Tia Mowry Added Wooden Beads To Her Braids & Instantly Revitalized Her Look

Tia Mowry is so known for her ever-changing hairstyles that she built an entire beauty brand around it. She loves the more experimental moments and timeless looks alike, but sometimes, all she needs is an accessory to make even the most traditional styles feel fresh and unique. It doesn’t get much more classic than a set of straightbacks, which the star’s worn on plenty of occasions. But when Mowry added braid beads to the plaits, she completely revitalized her entire personal aesthetic, just in time for the scorching hot tail-end of summer.

Mowry debuted the new look on her Instagram, sharing back-to-back video clips of her in the multicolored wooden beads. Her braids are long, falling nearly down to her waist, tightly woven and highly glossed for tons of shine. The beads, strung along the ends in shades of white, orange, black, and tan wood, cover the final two to three inches. Thanks to the variety in accessory size and color, Mowry makes a rather simple hairstyle feel both highly personal and extremely elaborate. With all the braids pulled to one side of her shoulder, the braids look staggered in length too, making them look more numerous and even thicker.

The wooden texture adds an easy, earthy elegance that’s ideal for the final stretch of summer, but Mowry’s hardly a braid accessory newcomer. She’s dotted large pearls down the back of one extra-large plait, added cowry shells to an extra-long French braid, and even woven long strands of gleaming crystals right in with the rest of her hair.

Mowry’s firmly on-trend with her latest look, too. Braid accessories — and wooden beads in particular — are having a moment with her celebrity peers. Kerry Washington dabbles in the style nearly every summer, while other A-listers like Alicia Keys, Gabrielle Union, and Serena Williams have all worn similar hair jewelry recently.

The key to nailing the look for yourself is making sure the braids are tight, lightly dampened by water, and shellacked in a protective coat of product so there’s no accidental fraying. Look for beads specifically designed for hair, as they typically have a larger opening that’s easier to slip on. Beyond that, it really just comes down to picking the color and style that excites you the most.