Florals in spring are like braids in summer: groundbreaking. But there’s a reason the simple hairstyle pops back into popularity the second the temps are still high; the thought of hair flowing down your shoulders feels suffocating. But if the usual pigtails and braided money pieces aren’t doing it for you, maybe consider the romantic route: a halo braid, recently worn by both Zendaya on the red carpet and Olivia Rodrigo on stage with The Smashing Pumpkins at Lollapalooza.
“Braids always trend during the summer as they’re an easy way to keep your hair tame and out of your face,” says hairstylist Stephanie Angelone. The halo braid, specifically, feels like an updated, of-the-moment way to pull your hair back. It’s a braid that wraps around the entire perimeter of your head, says Angelone, and it can be done a few different ways.
“First, you could do two braided pigtails and bobby pin them up around the perimeter of your head,” Angelone instructs. “This is an easy way to do this look, especially if you’re not great at braiding.” But if you’re more of an advanced braider, you could also French braid your hair starting from the back, then wrap the braid around your head. You also could follow Zendaya’s lead and try a half-up halo braid, keeping your hair long in the back. This would work well for lobs and midi cuts too if pulling short hairs from the back of your head up into a braid just isn’t working.
Angelone recommends embracing the grease and braiding on second-day hair to help eliminate flyaways. “You could also use texturising powder to add some good volume, then soften up the braid by pulling it out lightly,” she adds. This will also add some grit to add a little bit of hold too.
If you have short hair, don’t fret—you can still get in on the fun with a braided headband to avoid having to braid your actual hair. And hey, even if you have long hair, it might make life a heck of a lot easier to just throw on a headband and go.
The whole trend is a far cry from all the slicked-back, super-tight hairstyles we’ve grown accustomed to the past few years. And ya know what, if Zendaya and Olivia cosign it, I’m all in.
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Meet the expert:
Stephanie Angelone is a hairstylist at RPZL, a hair extension and blowout bar in New York City.
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Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan US with eight years of experience researching, writing, and editing hair, makeup, nail, and fragrance stories.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
