Holiday Approved Hairstyles. Screenshot these now!
Can you believe that Halloween has passed and now Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner?
It is crazy how fast these two holidays are creeping up on us. One of the things that I love the most about the holidays, specifically here in the colder states, are all of the styles that you can do with your hair (and of course your wardrobe). But since I am a fanatic for hair hence ‘Holiday Approved Hairstyles”, I have a few that I want to share with you as well as some simple instructions on how to achieve these styles. Ladies, get your phones ready to screenshot these now!
Long and Loose
This is the type of hairstyle that screams holidays to me. Every year during Thanksgiving and Christmas there is so much cooking going on that to maintain a beautiful hairstyle may be impossible. However, if you are arriving as a guest who cooked beforehand and brought a dish with you then these long and loose, defined curls are perfect.
These long and loose curls are also ideal for a date, or ‘I’m trying to snag a new bae’ on New Years Eve. I can picture it now… a halter top dress or back baring black romper, 3 inch stiletto red heels, neutral makeup with a pop of color on the lips. Yasssssss!
Every time I see a woman wearing this during the holidays, I think of the times that I wore this look. If you don’t have long hair already, the process for achieving this look totals to approximately 3 hours. I’d start off with freshly washed hair that is blow dried then braided into a circle followed by weaving to achieving long lengths. Next, I’d section off my hair and curl it with a 1-inch barrel and pin my curls to the top of my head with bobby pins. Spray it with a flexible holding spray, tie the hair with a scarf and let it stay pin curled until about an hour before it is time to head out. Whew, that is the process for home hair styling but it is worth every minute of it.
Up-do For Locs
For the cooks of the family or those guests who simply love their dreadlocks but want to take a break from allowing them to lay, this is the perfect hairstyle. The way that the up-do is pulled up and close to the scalp but twisted like a unicorn is so ideal for special events. Look at a faux bang that slightly covers the forehead. I love these types of up-dos because they showcase the facial features and can give the appearance of a natural face-lift. Kudos to up-dos and melanin in general on tricking father time and mother nature into making us appear younger than our age.
The way to get this type of look at home is by section of a center section of the hair and twisted it into the desired shape. After the center is pinned up then start from the nape and working your way up by pulling the locs in 2 at a time from the right side and the left and pinning it. After the entire hair has been pulled up into the unicorn-like up-do, slightly pull a section around the forehead to create a “bang”. Mold down edges if needed and definitely keep bobby pins in your pocket if a dreadloc dares to come out of place.
The Pulled Back Pony
A take on the classic ponytail is one that expands into voluminous curls such as this one. The way that the hair is wrapped around and covering the band of the ponytail holder allows for even those with the thinnest hair to create the illusion of fuller hair. I love this type of style because it is great for ladies of all ages. #1, it plays on the youthfulness of the individual and for #2, it is semi-casual enough that it can be paired with either a Christmas theme sweater or with one piece romper for a New Years’ Eve party.
To achieve this ponytail, I suggest that wash your hair 2 days beforehand which will ensure longevity of the style and residence from humidity. On the side that you want to have the side sweep/twist, section that off and pin to the side. Brush the rest of the hair back as if you are about to rubber band it into a low ponytail. Apply edge control or gel (that doesn’t have alcohol) to the edges of the hair excluding the sectioned off part. Brushed it into a ponytail and secure the hair with a rubber band. Remove the sectioned off part for the side twist/sweep then apply get to that edge, brush the section then twist all the way to the end. Pull the sweep/twist to the ponytail and rubber band it into the ponytail. Take a small section of the hair and wrap it around the rubber-band. Curl the hair with a ½ in barrel curling iron, spray with extra hold and humidity resistant hair spray. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes then carefully pull a part the curls until the hair is full of volume then spray the entire hair with hairspray.
Festive Barrettes and Bobby Pins
Playing up the holidays with natural hair is so what I am into and more natural hair enthusiasts are aiming for the same as well these days. This bob length, curly ¼ up-do is perfect for just that. Not only does the hairstyle scream, “Happy New Years” but the barrette actually says “Happy”!
To achieve this hairstyle is pretty simple. Wash the hair and section and clip the hair up into 4 quadrants. Working in one quadrant at a time, pull down the 1-inch sections at a time from, apply a curl defining gel and alcohol-free hair gel on the hair strands. Be sure to thoroughly saturate the hair strands with the product to avoid frizziness. Comb through to detangle. With a 1 inch roller, roll the hair to the scalp and secure. Repeat this for all sections of the hair. Depending on the amount of time you have, you can either tie the hair up and go to bed or sit under a hairdryer until the hair is dry. Once the hair is dry and the curls are tight, pull them apart section by section. With a rat tail comb, section off ¼ of the front quadrant on either the right or left side. Twist that section of hair upwards and secure with the decorative barrettes or pins. After the hair has reached the desired style, spray the hair with a medium hold aerosol spray. Aerosols mist the hair whereas some sprays can drink the hair ruining the style.
Crown Braids
Jada Pinkett Smith rocked ‘em and you can too! If ever there were a hairstyle that screamed regal, this is the one. And fortunately for us, they’re pretty simple to create and manipulate. A braid (or two) wrapping around the perimeter of your head looks almost-crown like. Embellished with some hair decor, this style is versatile enough for the upcoming holidays from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and even to New Years,
To achieve this style, we recommend that you part your hair slightly off-center. Section your head in two starting a few inches behind your hairline to the nape of your neck. Starting on one side of the part, you simply braid your hair around the crown of your head, gathering hair as you braid. You have the option of parting your hair at the front or back for slightly different looks. What’s nice about this style is that you can also add hair if you’d like to go for a fuller more dramatic crown. Finally, you can jazz the style up with whatever variety you’d like. As a bonus: This is also a beautiful look to do with locs, braids or twists.
Mock Pompadour Style - For Braids!
Somewhat like Jenelle Monae’s classic pompadour hairstyle— this style is a great way to spice up winter protective styles. If you have braids, twits or even locs, try this style for a special holiday spin. When you have braids it’s easy to fall into the habit of always wearing them in the same way. But, it can be so easy to rock a new look while wearing a protective style like box braids.
This style is pretty simple and only entails braiding a small section of your hair, twisting the braid and pinning it up towards the top of your head. No need to stand for hours doing your hair, this look is quick and super cute!
Because there are plenty more hairstyles I want you to screenshot, I’ll leave you to scrolling IG for more inspiration.
Photo credit: LoveHairstyles
