Alison Valsamis is a freelance writer and epic hairstylist (at least before COVID-19 interrupted) whose beautiful braided works of art started going viral.
Just one photo will show you why people became obsessed with her skills:
When Allure wanted to feature the perfect Spring hairstyle a few years ago, they consulted Valsamis about her braided roses.
Let’s just say there’s a reason she has over 47,000 followers on Instagram.
How’d she do it?
First, Valsamis creates the middle of the rose and builds around it.
“To create these roses, I start with a small 3-strand braid rolled up to serve as the centermost part,” she explained.
That sounds easy enough – but how do we get HERE?
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She also uses two different types of braids
“Next, I alternate between standard fishtails and Dutch fishtails pulled apart to create depth. I finish with a Dutch 3-strand braid only pulled out on the outermost side to create the large petal feel of a rose in bloom.”
It might sound confusing, but all you’re doing is braiding, tugging out the sides, and then wrapping them around the outer part of the “bun” you’re creating. Those layers are what give it depth.
Start small
The key to getting a voluminous floral braid is to work in small sections.
Just take a look at this video to see Valsamis create the first braid, coil it, and create the center of the flower, then move on to the next section.
You can see that when she tugs out the sides of the braid, they aren’t perfect. But it’s those imperfections that give the floral braid character. Take a look:
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Of course, this ombre wig is a lot easier to work with, but you can see that if you’re capable of braiding, you’re probably able to approximate this look (even if it’s on a willing, long-haired friend).
Keep it in place
You can see the stylist add pins in places where they won’t show as she wraps the braids around. But the other key to keeping hair in place (especially while pulling it out at the sides right after you braid is putting some gel in your hair first. That’ll keep those tugs from turning into flyaways.
And just look at what you’ll be left with:
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Totally worth it if you ask us (and we’re dying to know if we can pull off some smokey lavender hair!).
Insta inspo
The whole Instgram page is full of creative braided styles we never would have come up with on our own. Imagine dreaming this up and just being able to pull it off:
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But in the end, with springtime on the way, we think the flowers are the way to do. And since it’s a style we don’t see often, you can look like you’re on the cutting edge (even if she did start posting the pics years ago).
And here’s the pic that started it all. Of this dreamy pink trio of roses, Valsamis said:
“This updo change the entire course of my life and career. It not only went viral internationally but it won a BTC ONE SHOT Award for upstyling. It was also created for my grandmother who I lost this month. I can explain how blessed I feel that she got to see my career takes off the way that it did from something I made for her. This was the best and worst year for my family and so is the lesson. Life Really is all about love and with that comes the highest highs and the lowest lows. But every single one of them is worth it.”
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If you can’t pull off three roses, go for a big one (and, of course, you don’t have to have pink hair to do it!):
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You may not get it on your first shot, but we think it’s worth a try. And if you master that, you can try to take on some more of Valsanis’ magnificent Instagram styles.
And you can even create something beautiful if you never get good at tugging more layers. Just look at this half-up-to with wrapped roses! We’re ready to start gardening this spring!
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Trust us, you’ll be blown away by her Instagram page, so click here to see it!
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