3 Easy Ideas for Sensationally Simple Party Hairstyles

The #HolidaySeason is our favorite time of the year.  It's full of twinkling lights, classic holiday tunes, spiked eggnog, gift-giving, and happy friends and family.  What's not to love? The month of December is usually packed with holiday parties: cookie exchanges, office Christmas parties, family dinners, neighborhood block parties, formal events, and casual get-togethers.  It can be enough to make your head spin! Sometimes between shopping for holiday presents, actually getting some work done at your job, and trying to get a few laps in on the mountain, the thought of dressing up for a holiday party can seem overwhelming!  Well #BCBSalon to the rescue...

We put together three of our easiest hair styles for your holiday parties, that make it look like you spent hours getting ready, when you really only spent minutes!  You can just tell everyone you #wokeuplikethis. We won't tell! ;)

1. Elegant Ponytail (by Bethany)

If you've got long hair, the ponytail is literally THE easiest style possible.  So why not jazz it up a little to make it THE (easiest and) most elegant party style??

Put your hair into a ponytail and curl the ends (see below for curling tips!).  Leave a few strands straight and then wrap around the rubber band, securing in place with bobby pins.  Voila! Perfectly easy, perfect look, every time!

2.  Faux-Bob (by Melanie)

The Faux-Bob is easy, elegant and is a great style with a v-neck or if you want to show your shoulders.

To create the style, back comb the first 2” of hair near the scalp to create volume.  Then curl your hair and spray with a texturizer and session spray (see more curling tips below).  Wrap in a very loose, low ponytail with an elastic hair tie. Pull the hair tie toward the end of your hair, only leaving 3-4” of hair ends loose. Then tuck the ends under and pin to the nape of your head. Allow layers to fall out of the style, especially around the face.  Super simple and very elegant!

3.  Christmas Bow

For an extra-sweet style, tie your hair in a beautiful bow!  

Curl your hair (use the tips below) and leave in long, loose waves.  Then separate a 1" section of hair from each of your temples. Braid or twist these sections, pulling them together with an elastic hair tie in the back.  Then use the tails to create a bow tie. Obviously, your hair will not hold itself in a knot, so use pins to secure the bow. You'll make a beautiful gift!

Hot tips for creating these beautiful styles, or for making your own creation:

Before styling your hair, don't wash it!  Bonus: this will save you a few minutes in the shower, pre-party!  Shampoos generally strip the oil from your hair and make it too silky smooth to hold a style effectively.  So wash your hair after the party. Instead, dampen your hair and comb a volumizing cream or spray through your hair.  We love Kevin.Murphy's Anti.Gravity an oil-free volumizer, and Anti.Gravity Weightless Hair Spray.  Dry completely, either by air drying, or for more volume, blow drying, before using a curling iron. Using an iron on damp hair will cause damage, product burning hot steam, and the curl will not hold.

For perfect curls, use a clip to curl in sections, starting with the bottom layer of hair.  It may seem counter intuitive, but start each curl close to the scalp, not way out at the end of your hair. The hair closest to your head is younger and healthier, and therefore needs more heat to curl. The ends of your hair tend to be more dry and damaged, requiring less heat.  As you move through your hair, from the under-layers to the top, allow the curls to remain ribbon-like and perfect. When all sections have been curled, spray with a texture spray like Kevin.Murphy's Doo.Over, and then use a holding spray, like Kevin.Murphy's Session.Spray. Once your curls are cooled off and the spray is dry, shake or brush the curls. Shaking with hands will create a beach effect. Brushing will create a more vintage soft wave.

When creating an up-style, leave out the front section of hair that would be in front of a headband. Pull back the rest of your curled hair and pin the front section back in 3-5 pieces to create a carefree, tousled look and avoid a flat, slick looking style.

Now that you are armed with easy styles and the methods to get you there, go forth and celebrate in style!  Show us your creations by tagging #BCBLove on social media.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyful Kwanzaa and Happy Holidays, from all of us at BCB Salon!