A funny little fact that you might not know about me is that I was a traveling wedding hair dresser for 12 years before I started this blog. I love wedding hair and it was my favorite to work on behind the chair. Normally I share fabulous wedding hair tips each month, but today I’m sharing my professional tips and advice for Holiday Hair Styles! Holiday parties are the perfect excuse to make a salon appointment for yourself to get fancied-up, or a great reason to search blogs for DIY holiday hair ideas and get creative! I found a few of my favs for this year (and some have tutorials to boot!) and below are my tips for achieving a glamorous hairstyle that will last till the end of any celebration. Happy Holiday Hair!

Hair Style + Image Credits

• Wavy Blonde Half-up: Cara of Cara Loren
• Half-up Tied With a Bow: Kate of Running on Happiness
• Red Ribbon Headband: Missy of Missy Sue, with tutorial
• Perfect Wavy Pony: LuLu*s, with tutorial
• Low Messy Bun: Sofie of Sofie Kvelland
• Pinned Back with Stars: Kristen Es via Instagram
• Vintage Waves: The Beauty Department, with tutorial
• Messy Top Knot: Niki Portraits, Alixann Loosle Photograhpy

Build Your Foundation

Dirty + Dry Shampoo. Most holiday hairstyles will work best with dirty hair. I’m not talking greasy, stinky hair – just not squeaky clean hair. The reason being that the natural oils will help not only hold curls but bobby pins as well. 24-48 hours should suffice, but if you are on the extra oily side you might only want to go 7-8 hours. If you cannot stand dirty hair in the least, you can “add” the dirty texture and volume by using a “dry shampoo spray“. If you have fine hair, adding dry shampoo and mouse can be a great combo before you blow dry. If you are like me and you have dry curly blonde hair, day 3 is usually my favorite! Each persons dirty is different.

Working Spray. If using a curling iron for your style, spray a “working spray” on your locks before each curl! This isn’t regular hairspray, it’s actually meant to be used before heat and will help your style last much longer. This spray also helps those who are flat ironing their hair and know if exposed to moisture or dancing that their pretty flat hair is going to get frizzy. If you are blow drying your hair with a round brush, spray on your roots and ends as you go!

Finishing Spray. Once you are happy with your hairstyle – blast it with “finishing spray“. Hairspray that is meant to last and hold for hours, the strong stuff.

Think About Your Outfit

When deciding on a hairstyle for your holiday event, think first about your outfit and if your hair will touch it or not. For example, in the wavy pony tail picture her pony falls in the open space on the back of her dress – stunning. Same thing with the low messy bun, it doesn’t touch her dress at all. A top-knot is a great choice for high collar outfits. The reason I say this is that many holiday dresses and sweaters have a texture that likes to tangle and frizz your hair – especially extension hair. The more you move and possibly dance, your hair could become tangled – of course this is only true for certain fabrics. Sometimes looking at the neckline of your dress or shirt will help guide you to the best hairstyle!

Do Your Own Trial Run

If you aren’t going to make a trip to the salon for your holiday hair, do your own trial run! The holidays are always stressful and the last thing you need to worry about is how your hair will turn out for that special party. Do a trial run of the style, try on your outfit with it and maybe even practice your makeup. My biggest tip would be to time yourself so that come party night, you’ll know exactly how much time you’ll need to perfect your look.

Add Something Fun!

The perfect time to add a little sparkle or embellishment to your hairstyle is during the holidays! So I’ve found a few fun items I thought you might like to add to your holiday locks from Etsy…

Red Sparkle Bow: Fae London, $5 // Gold Doves: Echo & Laurel, Set of 2 – $45 // Star Hair Pins: Inspired By Daughter, Set of 5 – $22 // Red Lace Headband: Gertie & Baxter, $5

If you have a specific wedding hair style that you want Jen to discuss, please leave it here in the comments and maybe you’ll see it next month!!