Our 2020 holiday celebrations will no doubt be simpler, and certainly smaller to keep us safer. But just because the usual parties won’t be in person this season, there’s no reason not to indulge in a bit of glamor and a touch of glitter. These holiday hairstyling ideas can make staying at home feel special without a lot of effort.
GO FOR THE GLEAM: ACCESSORIES
Decorate yourself with bold barrettes and pretty pins. Virtual family gatherings mean putting your best face forward, so enhance your profile with a side part and an artful arrangement. Oversized clips do the trick nicely – or use a bevy of bobby pins to create a modern “Marcel.”
If you have some natural waves to start with, use some Hair Balm to accentuate your texture and place your pins along the natural bends – and when you take them out, you’ve done double-duty by setting the waves in. For hair with naturally tighter curls, some pomade will help you stretch and hold them.
NOT-UPTIGHT UPDOS
Wrap up your hair as you wrap those gifts. These updos are practical, pretty, and keep things casual whether wearing a formal gown or pajamas. Curls are a plus here though any texture will work; if your hair is especially glassy and slides around when you try to pin it up, puff in some dry shampoo powder to give it extra grip beforehand.
To perform this ponytail:
- Separate your hair into 3 sections as if to start a braid.
- Lift and twist the two outer sections toward each other to cover the center.
- Tie them as you would start a bow.
- Wrap and tuck in the ends, and pin into place securely underneath.
Or, simply gather hair into one loose ponytail, secure with an elastic, and then:
- Run a finger down the back center of your head from crown to nape to create an opening.
- Lift the ponytail by the elastic upward and push it down through the opening.
- Hook the ponytail from underneath with a finger and pull it all through.
- Smooth over the opening.
This easy Gibson-girl updo
is best kept loose and away from the scalp; volume at the nape is key.
- First, prepare with a light, overall coating of Hair Balm to calm frizz or static.
- Then – you’ve likely done this a thousand times – bend over and let your hair dangle down, corral it with your hands, an elastic band, and stand upright.
- Gently settle the topknot just behind your crown, wrap it loosely, and nestle several bobby pins to secure;
- fluff it out a bit to hide them.
The charm lies in the pieces that hang loose – roll a wayward forelock between fingers coated with Hair Balm to help it come together. For some extra hold and to enhance the texture, finish with an overall mist of texturizing spray.
WEAR A CROWN
Sculpt afro-textured hair into a Nefertiti-inspired headdress. This model has the benefit of an undercut that removed the volume in the lower areas; Hair Balm is the product that helped her curls come together and build the form, and a hair pomade comes into the picture to smooth the edges and refine the details – be sure to rub it well in your hands to warm and soften it first. Even if you don’t have the disconnected haircut, find ways to tightly wrap and smooth the hair at the sides and nape and let the top layers bloom.
Hairstyling by Tony Kelly with Brian Casey
