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Kerry Washington’s Perfect Braided Ponytail: Four Steps to Recreating the Style!

Kerry Washington at 'Late Show with Stephen Colbert' in NYC.
Kerry Washington worked the prettiest braided ponytail on Friday, Sept. 25, and Us Weekly has the hairstyle breakdown from her stylist in four steps; read them here!

On the hunt for the prettiest ponytail? It’s handled!

Kerry Washington rocked an effortlessly glam braided ponytail while promoting the latest season of Scandal in NYC on Friday, Sept. 25. Obsessed? You’re in luck: Washington’s go-to red carpet hairstylist, Takisha Sturdivant-Drew, gave Us the breakdown in four easy steps!

Related: PHOTOS: Olivia Pope's best Scandal styles!

“When I saw what Kerry was wearing that day, I knew I wanted her hair to be up,” the celeb hairstylist tells Us. “So I styled her hair in a pretty, chic braided ponytail with very little height on top.”

Related: PHOTOS: The prettiest braided hairstyles on the red carpet

After washing and conditioning the 38-year-old Django Unchained actress’ chocolate tresses, Sturdivant-Drew massaged Neutrogena Triple Moisture Silk Touch Leave-In Cream throughout (to protect Washington’s hair from the constant heat of styling tools), and got to it.

“I parted her hair across at the front, as though I was giving her a bang. Then, I used my medium-size Velcro rollers to curl her ‘bangs’ backwards,” Sturdivant-Drew continues. (The rollers would later give Washington that height at the top.)

Kerry Washington - braided pony
Kerry Washington rocking her braided ponytail at two more events on Friday, Sept. 25.

Once she did that, she explains, “I teased her hair behind the bangs and on each side using my bone comb. Then, I gathered her hair, while still allowing pieces to naturally fall to the sides.” Sturdivant-Drew used a thick Muji ponytail holder to secure her hair and keep the pony centered.

Related: PHOTOS: Celebrities' dramatic hair color makeovers

To achieve the textured plait, the stylist split the actress’ ponytail hair into three sections, styling it into a braid, which she secured at the end with a small elastic band.

To complete the hairstyle, Sturdivant-Drew unraveled the rollers she popped in at the start. She pushed those locks back towards the top of the ponytail, letting them keep their bounce, but locked them in place by using one black matte bobbi pin.

Ta-da! Will you be trying Washington’s pretty pony at home? Tweet with @UsWeekly using the hashtag #stylebyUs!

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