How to DIY Taylor Swift’s Badass “Bad Blood” Braid in 5 Minutes
We already walked you through how to nail the look of Taylor Swift’s new edgy persona from her new “Bad Blood” music video/everyone’s latest four-minute streamable obsession. But you didn’t think we’d stop gushing about her newfound badassary before we talked about her hair in the video, did you? Those signature blond locks go through several transformations — from a side-swept shag to a slicked-back updo — but one style in particular caught our eye: her wrapped fishtail braid that cracks like a whip as she breaks through the wall and yells “Hey!” right before the 1:45 mark.
We’re swooning over the details of this combat-ready ‘do — the face-framing mini ponytails and hair wrap qualify this as a next-level braid for sure. Read below to learn how to add T. Swift-approved flair to your fishtail braid in just five minutes.
Once you’ve placed an extreme side part, use a straightening product like Philip Kingsley Straight Hair Balm ($38) to smooth your hair in the direction it’s going to lay in.
Step 1: Smooth It Down
Take the front section of your hair (the part that’s swept across your head) and put it into a small, 1-inch ponytail using a small elastic. Take the same sized section of hair from the back portion (on the opposite side of your head) and put it into another small ponytail.
Step 2: Add Two Mini Ponytails
Use a small elastic to tie those two ponytails together, and another to tie all of your hair together into one ponytail. Then, start fishtail braiding your hair using very small chunks of hair to make your fishtail braid extremely tight and clean. Take your time: you want the braid to look sleek pretty, not messy pretty.
Step 3: Tie Together + Fishtail Braid
Use a piece of fabric, yarn or whatever you like to embellish the base of the fishtail braid. Just wrap the accessory around the braid a few times, tie it off and tuck the ends into the wrap so they don’t show.
Step 4: Wrap It Up
You just nailed Badass Braids 101!
How many times have you watched “Bad Blood” (seriously)? Tell us what beauty look was your fave in the comments below.