So you’ve selected a showstopping dress, sleek suit or sparkly going-out top, and you’re ready to get dolled up for party season.
Now, to complete your beauty look, it’s time to decide how to dress your tresses.
Whether you’ve got a whole Saturday to get glam or you need to do a quick zhuzh-up before a weeknight soiree, we’ve got some amazing ideas for locks long or short, curly or straight.
Here, styling pros talk us through five festive hairdos to try at home…
1. Tousled topknot
Celebrity hairdresser Michael Douglas, founder of MD London (mdlondon.co.uk), calls a tousled topknot “super simple, yet it looks like you have put lots of effort in creating this party updo”. Here’s how to get the look…
1. Blow-dry the hair thoroughly – the key to any good hairstyle is removing moisture before styling. Use a pair of curling tongs and curl small sections of the hair at a time, almost creating tight, rope-like curls.
2. Once finished, tease the hair out by simply using your fingertips to create gorgeous natural movement in the hair.
3. Give the hair a good spritz of texturising spray. Give the scalp a bit of a massage too, for added volume. You should now have beautiful soft waves to work with.
4. For that festive feel, use a large glittery scrunchie and gently gather the hair at the back into a loose, messy ponytail up to the crown of the hair, leaving a few little bits at the side. Wrap the hair around the scrunchie twice, looping the hair in on the second wrap around – you will be left with a messy topknot with a tail at the back.
5. Pin the hair over the sides of the scrunchie, giving a touch more height on the crown.
2. Big hair energy
Turn up the volume on mid-length locks with this big and beautiful blowout created by Sam Burnett, owner and creative director of Hare and Bone (hareandbone.co.uk).
1. Apply mousse all over the hair and then blow dry for volume at the roots.
2. Section the hair and set it with heated rollers or tongs, then pin the curls to cool.
3. Once cooled, start brushing out from the nape of the neck and mould into shape.
4. Backcomb the top and brush away from the face. Finish by setting with hairspray.
3. Perfect ponytail
“A super-slick ponytail is a classic party look that never fails to draw attention, if styled well,” says Jonathan Andrew, hairstylist and global brand ambassador for Fudge Professional (fudgeprofessional.com), who created this look for pop star Anne-Marie. “I wanted to capture her playful nature and give her a stand-out style,” he says.
He started by mixing Fudge Professional Styling Violet Xpander Foam (£14, LookFantastic) with Fudge Professional Blow-Dry Aqua Primer (£11.99, Sephora).
“The hair was dried away from the face and as close to the scalp as possible to create an ultra-sleek look,” Andrew says.
“Party season means you can go all out, so adding hair to your ponytail is a great option. For this look, a colour-matched ponytail extension piece was used to create dramatic length.”
Next, he added a coat of hair spray to create hold and shape: “I then applied serum throughout the ponytail for shine, and then finished with a spritz of hair oil for maximum shine and textural difference.”
Fudge Professional Fudge Professional Blow-Dry Aqua Primer. Sephora
Fudge Professional Styling Violet Xpander Foam. LookFantastic
4. Metallic crop
“Create this statement party look with a metallic paste,” says hairdresser Cally Borg, founder of Cally Borg Hair (callyborg.com). “Gold glitter makes an impact, while retaining an understated sense of glamour on this super cool crop. It washes out easily, and is perfect on short, thick hair.”
“Put a teaspoon of Everygreen Modeling Paste (SBS Hair) into a small pot and add equal quantities of gold and silver glitter,” Borg says.
“Use a tint brush to apply the paste all over, then fingers to rub it into the hair, spreading the paste more evenly. Make a second mix using only silver glitter and go around the hairline.”
She adds: “To recreate on longer hair, mix the glitter with a styling cream – as the wax won’t give enough movement.”
Everygreen Modeling Paste. SBS Hair
5. Crown of curls
“On this style I enhanced my model’s natural hair texture, but it can be created on any hair type,” says Tina Hollis, colourist and owner of T2 Nails and Beauty (t2nailsandbeauty.co.uk). The look combines voluminous curls with a sleek front to frame the face.
Start with clean, dry hair. “Section the hair into one-inch deep square sections, and spritz with a strong hold spray,” Hollis says. “Using a chopstick curling tong, wind the hair around the barrel, holding in place for 10 seconds. Unwind carefully and leave to cool, continuing throughout the whole head.”
Using a comb, gently tease out each curl individually: “Pull them apart with your fingers and gently pinch from the ends up towards the middle to create a diffused look.”
To complete the look, Hollis says: “Smooth the front section using straighteners from root to mid-lengths and secure with grips. Tease the curls out with a soft brush, finishing with hairspray and shine spray. Curls aren’t meant to look perfect, and your fingers are your best tools!”
