7 Cute Holiday Hairstyles You'll Want to Wear All Season Long

Embellished Braids

Braids are an easy way to elevate an otherwise ordinary ponytail. “French braids are great holiday hairstyles because you can get creative with the hair accessories you dress them up with,” says celebrity hairstylist Lacy Redway. “For a festive look, add accent hair clips to the back of your French braid or pair colorful and metallic hair pins with your wardrobe to dress up your whole look.” And don’t stay restricted to a French braid—fishtails and traditional three-strand braids are just as good, and provide a great base that really lets embellishments shine. Be sure to secure your look with a strong-hold hairspray to keep everything in place.

Twinkly Topknots

For naturally textured hair, an effortless topknot is another low-effort, high-reward option for the holidays, shares celebrity hairstylist and Matrix Global Artistic Director Michelle O’Connor. (This also works for those with non-textured hair, simply take a curling iron and wrap around random pieces in alternating directions to create a perfectly imperfect base). Pile hair into a ponytail at the crown of your head, pulling out pieces that will hang down and frame the face. O’Connor suggests securing the ends of your ponytail with a small elastic about one inch from the bottom and using that to anchor and loosely wrap your pony around its base in a circular motion. Spray with lightweight hairspray to tame flyaways and add some extra staying power and secure with bobby pins. Finish with an embellished headband or some sparkly barrettes.

Power Pony

There are endless ways to update your everyday pony for holiday season, and you’re bound to find one well within your wheelhouse, regardless of your hairstyling skills (or lack thereof). Prep hair with a smoothing cream to prep for a sleek, frizz-free pony—Redway suggests applying TRESemmé One Step Smooth Cream from roots to ends to make the perfect base. From there, you can keep things simple with a classic ponytail (to create one, Redway recommends splitting your hair into two sections and twisting both sides back before connecting them in the middle with a hair tie). For a leveled-up look, try creating two braids on the outermost corners of your hair and wrapping those two pieces down your hair shaft. And if you’re looking for something that feels festive but is easy to achieve, try bubble braids!

Classic Curls

Pair a classic red lip with big, bouncy curls for a holiday look that will never go out of style. To give those curls a 2022 update, Redway suggests opting for more beachy, lived-in waves. Simply add a volumizing wave spray to damp or dry hair and let air-dry or diffuse while twisting around the fingers. Use a flat iron or curling rod to add definition, and add a spritz of dry texturizing spray to give it some grit and staying power.

Chignon With a Twist

Got a couple ribbon-wrapped gifts this season? Save the ribbons and repurpose them as fun hair accessories to add a feminine flair to a basic chignon. Gather hair into a low ponytail and wrap with a hair tie. Fold your locks onto themselves to create a single bun, and pull the ends through the middle of the bun, leaving them loose and free-flowing. Secure with an elastic and cover the elastic by tying the ribbon into a bow at the base to hold the fold in place.

Sleek and Straight

“A smooth, sleek, middle-parted look is always on trend,” says O’Connor. “Whether it’s bob-length or grazing your lower back, this look exudes elegance and sophistication.” 

Flat-ironing skills are key here. O’Connor suggests using a hair-smoothing spray that doubles as a heat protectant, like Matrix’s Total Results Mega Sleek Iron Smoother Leave-In Spray, to ensure heat protection as well as very shiny tresses. Make sure your part is perfectly centered to really elevate the look. You can also tuck front pieces behind the ears and cover the area with hair to make it feel more put-together.

Fully Festive Half-Pony

A half-up, half-down look is a classic that can be reimagined a million ways. Go with natural curly hair, or keep things sleeker for more of a '90s feel. To achieve the look, O’Connor suggests starting by parting your hair horizontally from ear to ear, and then brushing the upper-half region of your hair into a high ponytail. Be sure to spray the base of your ponytail as you’re gathering it to keep things neat and give the hairstyle some staying power.