Experimenting with protective styles isn’t everyone’s cup of tea: Some people regularly trade out new colours and looks, while others find what they like and stick to it. Asya Steele has historically been one to play it safe, but there’s never a wrong time to switch things up. “I usually always wear boring hairstyles,” Steele says. “I’ve always been a one-toned person who wears my hair black all the time.”

For our latest episode of Hair Me Out, Steele decided to give long, Beyoncé-inspired two-toned box braids a try. Evalyn Denis, a freelance hairstylist and braid expert in Los Angeles, helped bring Steele’s vision to life by using RastaFri braiding hair to create a set of multi-hued blonde box braids for her client. “Today, we’re doing knotless braids,” Denis said, explaining that knotless braids are the same as box braids, just without the knot.

Denis added medium-sized braids with slanted parts throughout Steele’s head, starting from the nape and working her way to the crown. When the braid installation was complete, Denis applied mousse, leave-in conditioner spray, and oil to her client’s scalp. Then, she dipped the braids into boiled water to prevent them from unraveling. Steele’s final look? A beautiful waist-length protective style that helped her “channel her inner Beyoncé.” Click play to see her transformation in full.

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