Festival season is BACK. You can bet concert-goers are going to make the most of it, especially with their looks, including stand-out hairstyles. Our hair pros — all of them well-versed in doing hair for festival-bound clients — have shared the looks to rock this festival season. Put your hands together for the hair to wear, whether you’re heading to Coachella, Lollapalooza, Stage Coach or hey, even a free concert in your local park.
Slick High Ponytails
Katie Cartwright of L.A.’s Nine Zero One Salon calls this one of her favorite “high fashion, chic” festival looks, especially because it works on anyone with long to medium hair length and can be adapted for shorter crops: “If you have short hair, try this with a half-up pony,” she says. She recommends pulling hair up high and tight, then securing with an elastic “that will hold all day and not slip,” unlike a silk scrunchy. And “Don’t forget to gel your baby hairs or lay your edges.” Try a finishing stick to help little strays stay in place.
Get Colorful
There are two ways to go if you want to add color to the hair — with an in-salon treatment or DIY. For in-salon looks, Ona Diaz-Santin, owner of 5 Salon & Spa in Fort Lee, N.J., loves fairy hair (also called tinsel hair), the glitch color technique (AKA prism hair) and multi-colored threading. Each of these are best left to the pros in your area. But if you want to add some vibrant color at home, opt for a wig — Diaz-Santin says bright yellow is an on-trend choice this year. Or hair glitter — it looks freshest applied to a straight part, but also works combed throughout the hair.
Fishtail Ponytail
One of the best braided looks to give that cool, boho vibe, is the fishtail ponytail, which you can wear high or at the nape. (See this video tutorial on how to achieve the look.)
Nashville-based hairstylist Carly Bethel says that once you’ve braided your fishtail, “Go back and gently pull it apart so the braid gets wider and a bit more lived-in.” Finish with a spritz of texturizer to help this style hold all day and night long.
Space Buns
Both Bethel and Cartwright name space buns a top option for festival hair this year. “This look is definitely for someone with a little more spunk,” says Cartwright. Bonus: They are incredibly easy to do. “You really can’t go wrong with these — the messier the better,” says Cartwright, adding that these buns work well on all hair types. To achieve the look, Bethel recommends the following steps: “Create two separate ponytails in the desired place for the space buns, then wrap the ponytails around the base and secure with bobby pins.”
To “spice up the look,” she recommends gel glitter: “Using a small makeup brush, apply it to the center part.”
Small Braids
The beauty of braids? “All ages, genders, races and hair types can rock braids — as long as you have a bit of length,” says Cartwright. There are two ways to rock little braids this festival season. Cartwright recommends two small tight braids on each side of the part. Or mix it up with bubble braids, like Gigi Hadid did. Another option is long hair with small braids sporadically placed around the head, says Bethel. She recommends clip-in hair extensions for extra length. “Then create small braids and spray the ends of the braids with hairspray so no bands are needed, which gives a more effortless look.”
Accessorize for the Prize
Our pros all recommend accessories as a great addition to festival hair. Bethel says thick headbands “add color, keep the hair out of your face and can be applied to hair down or up in a ponytail.” Cartwright is here for clips. “Whether it’s butterfly clips, snap clips, tiny flower clips or claw clips, you will be seeing a lot of these this festival season.” For “a simple, chic look, part hair in the middle, use two snap clips to pin hair back and keep two strands out around your face.” And Diaz-Santin recommends hanging chains to dress up the hair. And keep in mind that accessories can be paired with any of the above looks to bring them to the next level. Don’t hold back; it’s festival season.
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