100 Days of Beach Waves, Braids, and Rainbow Hair
You know the drill: your alarm goes off, you snooze, finally get out of bed, shower, and then head to your vanity where you think, "What the heck am I going to do with my hair today?" Wearing the same style over and over again (I know I rely on the low ponytail way too much) can be totally boring, especially during Halloween and holiday party season. When I saw celebrity hairstylist Sarah Potempa dominate the 100-day hair challenge on Instagram, I was totally inspired. Sarah is the genius behind the Beachwaver curling iron (my personal favorite — it spins on its own!), as well as a plethora of other handy tools, including a portable hair iron. She took on this challenge wholeheartedly sharing looks that included innovative braids, waves, bold colors, and retro influences. It's pretty epic.
"I have always loved braiding hair, painting, DIY art, and home-decorating projects," she told me. "I love the concept of 'hair as art' and find it to be such a moldable, creative medium. I drew inspiration from old Hollywood imagery, nature, and my celebrity clients. One of my favorite portions of the #100HairDays was creating different hairstyles from over the decades. A celebrity makeup artist and friend of mine, Gianpaolo, wanted to do my makeup, so we teamed up on creating some of the '20s-'60s looks, which was such a treat! Aside from the decades series, I also had fun creating the long pink fishtail braid and wearing funky colored wigs!"
One of the things she learned from doing this was that it's a real commitment. Even if it was 11 p.m., she made sure to post a new photo so as not to let her Instagram followers down. And would she do it again? Totally, she confirmed. "I know that hair can change the way you look, because I change the hair of my clients all the time, so it was interesting to see how you can be perceived differently when you change your hair," she explained. "My goal was to always be creative so that meant styling my hair in looks I've never thought of trying before, even if that meant stepping out of my hair comfort zone."
We say: mission accomplished. But keep reading to see for yourself — maybe you'll even discover tomorrow's lewk.
Day 1
Day 1: Bob with beach waves
Day 2
Day 2: Braided topknot
Day 3
Day 3: Straight hair with a braid
Day 4
Day 4: "Old Hollywood" curls
Day 5
Day 5: Messy topknot
Day 6
Day 6: Beach waves
Day 7
Day 7: Brunette with short hair
Day 8
Day 8: Five-strand braid
Day 9
Day 9: "Boho hair" — beach waves with a skinny braid
Day 10
Day 10: Minibraid within a four-strand braid
Day 11
Day 11: Braided updo with a sweeping side-bang
Day 12
Day 12: Wrap bun with headbands
Day 13
Day 13: Half-up hair with beach waves
Day 14
Day 14: S-shaped braid updo
Day 15
Day 15: French braid and twist combo
Day 16
Day 16: Braid and baseball cap
Day 17
Day 17: Hippie headband and beach waves
Day 18
Day 18: Fishtail-braid pigtails
Day 19
Day 19: Straight bleached blond hair with blunt bangs
Day 20
Day 20: Blown-out red hair with sweeping bangs
Day 21
Day 21: Purple bob with bangs
Day 22
Day 22: "Festival Hair" — hot pink strands in a fishtail braid with a flower crown
Day 23
Day 23: Ribbon woven into a french braid
Day 24
Day 24: Soft waves and a feather-adorned hat
Day 25
Day 25: Triple-waterfall braided updo
Day 26
Day 26: Beach waves with a braid for added volume
Day 27
Day 27: Faux bob with a flip
Day 28
Day 28: Two-strand twist with beach waves
Day 29
Day 29: Half-up mohawk with beach waves
Day 30
Day 30: "Renaissance hair" — long braids with velvet ribbon
Day 31
Day 31: Marie Antoinette-inspired updo
Day 32
Day 32: "Victorian hair" — long curls and half-pinned-up waves with floral accessories
Day 33
Day 33: "Flapper girl" finger waves
Day 34
Day 34: 1930s-inspired waves
Day 35
Day 35: 1930s double-reverse rolls
Day 36
Day 36: 1950s-influenced roller set
Day 37
Day 37: 1960s bouffant
Day 38
Day 38: 1970s hippie-inspired straight long hair with a flower crown
Day 39
Day 39: 1980s-influenced rocker 'do
Day 40
Day 40: 1990s-inspired look
Day 41
Day 41: Gwen Stefani-inspired roll from the 2000s
Day 42
Day 42: Waves courtesy of the Beachwaver tool
Day 43
Day 43: Sporty braid
Day 44
Day 44: Half-up hair with an infinity braid and celtic knot
Day 45
Day 45: Messy milkmaid braid
Day 46
Day 46: Low ponytail with a barrette
Day 47
Day 47: Half-up hair with a topknot
Day 48
Day 48: Braid and fishtail combo
Day 49
Day 49: Triple topsy-turvy hair
Day 50
Day 50: Low bun with a mini fishtail braid
Day 51
Day 51: Totally textured beach hair
Day 52
Day 52: Five-strand side braid
Day 53
Day 53: French fishtail plait
Day 54
Day 54: Braided updo with three french braids
Day 55
Day 55: Tight topknot
Day 56
Day 56: Beach waves pulled into a ponytail with volume at the crown
Day 57
Day 57: Ladder braid
Day 58
Day 58: Straight strands with clip-in extensions
Day 59
Day 59: Triple-wrapped ponytail with bracelets as hair ties
Day 60
Day 60: Long two-strand twist
Day 61
Day 61: Crown braid with a wrap bun
Day 62
Day 62: Long beach waves with a side-crown fishtail braid
Day 63
Day 63: Sleek high ponytail
Day 64
Day 64: Hair tied into a bow
Day 65
Day 65: Messy-chic updo with three wrap-bun twists
Day 66
Day 66: Half-up fishtail with beach waves
Day 67
Day 67: Four-strand elongated french braid
Day 68
Day 68: Wind-blown waves
Day 69
Day 69: Braid with teal tips
Day 70
Day 70: Beach waves with pink tips
Day 71
Day 71: Zipper braid
Day 72
Day 72: Big beach waves with a headband
Day 73
Day 73: Loose voluminous curls
Day 74
Day 74: Braids with wild-berry accessories
Day 75
Day 75: Rope braid
Day 76
Day 76: Side-swept cascading waves
Day 77
Day 77: Wrap bun with a Fall flower crown
Day 78
Day 78: Kinky waves with an Autumn-colored flower crown
Day 79
Day 79: Supertwisted low bun
Day 80
Day 80: Textured topknot
Day 81
Day 81: Fishtail braid with a tail
Day 82
Day 82: Blue bob with bangs
Day 83
Day 83: Beach waves and a fedora
Day 84
Day 84: 1960s-inspired ponytail with a black bow
Day 85
Day 85: Triple-braided mohawk
Day 86
Day 86: 1960s polished beehive updo
Day 87
Day 87: The ultimate fishtail crown-braid
Day 88
Day 88: Messy, very high topknot
Day 89
Day 89: Beach-waved braid with an overize flower crown
Day 90
Day 90: Textured hair with a bow tie
Day 91
Day 91: Blown-out brunette hair with bangs
Day 92
Day 92: Spiderweb-inspired mohawk
Day 93
Day 93: French braid into a bun
Day 94
Day 94: 1960s-inspired half-up hair
Day 95
Day 95: Braid within a braid
Day 96
Day 96: Braid-textured hair in a rollup with an elastic headband
Day 97
Day 97: Vintage-inspired smooth waves
Day 98
Day 98: Side braid with major volume at the top
Day 99
Day 99: Crown created with looped hair and waves
Day 100
Day 100: Long hair, don't care!