Welcome to Texture Talk, a column that celebrates and deep dives into the dynamic world of curly hair, from crowns of curls that are free flowing to strands that are tucked away in a protective style.
The holiday season is right around the corner, and so it’s time to start thinking about party-ready curly hairstyles fit to hit the circuit of get-togethers and fancy fêtes! Whether you’re celebrating virtually or going out on the town, get inspired with these three celeb-approved holiday looks for textured hair. We spoke to Toronto-based hairstylist Rachel Cruz of RF Hair Studio to break down all the insider tips so you can make them happen without having to step a foot out your front door.
Holiday Look: The party-ready pony
Delve into ’90s glam with Issa Rae’s take on the sky-high ponytail. Start by using a dense nylon or boar bristle brush to gather all of your hair into a high pony. “You may need to brush through the hair around your face a couple of times to make sure there are no bumps,” says Cruz. From there, secure with two elastics instead of one (for extra snatch appeal) and finish off the look with edge cream to brush baby hairs back with a toothbrush for a red carpet-worthy finish, shares Cruz. And voila — you’ve got one of what is sure to be many curly hairstyles primed for your next holiday hang.
Holiday Look: The braided beehive
If you’ve recently experienced the urge to don braids, you’re not alone. Leave it to Tessa Thompson to lead the charge, but with a twist. Cruz suggests leaving the actual braiding to the professionals to ensure proper care and prevent damage. To transform your braids into a party-ready style, leave out a few face-framing strands, like the WestWorld alum does here, and gather the rest at the very crown of your head and secure into a high pony with a strong elastic. Divide the pony into three sections and braid all the way to ends, securing with another elastic. Twist your big braid into a bun, tucking the ends under your bun. Keep the whole thing in place by using extra-large bobby pins (slide them in in pairs in the shape of an ‘X’ for an extra hold). Take the whole look to the next level by adding a little sparkle. “Get festive by adding metal cuffs or beads. If you’re stumped on inspo, Etsy has an amazing selection of diamonds and stars,” says Cruz.
Holiday Look: The sleek and sculpted wave
Love it or hate it, gel is back — yep, you heard right. Jodie Turner-Smith stuns on the red carpet with sculptural finger waves that provide a serious dose of glam. For this look, you’ll want to start with damp hair. “Using a generous amount, completely saturate your hair with a strong hold gel,” notes Cruz. Now for the tricky part: “Using a fine-tooth comb, comb hair down in a dramatic S pattern while holding the hair into place against your head until you’ve achieved your desired wave pattern.” Once that’s all done and dusted, let hair air dry completely to set hard with a high shine. And there you have it, proof that gel can still look perfectly chic while you’re sipping spiked cocoa at your next holiday shaker.
%20and%20finish%20off%20the%20look%20with%20edge%20cream%20to%20brush%20baby%20hairs%20back%20with%20a%20toothbrush%20for%20a%20red%20carpet-worthy%20finish,%20shares%20Cruz.%20And%20voila%20—%20you’ve%20got%20one%20of%20what%20is%20sure%20to%20be%20many%20curly%20hairstyles%20primed%20for%20your%20next%20holiday%20hang.%0AHoliday%20Look:%20The%20braided%20beehive%0A%5Bcaption%20id=%22attachment_440343%22%20align=%22alignnone%22%20width=%22280%22%5D%20Photo%20by%20Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic.%5B/caption%5D%0A%0AIf%20you’ve%20recently%20experienced%20the%20urge%20to%20don%20braids,%20you’re%20not%20alone.%20Leave%20it%20to%20Tessa%20Thompson%20to%20lead%20the%20charge,%20but%20with%20a%20twist.%20Cruz%20suggests%20leaving%20the%20actual%20braiding%20to%20the%20professionals%20to%20ensure%20proper%20care%20and%20prevent%20damage.%20To%20transform%20your%20braids%20into%20a%20party-ready%20style,%20leave%20out%20a%20few%20face-framing%20strands,%20like%20the%20WestWorld%20alum%20does%20here,%20and%20gather%20the%20rest%20at%20the%20very%20crown%20of%20your%20head%20and%20secure%20into%20a%20high%20pony%20with%20a%20strong%20elastic.%20Divide%20the%20pony%20into%20three%20sections%20and%20braid%20all%20the%20way%20to%20ends,%20securing%20with%20another%20elastic.%20Twist%20your%20big%20braid%20into%20a%20bun,%20tucking%20the%20ends%20under%20your%20bun.%20Keep%20the%20whole%20thing%20in%20place%20by%20using%20extra-large%20bobby%20pins%20(slide%20them%20in%20in%20pairs%20in%20the%20shape%20of%20an%20'X'%20for%20an%20extra%20hold). %20Take%20the%20whole%20look%20to%20the%20next%20level%20by%20adding%20a%20little%20sparkle.%20%22Get%20festive%20by%20adding%20metal%20cuffs%20or%20beads.%20If%20you're%20stumped%20on%20inspo,%20Etsy%20has%20an%20amazing%20selection%20of%20diamonds%20and%20stars,”%20says%20Cruz.%0AHoliday%20Look:%20The%20sleek%20and%20sculpted%20wave%0A%5Bcaption%20id=%22attachment_440336%22%20align=%22alignnone%22%20width=%22280%22%5D%20Photo%20by%20Frazer%20Harrison/Getty%20Images%5B/caption%5D%0A%0ALove%20it%20or%20hate%20it,%20gel%20is%20back%20—%20yep,%20you%20heard%20right.%20Jodie%20Turner-Smith%20stuns%20on%20the%20red%20carpet%20with%20sculptural%20finger%20waves%20that%20provide%20a%20serious%20dose%20of%20glam.%20For%20this%20look,%20you’ll%20want%20to%20start%20with%20damp%20hair.%20“Using%20a%20generous%20amount,%20completely%20saturate%20your%20hair%20with%20a%20strong%20hold%20gel,”%20notes%20Cruz.%20Now%20for%20the%20tricky%20part:%20“Using%20a%20fine-tooth%20comb,%20comb%20hair%20down%20in%20a%20dramatic%20S%20pattern%20while%20holding%20the%20hair%20into%20place%20against%20your%20head%20until%20you've%20achieved%20your%20desired%20wave%20pattern.”%20Once%20that’s%20all%20done%20and%20dusted,%20let%20hair%20air%20dry%20completely%20to%20set%20hard%20with%20a%20high%20shine.%20And%20there%20you%20have%20it,%20proof%20that%20gel%20can%20still%20look%20perfectly%20chic%20while%20you’re%20sipping%20spiked%20cocoa%20at%20your%20next%20holiday%20shaker.){kind=link}