How to recreate Cardi B's bandana braids at home

The iconic style made simple.

BEAUTYcrew Beauty Editor / August 20 2020

Cardi B has been making exceptionally good use of her hair extensions lately and we love to see it. Remember that outrageously long, Louis Vuitton monogrammed ponytail she wore a few weeks ago? Yeah so do we, it was arguably one of the top five moments of our life. 

Well, she’s back at it again, and this time she’s donning a floor-grazing bandana braid to match her rainbow bandana-themed outfit and pink bandana Birkin bag - yet another classic ensemble from Miss Cardi.

Now, we don’t know about you, but we are in love with the fabric braiding technique Cardi’s used in her hair, so much so, we just had to figure out how to recreate the look for ourselves at home. Turns out it’s actually pretty simple. 

First up, you’re going to want to gather your hair into a low pony, smoothing away any flyways for that sleek finish like Cardi, and firmly fastening strands with a hair tie. 

Next, centre and wrap your bandana around the hair tie, using a pin to fasten the fabric to the underside of the ponytail. 

Then, just like you would with a regular braid, you will need to separate your ponytail into three sections, and begin your braid by folding the outer sections over the centre. The only difference? You’ll also gather your secured scarf into said sections, weaving it throughout your braid the same as your hair.

See? Super easy to master and a great way to add some intrigue to your hair style repertoire. Thanks Cardi! 

Cardi B has the hair juice. This is the DIY hair mask she swears by for all that shine. 

Main image credit: @iamcardib

Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).