Super easy braided hairstyles

Now technically, this is a fashion blog, but hairstyles definitely add to the glam factor of an outfit. So I thought I would occasionally do a hairstyle or makeup post:)

Here are three easy braided hairstyles :

1. The standard three strand braid

The humble three strand braid can look very cute when you don’t have time to do a proper hairstyle. It's very simple once you get the hang of the braiding pattern. You can do it in just these simple steps :

1. Split the hair at the base of your head into three roughly equal parts
2. Cross the right section over the middle section
3. Cross the left section over the new middle section (which was previously the right section until you crossed it over)
4. Keep crossing alternating between the strands till you get to the bottom
5. Secure the braid at the bottom with an elastic
6. Pull gently at the braided sections to make your braid appear more voluminous

2. Dutch braid

Once you can do the standard three strand braid, you can do a Dutch braid easily. It's exactly the same, except turned inside out. You just have to braid the sections under instead of over each other.

3. The combo braid

I'm not sure what this type of braid is really called, so I just made up a name. It's a combination of three 3-strand braids. It looks very intricate and everyone will wonder how much time you put into it; when really it doesn’t take more than 10 minutes tops!

1. Split your hair into three sections
2. Split each subsection into three sections again
3. Each subsection will form a single 3 strand braid
4. Once you've braided the three separate braids, combine them into a single braid and secure it at the bottom with an elastic
5. Pull at the braids carefully without separating them to add volume

Stylespiration Series : Jazz from Namastey London

Jazz is such a unique movie persona. She's an Indian girl brought up in London. She's free-spirited, a little crazy, and always trendy when it comes to style. She can rock anything from miniskirts to dresses and all the way to Indian ethnic wear. If she's your style icon, here are some tips to dress just like Jazz…

1. Wear lots of denim

Jazz wears a lot of denim throughout the movie. Bootcut jeans, teeny-tiny skirts, ripped jeans and overalls are all featured in Namastey London.

You can switch it up a bit with denim jackets, dresses and vests. Pair your favorite jeans with a graphic tee or try some comfy dungarees with a tube or crop top underneath.

2. Wear bright, girly colors

Jazz's style is pretty girly although she likes to occasionally wear gothic tees (She wore one in a scene in India). Wear a lot of pastels and bright colors like hot pink, baby pink, blue, yellow, white, etc.

3. Bring on the bling!

Jazz really dresses up for parties. She wears a long, sequined dress for her engagement to Charlie which is totally blinged up. She wears another sparkly dress when she goes clubbing. Bottom line, Jazz likes sparkle.  So don’t hesitate if you want to wear an embellished outfit. Just pair it with minimal accessories so it's not over the top.

4. Load up on the accessories

Earrings, necklaces, stacked bracelets, belts, she has them all! Don’t be afraid to experiment with mixing and matching your jewelry. If you aren't into heavy necklaces, wear long, string necklaces for a boho feel. Wearing a pretty wristwatch can bring your outfit together as well.

Stylespiration Series : Ariel (The Little Mermaid)

Okay, so Ariel's a mermaid. But you can still wear clothes inspired by her signature colors : lavender and green.

Ariel wears lavender sea shells and her fin is a sort of peacock green. She has fiery red hair which she leaves open with a side swept, dramatic bang which I feel makes her stand out among all the other Disney princesses.

For Ariel's hair :

Get a red wig with super long locks and cut a side swept bang or just make a faux bang by making a deep side part and pinning the front section of the hair behind your ear. If you don't want to wear a wig, you can also opt for a few red clip in streaks.

For the outfit :

Get either a skirt or fitted pants in a shade of green similar to Ariel's fins. You can also wear shorts or maybe a pair of overalls. Try and find something with a beach or sea themed pattern like sea shells, waves, etc.

For the top, find something in a light purple, mauve or lavender shade. Ariel doesn’t really wear any accessories, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Accessorize with a sea shell necklace (like the one Ursula wears when she transforms herself into a human), a few bead bracelets, and a flower clip in your hair. For shoes,  you can wear pretty much anything.

For the true Ariel touch :

If you want everyone to know exactly who you are dressed as (assuming you are wearing this look for a costume or theme party) bring along a fork to comb your hair with :)

You could even bring along stuffed toys of Flounder and Sebastian (although that may be going a little overboard (pun intended))