Curly holiday hairstyles to try this festive season

The festive season is upon us and with social calendars filling up, it's time to learn a simple yet beautiful holiday hairstyle for your holiday get-togethers. From flat iron curls to simple ways to boost a basic ponytail, we have a few styling must-knows that will enhance your holiday look. 

Flat Iron Curls

Curling hair with a flat iron seems like an oxymoron. Most of us have seen it done, or have had a stylist do it for, but it's not as complicated as it looks! This technique is surprisingly simple and takes just a bit of practice and technique to get it right. Instead of using your flat iron like a curling iron, think of it as curling a ribbon with a pair of scissors. Wrapping your hair around the flat edge and pulling actually creates a soft curl.

1. Start with clean and dry hair and choose the right tool. 

• Your flat iron should be 2.5 to 5 cm wide and no wider. You should also look for a flat iron with smooth, curved edges to ensure a gentle curl. 
• Make sure your flat iron is set to medium heat. 

Apply a heat-protecting styling product. We love:

• AG Firewall
• Kevin Murphy Antigravity Spray

Part your hair into rectangular sections that are one inch deep and three inches wide. The thicker your hair, the more sections you will need. Clip the rest of your hair up and out of the way. 

Before you clamp your iron over a section of your hair, decide which way you want the curl to go—away from your face or towards. We like away from your face, so your lovely face is on full display. For a more uniform, wavy look, make the curls all go the same way. For more beachy vibes, alternate directions.

Once you know which way you want the curl to go, get your hand ready. Even pretend you’re curling your hair in front of the mirror. Once you have your hand in the right position, it’s much easier to create the exact curl you want.

Start with the hair at the nape of your neck, working your way up to the sections at the top of your head. 

Clamp the iron over each section, fairly close to the scalp without getting too close to burn it. Turn the iron halfway, back onto itself. The hair will be wrapped through the clamp and around the outside of the curling iron. Slowly and smoothly pull the curling iron towards the ends of the hair, pulling horizontally away from your face. 

Allow the hair to run through and around the iron. For a tight curl, move more slowly, for a beach wave, move more quickly. Try a full turn for an even tighter curl. 

Practice makes perfect. 

For hold and shine use a finishing product. We love:

• AG Frizzproof
• Kevin Murphy Shimmer Shine

Curling Iron

Use a traditional curling iron for more robust curls and a classic curly look.

Start with clean and dry hair and choose a curling iron according to how tight you want your curls. The thicker the iron, the larger the ringlets, the smaller, the tighter the curls. 

1. Set the curling iron to medium heat, or to high heat if you have thick, coarse hair. 
2. Apply a heat-protecting styling product. Again, we love:

• AG Firewall
• Kevin Murphy Anti Gravity Spray

Divide your hair into 1 to 2-inch sections. Clip the rest of your hair up and out of the way.

Hold the curling iron upwards so that the top of the wand is towards the top of your head. Lightly close the clamp over the section close to the root, then loosen your grip on the clamp and let it rest around the middle of your hair. 

Twist your curling iron so that your hair wraps around the wand both above and below the clamp. After 15 seconds, loosen the clamp and slowly pull down so the hair is released.

Gently open the clamp and release the curling iron from your hair. 

Finish with styling hair spray. We love:

•  Kevin Murphy Session Spray Flex
• AG Aerodynamics lightweight finishing spray

If you are looking for a simple updo that is classic and stylish and easy, a curly ponytail is the look for you. You can toss those pre-curled locks into a ponytail, or rather than spending a ton of time curling from roots to tips, try putting up your hair first and then using the same steps as above, to curl only the hair in your ponytail.

1. Once the hair in your ponytail is curled, take a 1 to 2-inch piece from the bottom of the ponytail and gently wind it around the hair elastic at the roots to cover the elastic and finish the look. Secure the hair with a bobby pin