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Dance Hair: Braided Messy Bun Tutorial

June 16, 2015 |

This is one of my favorite hair looks for summer or competitions! It's a cute way to keep hair out of your face, which is good because sweaty/greasy hair in your face can cause breakouts. (If that happens, click here to read my Top 10 Do's And Don'ts For Good Skin.) Here's a step-by-step braided messy bun tutorial so you can learn how to recreate this look for yourself.

Messy bun with braid hair tutorial. Great hairstyle for cheer or dance competitions!

French braid + messy bun = perfect summer hair. It's great for cheer or dance competitions!

Messy bun & gettin' stuff done! #motto #messybuns Click To Tweet

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Add Curls:

You can create this look with clean hair or 2nd day hair. It may be a little easier with 2nd day hair because the braids won't be as slippery and will hold better. When I create this look on clean hair, I use Frederic Fekkai Full Blown Volume Styling Whip to give my hair volume and extra holding power.

Looking down at a girl sitting cross-legged on the floor wearing a pink and blue tshirt with hot pink and silver rollers in her hair.

Step 1: Curl hair with medium to large-sized rollers. I do this to add volume and so my hair will be smooth with ends that flip. The result is curls that look like this:

Girl in a pink and blue t-shirt with long blonde hair styled into voluminous curls.

My hair starting out…it's clean — with a little mousse added — and has bouncy, loose curls.
French Braid

Step 2: Part your bangs on the side where you typically part them, then add a french braid that begins at your bangs and goes down to about ear level. Finish it off with a regular braid, and add a small clippie for easy removal for when it goes in a messy bun in the next step.

Girl with loosely curled long blonde hair and a side braid.

My french braid morphs into a regular braid just above my ear.

Add a Bun:

Step 3: Remove the clippie and use your fingers to pull the remaining hair into a bun. Pin any flyaway hair with bobbie pins. It also helps if you use a little bit of hair serum to tame the loose strands. I pull the hair kinda loose in the messy bun so the bun will look more voluminous.

TIP: Your hair probably needs to be shoulder length or longer to have a high bun like mine is in these pics. If your hair is shorter, just arrange the bun lower on the back of your head.

Step Up Your Selfies! Learn how to easily improve your selfies with these simple makeup hacks.

Here's a final view of the left side:

Side view of a girl with blonde hair showing off a side braid and voluminous messy bun.

Top view:

Looking down from above at the top of a girl's head with an intricate braid and blonde messy bun.

Right side:

View from the back of a highlighted blonde messy bun.

Voila!! This is a fun and easy look for summer hair! The hair conditioner I've been using lately to keep my hair in tip-top condition is called Shea Moisture Manuka Honey Hair Masque from Target. It only costs around $10 and it smells sooooo yummy!

Front angle of a girl with an intricate side braid that ends in a blonde messy bun piled atop her head.

Top left-side angle of a girl's head with intricate braid that ends in a bun on the top of her head.

Invest in your hair; it's the crown you never take off! 🙂 #braids Click To Tweet

Let me know if you have any questions about my braid tutorial! You might want to also check out my tips for long, loose curls or this messy side fishtail braid while you're here.

XOXO, DAISY

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B&W image of a girl with a side braid that ends in a messy bun piled atop her head.

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Filed Under: BEAUTY, HAIR |

About DAISY

Hi! I'm Daisy, and I'm in my sophomore year of college where I'm studying fashion marketing and design. I'm addicted to playing with makeup and trying new hairstyles. I've styled my friends hair and makeup for homecoming and prom for years, so now I'm posting online tutorials since people always ask "How did you do that?!" Read more about me here! Follow me on YouTube.

Comments

  1. Meileilan says

    November 19, 2016 at 8:51 PM

    I love this style. I might try this, looks a little tricky. Thanks for sharing.

  2. lorrin sell | photographer of wild things says

    October 25, 2016 at 8:24 PM

    all of your hair tutorials make me miss my long hair so much!! i LIVED in a messy bun, and now i can barely get a bun in. back to growing it out!

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