Featuring hair glitter, hair jewellery, and three different ways to elevate a ponytail.
Festive fêtes are the ultimate setting to flaunt the over-the-top hairstyles you’ve waited all year to try. So, if an invitation to said holiday soirée arrives in your inbox, consider it your chance to do just that.
When it comes to holiday party hairstyles, sculptural updos are favoured, over-embellishment is encouraged, and sophisticated simplicity is admired. From glitter-coated sleek styles fresh from the runway and ponytails decorated with bejewelled accessories, to celebrity-approved looks worn by VIPs like Margot Robbie and Kelly Rowland, we’ve rounded up eight party-worthy styles that are sure to captivate on-lookers.
Ahead, holiday hairstyles to copy this festive season, plus the products, accessories, and tools needed to replicate them.
Flaunt curls and clips
Whether you’ve got naturally curly hair or you’ll be recreating this corkscrew look with an ultra-thin curling wand, Christmas soirée season is prime time to put your best head of curls forward.
To achieve this mane-like look styled by Irinel de León on Madison Pettis, split your hair down the middle to create a centre part. Then, incorporate a little holiday party sparkle by adding bedazzled hair clips or bobby pins on either side of your head.
Copy Pettis’ style by sliding these blinged-out bobby pins by Kitsch onto the top of your head. Both festive and functional, these slip-proof pins will stay put so you can dance the night away.
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Slick it with glitter
During the Julien Macdonald Fall/Winter 2023 show, models sashayed down the catwalk with sleek buns and slick backs spattered with glitter — and the look has lived rent-free in our minds ever since.
What begins with a simple hairstyle you’ve likely been wearing all year long is instantly upgraded with a spritz of glitter that requires next to no effort to pull off. Sure, it’s a tad avant-garde, but no real holiday party can start without a little (or a lot) of glitter. The more, the merrier, we say.
IGK’s Pre-Party Sprinkle Hair Strobing Spray disperses bursts of glitter that give off a luminous, rainbow-hued effect. After a few spritzes of this spray, your new party trick will be turning heads as you turn yours.
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Try a retro ponytail
2023 was unofficially the year of Barbie, and there’s no better way to close it out than by paying homage to the blonde icon one last time. Channel a vintage iteration of the doll with this retro pony, as seen on Barbie star Margot Robbie at the 2023 Gotham Awards.
Like Robbie, whose pony was crafted by her go-to hairstylist Bryce Scarlett, opt for a side-parted bang that swoops across the face, and is then tucked behind your ear. To best capture that vintage feel, flip the ends of your pony with a flat iron to achieve a doll-like flick.
Add a few pumps of Color Wow’s Pop and Lock High Gloss Shellac serum to your ponytail to keep it free of frizz and full of shine. Plus, you can also use it ahead of styling as a heat protectant if needed.
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Opt for an infinity bun
Anyone who shows up to a festive gathering with an infinity bun like this one by celebrity hairstylist Hayley Logan is sure to impress party-goers and leave them wondering, How did you do that?
What they won’t know is that this seemingly intricate chignon is easier to recreate than it looks. Once you’ve secured a sleek, low pony, begin to twist it. Wrap the hair clockwise around your base, as you would a traditional bun, and then pin it in place. Then, with the remainder of your twisted ponytail, create a loop around your index finger and pin it in place above your bun. Très chic, non?
You can never have too many bobby pins—especially when going for experimental styles like this one. Goody’s slide-proof bobby pins have never let us down, and we love that this value pack comes with 60 of them.
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Sculpt a Marilyn-inspired bob
As stars rolled up to the premiere of Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland caught our eye with this Marilyn Monroe-inspired bob styled by Devante Turnbull. As much as we loved her chrome ensemble complete with a built-in cone bra, her full-of-body bob was *screaming* holiday party hair.
From old-fashioned roller sets and pin curls to big-barrelled curling wands, there is no one particular way to achieve this look. As long as it’s full of volume with an air of old Hollywood glamour, you’re doing it right. If you went the bob route this year, take it to another level by recreating this look.
Lock in your hairdo with a spritz of this Superfine Strong Hair Spray by Oribe. Scented with Oribe’s signature Côte d’Azur fragrance, it also doubles as a hair perfume.
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Embellish a bubble pony
Bubble ponytails like this one are already a step above your average pony, but the pièce de résistance here is a show-stopping hair accessory — or three. From French barrettes to necklaces and bracelets that can be used as hair jewelry when tied over clear elastics, the possibilities for embellishing a basic bubble pony are endless.
We adorn our ears, necks, and hands with dainty gold and silver treasures, so why not our hair?
Lelet New York is home to the dreamiest modern hair accessories designed for “forward thinkers.” Our pick for the holiday season is this Glossy Bar Barrette in 14K gold.
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Create braided top knots
If you’ve committed to wearing braids for the winter, consider replicating the two-piece top-knot hairdo that Black-ish actress Marsai Martin wore to the premiere of The Little Mermaid earlier this year. Martin’s hairstylist, Alexander Armand, described this look as “elevated, chic, and glamour mermaid hair,” on Instagram, and we couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
Leave out a front braid or two to frame the face, and sculpt your baby hairs along the hairline to add some oomph to the look.
To tame frizz and keep your braids looking fresh and shiny, reach for this Curl Mousse by Pattern Beauty. And, once you’ve taken your braids out, it also can be used to help define curls.
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Go minimal with elegant accessories
Bows and headbands have both had their moments this year, but have you worn them together yet? If not, we encourage you to follow in the footsteps of Dior, who sent models down its Fall 2023 runway with padded black headbands that doubled as a bow around a low-tied ponytail.
There’s something incredibly chic and understated about simple black hair accessories — and for that reason, they’ll never tire. Minimalists, this look is for you.
Leonine Vintage offers a drool-worthy vintage padded velvet headband that you may never want to take off. We’re utterly obsessed.
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