Photo by Sipa Press / Rex Features ( 1199628b ) Jessica Alba ‘The Killer Inside Me’ film premiere, Paris, France – 24 June 2010
StyleNest team up with hair stylist to the stars Errol Douglas to bring you some top tips on how to create a festive look.
With help from the Errol Douglas electrical tool range, party hair has never been so easy to achieve. So transform your tresses and let go of your locks for some seasonal, show stopping looks.
Look 1. The Up Do
A sophisticated up do with a little edge is a great mix of occasion and retention of your own style. The key to its polished finish lies in the “scaffolding” of a blow dry that locks in moisture as you style. Use Errol Douglas Infrared Dryer in a downwards motion with the nozzle to really dry from the inside out in sections, starting with the back and underneath sections.
Use the cold blast feature over the whole head once dry, to seal the finish in preparation for the up do.
Position in a bun loosely equal distance from the nape of your neck and crown whilst gently back combing at the front to add some volume and rock n’ roll lift.
Look 2. The Big Blow Out
Volume always nods to an occasion and the festive season is the perfect excuse. We’ve seen so much of it on the runway, at Carolina Herrera’s AW13 show we saw a sleek look with high movement through the crown that was defined by the shine. This look is all in the preparation and hair condition.
Use Errol Douglas Treat & Style to straighten from crown to ends, whilst the infusing Keratin via the capsule system will deliver that gloss without compromising on the precision of the sleek finish from the heat. Place an Alice band where you want it positioned and gently backcomb the crown to frame around it.
Look 3. The Sleek Pony
The sleek pony is a great way to let your festive outfit take centre stage whilst echoing its drama.
The key to a super sleek ponytail is to boost hydration when wet (use a tiny amount of Moroccanoil Original Treatment and blow dry fast, followed by Errol Douglas Infrared Dryer to minimise drying time and retain moisture).
Choose a middle or side parting and comb hair in a backwards direction, before fastening the ponytail with bungee or elastic at the nape. For dramatic tension, use string as a fastener for an alternative. Once secure, take a small section of hair and wrap it around a bungee to create a polished and seamless finish.
Finish with Treat & Style down the length of the pony to seal in the shine.
Look 4. The Old School Glamour Wave
This look is about creating a soft wave and movement that graduates through to the ends. This can be achieved through a very pronounced blow dry that builds in movement but retains softness.
Use the Treat & Style as a gentle wave creator by wrapping four divided sections of hair from eyebrow to jawline around the plates. Each section should be then pinned flat to the head for 3-4 minutes, and when gently releasing them all, make sure the movement is combed out very lightly with a thick comb, almost in a raking stroke. It’s very important not to brush this out. Hold with Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray to give a medium to strong hold with absolutely no change to the look or texture. Simply hold ten inches from the hair and spray for a set finish.
Look 5. Contrasting Textures With Dramatic Fringes
Combining matt and gloss in one look is the perfect way to create a festive entrance with an edgy look. At Kristian Aadnevik at LFW, Douglas celebrated contrasted textures by adding a faux fringe for added drama.
Wet the hair with Moroccanoil Treatment as the essential foundation for styling and add a fringe piece (if you don’t already have one), pinning underneath the hair on the crown.
Blow dry the hair straight with an Infrared Dryer to lock in the hydrating qualities of the Moroccanoil – this will achieve an all over smoothness. Once dry, divide the hair into small sections and use Errol Douglas Treat & Style with gentle strokes from the tips to root. This is how to build in the matt element as it’s a gentle heated back-combing technique.
To finish, use Infrared Dryer to aerate the whole head to really highlight the matt/gloss contrast.
For more information on Errol Douglas products, visit www.boots.com