Whether your go-to Christmas party hair involves Liberty's entire tinsel offering, or an artfully hidden Gucci barrette, it's a universal truth that festive events tend to confuse the hair situation, big time.
The only time of year when a dry shampoo-induced panic leads to a misguided last-minute attempt at a chignon, and corkscrew curls seem like a legit good idea. We'll say it again: Christmas party hair can be a minefield.
Not anymore, however. We called upon celebrity hair stylist to the stars and creative director for Virtue, Adir Abergel, to instruct us on the rules of runway-worthy party hair that won't take half a day to create.
The man behind Jessica Biel, Anne Hathaway and Elizabeth Olsen's red carpet-ready looks, Abergel knows a thing or two about keeping going 'out-out' hair on the cool side of life.
From Marco De Vincenzo-style more-is-more hair clips, to Ophelia-esque brushed out waves, here's how to work Christmas party hair that looks more fashion than in your face festive.
How To Nail It:
- Spritz texturising spray throughout your hair and work in with your hands.
- Squeeze a blob of styling cream into your palms, rub between your hands and scrunch into your roots and lengths.
- Roughly pull your hair up into a messy ponytail on top of your head and twist into a loose top knot. Leave any loose strands and pull pieces out in front of your ears.
- Clip in place with large bulldog clips.
- Plait the remaining hair and use a slide to fix in place.
- Add barrettes, slides and mini clips all over. Keep the shapes graphic and rectangular for a more modern feel.
- Use a hair tong to add 'bends' to any loose pieces of hair.
- Spritz hairspray all over to set the look.
Marques' Almeida top - £445, Topshop ear climber - £5, Marques' Almeida Gold Cascade earring - £260 for the pair, (hair clips, from front to back) Adir x Lelet gold barrette - approx £122, Anthropologie tortoiseshell clips - £24 for two, Accessorize dark brown bulldog clip - £3, Accessorize large barrettes - £7 for four, Accessorize hair slides - £7 for eight, Anthropologie mini bulldog clip - £24 for four, Anthropologie pale tortoiseshell clip - available soon, Accessorize pearl barrette - £5
How To Nail It:
- Starting with a centre parting, take two and a half inch sections of hair, weave over and under a U hair pin until you reach the end of your hair.
- Clamp with hair straighteners to set the shape and leave to cool. Repeat all over until your whole head is done.
- Once set, remove the pins - your hair should be extremely wavy.
- Mix smoothing cream with hair pomade in your palm, and rub between your hands.
- Lightly run over your hair to add shine and definition to your waves.
- Thread a needle with silver or metallic thread.
- Twist a half inch section of hair on one side of your parting at the front of your head.
- Being extremely careful, take the needle and thread it under the hair from back to front, looping over, and back into your hair again. Repeat until a section of the twisted hair is bound by silver thread.
- Bring the needle down through the loops of thread to tie off the end. Trim with scissors.
- Lightly brush the rest of your hair to loosen the waves for a fluffier texture.
Stine Goya maxi dress - £330, Topshop ear climbers - £5
How To Nail It:
- Divide the top section of your hair into three parts from front to back. Place a roller in each section and leave to set. This is going to add volume to the top of your hair once they're taken out.
- Use a curling tong to curl two inch sections of hair. Cup the curl in your palm and use a metal crocodile clip to hold in place.
- Leave to cool and set, then remove and brush out for soft waves.
- Apply smoothing cream to a small scouring pad and run lightly over your hair to add shine and de-frizz.
- Tuck each side behind your ears, place a business or playing card on top and fix in place with a crocodile clip. The card will stop the clip denting your hair.
- Remove the rollers, spritz root boosting powder into the roots, and lightly back comb.
- Gently comb each section backwards and fix in place with hairspray. The finished look should be smooth with a good amount of height.
- Take a metre length of ribbon and place it around your neck and over your hair.
- Tie into a ribbon (twist the ribbon to make sure the velvet side stays on the outside when tying).
- Fold over the end, cut a v shape using scissors, unfold and trim off to leave a pointed 'gift box' finish.
Ulla Johnson dress - £610, Mango earrings - £15.99, ribbon from any haberdashery