30 Best Lemonade Braids

When it comes to trends, lemonade braids have made a comeback in a big way. While side braids have existed for many years across various cultures, Beyonce’s braids in her iconic album made the cornrow hairstyle mainstream and established braided styles as one of the most popular hair trends for black women. Mixing and matching everything from color to parts to edges, lemonade braids can incorporate many different styles and techniques. Some women will wear big braids going down the side for a swept look, while others may prefer small cornrows styled to the back for a sleek finish. Whether you want small, medium, large or jumbo with the braids to the sides or straight back, you’ll find sexy lemonade braids hairstyles to fit your personality. To inspire you with ideas, we’ve compiled a list of the best lemonade braids to copy right now.

What Are Lemonade Braids?

Lemonade braids are a type of braided hairstyle for black women and are distinguished by long side-swept cornrows. Inspired by the side cornrow style Beyoncé rocked in her 2016 visual album titled “Lemonade”, these braids styles are cute and low-maintenance, and can be created with your natural hair or extensions. If you want to look like a goddess and experiment with this trend, there are many ways to style lemonade braids for a gorgeous look.

Lemonade Braids Hairstyles

Beyonce Lemonade Braids

As one of the most iconic braided styles of all time, Beyonce’s lemonade braids get their name from the iconic “Lemonade” album, where the artist wore her locks in braids parted to the side. Her take on lemonade braids are super long mini-braids with gold coloring throughout to look as though she’s covered in cool pixie dust. Trendy and beautiful, you can’t go wrong styling her long braids to the side with a color for a sexy and fierce look.

Classic Lemonade Braids

The classic lemonade braid hairstyle is straightforward: cornrows, side-swept, tiny braids. It’s fun, traditional, beautiful, and never goes out of style.

Small Lemonade Braids

For women who have thin or less hair, small lemonade braids are perfect. They are a smaller braid, compared to the classic thick plaits, that packs its punch in the details.

Pulled Back Braids

Similar to a half-up half-down style, the pulled back look involves pulling the braids to the back rather than to the side. It’s a great way to frame your face and mix your routine up a bit.

Jumbo Lemonade Braids

To really make a statement, jumbo lemonade braids never fail. This gorgeous style involves thick braids and is ideal for ladies with long, curly hair, and lots of it.

Big Lemonade Braids

Similar to the jumbo braid style, big lemonade braids are just a small step down. They are smaller and a little less thick – more of a natural braid, while still making an impact.

Center Part

Put a twist on traditional side-swept lemonade braids by adding a center part instead. Divided right down the middle, this feminine style does wonders to elongate the face.

Medium Lemonade Braids

If you don’t have thick enough hair for larger braids, medium lemonade braids are a more accessible version, which makes the hair appear more voluminous. Pro tip: consider adding extensions for more body and length.

Topknot

A topknot exactly how it sounds: a braided bun at the top of the head. To recreate this gorgeous style, gather most of your braids together and twist them into a bun. Leave a few thick braids in the back out, and use bobby pins to keep everything in place.

Lemonade Braids To The Side

Though lemonade braids default to being styled to the side, it’s also possible to push the envelope by braiding even further to the opposite side of the head. This hairstyle is great for showcasing creativity, braiding ability, and unique patterns.

Large Lemonade Braids

Paired perfectly with soft and styled edges, large lemonade braids work best with extra long hair. Though an empowering and strong look, it can also have a delicate side.

Lemonade Braids with Beads

To add an extra dimension of style and texture to braids, consider sliding on beads. Whether wooden or ceramic, bohemian or punk, matching or eclectic, beads amplify the personality of a person. Beads come in all shapes, sizes, and types, so be sure to find one that matches you.

Jumbo Triangle Part

The jumbo triangle part is all about geometry. The braids stem from the top of the head, and are then separated into equal-sized slices, with the center directly in the middle, almost like a braid-pie. Each slice is edgy and modern, with very little in common with traditional braids.

Long Lemonade Braids

One of the key characteristics of the lemonade braided hairstyle is length. Whether natural or aided with extensions, don’t be afraid to go big or go home with lemonade braids – the longer the better.

Ponytail

The ponytail is a beautiful and stylish rendition for braided hair. To achieve this look, gather your braids into a high ponytail, but remember to leave one or two strands out. Use those left-out braids to wrap around the base of the ponytail, covering the elastic band, then lock it down with bobby pins.

Pink Lemonade Braids

Like the drink of the same name, pink lemonade braids are a sweet and refreshing braid style. It comes down to the color – adding hues of pink to your locks for a visually exciting pop.

Braided Updo

The braided updo is a great way to showcase a flawless face and some intricate row designs. It’s simple, too: all you need to do is gather your hair and secure it in a bun at the top. Whether tight or loose, glamorous or relaxed, it’s all up to you.

Lemonade Braids with Color

Don’t limit yourself to yellow or pink because lemonade braids can be filled with any color of the rainbow, and more than one at a time. Pick your favorite colors and this braided style will always be a bright and bold reflection of you. You can experiment with a colorful hairstyle to create rainbow braids or choose colors that match the season.

Nicki Minaj Lemonade Braids

Speaking of bright and bold, Nicki Minaj lemonade braids are iconic. The rapper brought these long locks back into popularity, styling them with eye-catching colors, floor-length cuts, and plenty of sexy hair flips.

Burgundy Lemonade Braids

If you want to stand out with your appearance, the deeper hues of color are eye-catching on anyone sporting burgundy lemonade braids. Channel your inner redhead with this trendy hairstyle.

Zig Zag

For an extra pinch of fun and unique style, don’t be afraid to incorporate some zig zag designs into your braided hairstyle. Showcase your talent by switching up the traditional cornrow template.

Blonde Lemonade Braids

Whether or not “blondes have more fun” is still up for debate, but it’s a known fact that blonde lemonade braids are a natural fit. This is a trendy look to add a little style to your tresses.

Half Up Half Down

For the best of both worlds, try the half up half down style to mix things up with your braids. It’s a pretty easy look: just gather up a section of hair – as little as you want – and put it in a bun on the top of your head. The rest is free to flow as usual.

Lemonade Braids with Wraps

Like beads, wraps are a fun way to decorate your lemonade braids. You can add one or several as a statement piece, and can experiment with everything from colors to thickness to patterns. It’s a simple addition to your braided hairstyle and, even better, it’s easy to maintain.

Swirl Lemonade Braids

With swirl lemonade braids, think of cornrows, but with a tilt. The swirl style has a tilt-a-whirl effect, creating a fun and visual movement that everyone will want to compliment.

Ombre Lemonade Braids

Don’t commit to one color when you can get ombre lemonade braids. With the ombre style, you’re able to play with colors – transitioning from one to the other from the roots to the ends. You can go with a more natural and subtle change, or go big with something neon or metallic.

Two-Tone Lemonade Braids

Two-tone lemonade braids incorporate highlights into your tresses, bringing in a color refresh. Adding even just a few strands of blonde make for an eye-catching contrast.

How To Do Lemonade Braids

You’ll want to do lemonade braids with a professional stylist for best results. Visit a reputable salon near you and get a professional to recreate this beautiful braided hairstyle for women. Ask your stylist about different ways you can add your own personality and make your cornrows and braids unique to you! On average, it will take 2 to 6 hours to create lemonade braids, and how long the process takes will depend on the size of your brads, the length of your hair, and the style you want. When maintaining and taking care of your braids, make sure to use a clarifying shampoo and be gentle in the washing process. After every wash, apply a moisturizing conditioner to keep your hair healthy and hydrated. Once your hair is dry, massage hydrating products into your scalp and braids to nourish and style your braided hair.