How I Got Drew Barrymore's Messy Crown Braid, in GIFs

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(Image credit: ARCHIVES)

published 10 June 14

Writers and superfans alike are constantly musing on who would be their celebrity BFFs. Quirky stars like Jennifer Lawrence (opens in new tab) and Shailene Woodley (opens in new tab) seem to win overall, however, my number one girl has always been Drew Barrymore (opens in new tab). The style chemeleon exudes this no-bullsh*t-free-spirit while maintaining a jubilant attitude, something that I've always found wonderfully magnetic.

I was lucky enough to meet Drew at a press event when she launched her beauty line, Flower, and it was then that she cemented my obsession. She told me, "Happiness is the best makeup, a girl looks absolutely the most beautiful when she's smiling." Needless to say, I've been smiling ever since. They say immitation is the highest form of flattery, so I decided to flatter Drew Barrymore by giving her undone crown braid—and red lip—a try. I headed over to Halli Bivona at the John Barrett Salon at Bergdorf Goodman (opens in new tab) because if there's one person who can make a braid look proper, it's her.

Step 1: Flip your hair over your head.

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Step 2: Part your hair down the middle. It doesn't have to be perfect, in fact it will look better if it's not.

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Step 3: Begin the braid by grabbing a triangular section near the base of your neck and splitting it into 3 subsections.

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Step 4: Braid your hair following your hair line.

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Step 5: Start to twist the middle section towards the outside, adding hair to the outside sections as you go.

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Step 6: To create the uneven texture of the braid twist sections around each other.

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Step 7: Continue around your head.

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Step 8: Finish off braid at opposite side of your head and braid all the way down to the ends of your hair.

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Step 9: Pull on the braid to add more texture.

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Step 10: Secure with a clear elastic and wrap the loose end on the braid around your head and secure with bobby pins.

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Step 11: Spray with hairspray to tame flyaways.

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Drew Barrymore, I'm coming for ya!

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More for the Braid-Obsessed:

11 Amazing Braids for Long Hair (opens in new tab)

Switch Your Hairstyle in 5 Minutes or Less (opens in new tab)

The Best Braids in Game of Thrones (opens in new tab)

Hallie Gould

Hallie has worked in beauty editorial for ten years and has been editorial director at Byrdie since 2021. Previously, she was a senior editor at Byrdie since 2016. During her time at Byrdie, she's written hundreds of high-performing stories on skincare, wellness (including fitness, diet, mental health, body image, et al) makeup, and hair. She's a regular on set, helping to source inspiration for makeup and hair looks, as well as interviewing celebrities, models, and other notable women and men in the beauty space.

Before that, Hallie ran Marie Claire's social media and wrote beauty and culture stories for the site, and helped launch Time Inc.'s digital-only beauty brand, MIMI. After college, she contributed to Time Out New York’s Shopping & Style section before landing her first beauty editor gig at Hearst's Real Beauty. Hallie's writing has also appeared in ELLE, Cosmopolitan, and InStyle. Hallie graduated with a BA in Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.