• Celebrity
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Women in Music
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
  • Fashion
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion House
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Color Files Podcast
    • Nails
    • How-To
    • Beauty Carnival-Archive
    • Dope Stuff On My Desk
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weaves
    • 4C
    • Spring Hair And Beauty
  • Love
    • Love & Sex
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle News
    • Build Your Legacy
    • Coronavirus: Everything You Need to Know
    • Health & Wellness
    • Holiday Gift Guide 2020
    • Unbossed Podcast
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
    • Currency Conversations
  • News
    • Latest News
    • BLACK VOTES MATTER
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Videos
  • Events
    • WELLNESS HOUSE: YEAR OF RENEWAL
    • LEVEL UP: Entrepreneur Summit (DEC 2020)
    • Power Tools
    • SHE GOT NOW
    • Girls United Summit
    • Making Moves Now: Virtual Bootcamp
    • #EF SESSIONS
    • Dear Black Men
    • Cares Act
    • News & Announcements
  • Festival
  • Subscribe
  • Essence Studios
  • Girls United
  • NaturallyCurly
  • Shop Essence

Follow Us

Skip to content
  • Essence Studios
  • Girls United
  • NaturallyCurly
  • Shop Essence
  • Celebrity
    • Celebrity
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Women in Music
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
  • Fashion
    • Fashion
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion House
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Beauty
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Color Files Podcast
    • Nails
    • How-To
    • AVEENO® Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • Beauty Carnival-Archive
    • Dope Stuff On My Desk
  • Hair
    • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weaves
    • 4C
    • Spring Hair And Beauty
  • Love
    • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle News
    • Build Your Legacy
    • Coronavirus: Everything You Need to Know
    • Health & Wellness
    • Holiday Gift Guide 2020
    • Netflix’s Jingle Jangle Gift Guide
    • Unbossed Podcast
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
    • Currency Conversations
    • Your Legacy
  • News
    • News
    • Latest News
    • BLACK VOTES MATTER
    • Essence 50th Anniversary
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Videos
  • Events
    • Events
    • WELLNESS HOUSE: YEAR OF RENEWAL
    • LEVEL UP: Entrepreneur Summit (DEC 2020)
    • Power Tools
    • SHE GOT NOW
    • Girls United Summit
    • Making Moves Now: Virtual Bootcamp
    • #EF SESSIONS
    • Dear Black Men
    • Cares Act
    • News & Announcements
  • Festival
  • Subscribe
Home · Updos

Get On Up: Braided Updos You'll Love

Africa is full of beautiful women and gorgeous braids. These updos caught our eye.

By Pamela Edwards Christiani · July 28, 2015October 27, 2020
01
Purple Reigns

Doreen Amateshe’s work as a relations officer at the DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi calls for a neat look. “Because of work, I keep the braids for two to three weeks,” she says. But she isn’t conservative at heart. “When I was a student on campus, I’d do crazy colors, long braids.”


With that in mind, Monroe delivered a nice compromise, keeping Doreen’s neat top and adding a chic purple ombre ponytail.

GREG VOREHAIR, DERICK MONROE
02
Silver Linings

She may look like a kid, but 27-year-old Vanessa Mdee rocks her gray locks with confidence. “Hair is the most important accessory,” the MTV-Africa-nominated singer gushes.


“Braids are my favorite because I can feel my scalp.” Her cousin talked her into the granny hue, which is nothing short of fabulous on Vanessa. Stylist Derick Monroe crafted a cool frontal swoop using the end of her high ponytail, along with a few bobby pins.

GREG VOREHAIR, DERICK MONROE
03
Common Threads

Belinda Joanna Mukamirwa is studying at Vera Beauty & Fashion College in Nairobi. Her twists include woolen threads that are popular in Maasai culture. “It’s easy to maintain, easy to wash. I can blow-dry the twists or let them air-dry in the sun,” adds Belinda. Monroe created a waterfall effect to Belinda’s look with structured twists on one side and a pretty cascade of loose twists on the other.

GREG VOREHAIR, DERICK MONROE
04
Long and Strong

Musician and budding comedian Koryan “Koko” Wright (Erykah Badu’s lil sis) traveled with us to Kenya and, fortunately for us, allowed us to photograph these stunning braids for this story. We learned that she braids her own hair and taught herself how by watching her childhood stylist, Isis, work magic. Koko’s super-long strands are the result of a secret lengthening technique, one of Isis’s skillful methods. “These braids are part of my persona now,” she adds. “I love my hair but I’m a germaphobe, so I dip the ends into a little bit of bleach and water [within a huge gumbo pot] two to three times a week,” she reveals. Koko usually wears her braids loose and free-flowing, but Monroe talked her into trying these Pocahontas plaits with a little pompadour. “I like this look,” says Koko.

GREG VOREHAIR, DERICK MONROE
05
Haute Hawk

Janet Wayua is also a student at Vera Beauty & Fashion College. She’s a favorite braider among her peers (she braided Evelyn’s hair) as well as her teachers. She has little time to fuss with her own hair, so she sticks to styles that can be completed in two hours or less, like this faux hawk. Monroe simply added a little sheen spray and kept it moving.

GREG VOREHAIR, DERICK MONROE
06
Drummer’s Delight

Like the other everyday beauties in this story, Diana Mbuba prefers braided looks that don’t take all day in the salon.
The recent college grad and avid drummer is also Kenya’s Miss Tourism Tharaka-Nithi County. Diana switches up her braided styles every two weeks and loves to experiment with color. Monroe added a braided crown to Diana’s swirling corn-rows for extra flair.

GREG VOREHAIR, DERICK MONROE
07
Caramel Swirls

We’ve included another Kenyan Miss Tourism delegate: Evelyn Arasa, a recent grad and future environmentalist. Janet Wayua (far right) braided Evelyn’s gorgeous cornrows in about an hour and a half. She sees her every two weeks.

“I have complete faith in her. She does the teachers’ hair, so if the teachers trust her she must be good.” Monroe took the ends of Evelyn’s braids and created a pretty pattern at the crown.

GREG VOREHAIR, DERICK MONROE

Read More

News
Mars’ Perserverance Rover Landing Site Named After Octavia...
The Most Anticipated TV Shows for Spring 2021
Celebrity
Poet Amanda Gorman Was Racially Profiled And ‘Tailed’ Du...
Fashion
The Best Dressed Black Creatives On Instagram This Week
Money & Career
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Keonia Rodgers Wants You To Boss Up!
COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2021 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now