Add a ribbon or accessory if you feel the need

Voilá! How easy was that? I timed myself and it truly took 7 minutes. Give it a try – the weekend is coming up and it would be a perfect look for a lazy Sunday.

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13 comments
  1. andrea

    May 14, 2010 at 8:27 am

    I am absolutely trying this today. My hair is in need of some serious styling help these days.

  2. lisa

    May 14, 2010 at 8:31 am

    I am going to try this during the weekend! It looks beautiful!!

  3. Kristen

    May 14, 2010 at 8:32 am

    I actually prefer your version — almost makes me want to grow my hair out! Almost … but not quite. Gorgeous!

  4. Chelsea

    May 14, 2010 at 8:46 am

    THANK YOU for simplifying this! I do get GOOP and have a love/hate relationship with it. A lot of times, I think, “Great! So helpful!” Other times, I’m like, “Well, this would be helpful if I was Gwyneth Paltrow and a bazillionaire and had people to help me with every thing, so THANKS A LOT, GWYNNIE.”

  5. Kerri Anne

    May 14, 2010 at 8:54 am

    I LOVE this. I’m a huge braided hair fan, but never have the patience to braid my own.

  6. Sarah

    May 14, 2010 at 9:53 am

    I was getting the weekly GOOP newsletter early on, but stopped. Then one of my favorite photographers (whose blog I love) has her photos featured on that recent hair-themed piece, and now I’m wondering why I stopped reading GOOP in the first place.

    Love the braids – you’re definitely channeling your inner Mary Louise Parker in that photo. (Sorry if you get that a lot. Or if your not a fan. Or both.)

  7. Jae

    May 14, 2010 at 10:39 am

    You’re gorgeous! Would you mind sharing your make-up products/shades as well? You look fantastic!

  8. MommyTime

    May 14, 2010 at 11:48 am

    Shockingly, I am apparently ahead of the fashion curve on something. I’ve been doing this hairstyle on my daughter since the fall. For future reference, you might like to know that when working on the baby-fine hair of a toddler/preschooler, if you pull the braids nice and tight as you go, this is the absolute best style to keep hair out of little eyes. It will NOT come out even after a whole day of daycare, playgrounds, picnics, biking, or bouncy castles–unlike the braids or pony tails that contain all the hair on the head.

    I never thought of trying it on my own hair though. Now I can’t wait! Thanks.

  9. Jenibee

    May 14, 2010 at 2:00 pm

    Adorable style! (But girl – you could have porcupine quills sticking out of your skull and still be gorgeous!) Anyway, thanks for showing how you made it work. I’m gonna try it!

  10. Berlin Hair Baby

    May 15, 2010 at 1:16 am

    love it! never thought of fishtailing sides, gonna try it for sure, thanks :-)

  11. Tina

    May 15, 2010 at 5:42 am

    I have been growing out my hair for braids. I love this. I still can’t figure out how to do one single braid on my own, but I think I could manage this! I am going to try it this weekend!
    I get GOOP as well. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I just want to call that Gwynnie and tell her to “get real, come on over to my house!”
    Best,
    Tina

  12. Emily

    June 12, 2010 at 9:32 am

    Seriously? Who knew Mary-Louise Parker blogged??
    Holy cow, gorgeous! Thanks for the good tip here!