Style Blog

Twinkle lights, white elephant parties, extravagant dinner spreads, gathering with loved ones — what isn’t there to love about the holidays? We love the opportunities to make every facet of the holiday season special, and style is no exception. Add that little something extra to your salon services to elevate their style. We spoke with North American Academy Trainer Jessica Bartolucci to detail a few quick and easy holiday hairstyles you can create for clients (or teach them to recreate at home) that are sure to add cheer to everyone’s season.

Jessica’s number one tip to creating a successful style? “Preparation with purposeful products is key to any long-lasting hairstyle. I love to build upon and layer products as needed for the particular style at hand. When I do this, I know my guests look will last all day, and even sometimes into the next!” she says.

The styles:

Party Pony

This pony style is easy to create quickly in the salon or at home. it is suitable for all hair types and perfect for working with fine hair that needs to add volume. *Pro-tip: If you have fine hair, double down on volume by adding Style Precision Powder before styling.    

The steps:

1. Prep hair with Style Instant Blowout Gelee for heat protection and shine and Style Soft Mousse for volume and hold from roots to ends.
2. Curl hair with 1.25″ barrel, then set with Style Spray Wax for added texture. 
3. Comb through with a wide-toothed comb or fingers to loosen curls.
4. Pull hair back into a half pony and secure with an elastic.
5. Just above the elastic, split the pony into two and bring the ends of the pony up and over through the split, creating a topsy turvy pony.
6. Repeat this topsy turvy pony below the first. At this point, you’ll have two topsy turvy pony’s.
7. Pull apart at the crest of the sides of each pony to create a fuller look.
8. Secure the remaining hair into elastic and set with Style Freestyle Spray to finish.

Sleek and Straight

When creating this look, the combination of Style Straight Cream and Style Freestyle Spray creates the perfect canvas. Style Straight Cream provides instant shine and body while straightening curls to give a frizz-free look all day. The addition of Style Freestyle Hairspray also offers humidity protection while creating movement throughout the style.

The steps:

1. Begin with clean, damp hair.
2. Section the hair into quadrants and secure away for a more straightforward product application.
3. Spray Style Instant Blowout Gelee for heat protection, layer each quadrant with Style Straight Cream onto 1-inch sections, and comb through. This application will ensure each strand receives the proper amount of product. For example, Jessica’s model, Jen, has coarse, wavy, thick, long hair, so she utilized a nickel-sized amount of Style Straight Cream in each section.
4. Next, use a paddle brush to flat wrap the hair until about 80% dry.
5. Then, blow-dry using a large boar bristle round brush for added shine.
6. To finish, set the look for all-day hold with Style Freestyle Hairspray. 

Modern Twist

This look is a beautiful option for all hair textures and a fan favorite among clients who have shoulder-length hair as it provides a unique style that can easily transition from day to night. 

The steps:

1. Prep with Style Instant Blowout Gelee and Style Straight Cream on clean, damp hair.
2. Create three ponytails vertically down the center of the head — the first beginning at the crown and the last ponytail closest to the nape.
3. After all three ponytails are secured with an elastic, use another elastic to create a pony loop without clearing the ponytail ends through. Instead, close them in the elastic creating the loop. *Pro-tip: the bigger the loop, the more voluminous the result.
4. Next, take the tails of each ponytail and create a soft tease. If hair needs extra volume, use Style Volume Powder on the ends before teasing.
5. Then, wrap the tails around the loops and secure them with a bobby pin.
6. Finish with a mist of Style Freestyle Hairspray and Style Brilliant Gloss Spray for added hold and endless shine.