Hot Holiday Hairstyles For Any Party
'Tis the season for festive parties, from the office Christmas party to that big bash on New Year's Eve.
No matter what the occasion, you'll want to look fabulous from head to toe, and The Early Show's stylist to the stars, David Evangelista, has three easy looks that will make you look gorgeous and glam for any night out this holiday season.
He points out that how you style your hair for these fetes is just as important as the outfit you wear.
The looks he suggests require a bit of "setting time," that is, time to lock in volume or curl. Evangelista advises that you do your hair before your makeup; that way, your hair will be out of your face while you're doing your makeup, because it'll all be pinned up/back, and your hair will have plenty of time to set.
His three hot holiday hairstyles are:
Look #1: Perky Pony
First, prep hair with spray volumizer and tease at the root, especially around the crown area. Pull hair up and back into a ponytail, setting the pony right below the crown of the head; make sure you don't put it above the crown, or else you'll look too much like a cheerleader. Secure the pony with a snag-proof elastic band. To create the "perk" of the pony, set the tail in Velcro rollers, or with a curling iron or in pin curls; the idea is to give the pony some movement and bounce. If you use Velcro rollers, opt for a smaller-size roller; if you're using a curling iron, pin curled hair into place. With any of these methods, let hair set in place for 20 to 25 minutes. Then, pull out clips/rollers and finger style or brush gently. For added festivity, add a sprig of holly into the pony band.
Look #2: Half-Knot with Headband
This look is a variation of the "perky pony" look, except this time, you're going to position the pony at the nape of your neck. After prepping hair with volumizer, make a ponytail at the nape of your neck, but don't pull the hair all the way though the band; bring it halfway through, like a bun/knot, letting some hair stick out. Evangelista says this look works well for women with or without bangs, so as long as you can put your hair into a ponytail at your neck, you can pull it off. Adorn the knot with a patent leather headband, or cut a piece of red velvet ribbon from a gift and use it as a headband. If you have bangs, place the band forward on your head; if you haven't got bangs, place it a little higher/further back on the head. Rub a dab of pommade between your hands and spike it through the hair sticking out of the knot for a more defined, edgy look.
Look #3: Sultry, Voluminous Hair
This look, Evangelista says, is all about volume and glamour - think about the sex kitten movie stars such as Bridget Bardot, Sophia Loren or Jane Fonda circa 1964. First, when hair is damp, use a volumizing gel and spray volumizer; if your hair is dry, you can just use a volumizer spray. Dry hair, holding hair up and aiming heat at the root in an upward direction, to attain maximum volume. After hair is dry, smooth it out with a brush. Evangelista advises that you get rollers sized depending on how much volume you want in the hair; if you use smaller rollers, you'll get more wave; bigger rollers give more overall fullness from the root down. Create a hard side part, and, using big Velcro rollers, set the whole panel of the head from ear to ear forward, so that the top/front of the hair will fall towards the face; from the crown to the back of the head, set hair in rollers so that it falls backward. Leave hair to set in rollers for at least 30 minutes. The longer the leave them, the more fullness you'll get. When you take the rollers out, grab hair at the root and pull the roller down. If you just pull the rollers out without grabbing hair at the root, there's a better chance that you'll pull hair out of your head. Put a little wet hair spray on your fingers and twist through pieces of hair, forming them toward your face. You can also tease hair with a teasing comb for fuller hair.