Beyond Hair

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Are you starting to feel stressed about the holidays? Here’s one thing you can relax about: your hair.

Courtesy of RedkenValentino Spring/Summer 2012. Hair by Guido.

People—especially women—get stressed this time of year because there is this idea of “perfection.” They build up an idea in their heads that they can’t possibly live up to. Every time I’ve stressed about the holidays it’s never been worth it, and I’ve looked back and thought, “I can’t believe I did it again!”

You’ve got to let yourself off the hook a little bit. One way to do that is with your hair. Sure, you want your hair to look beautiful, but people will mostly respond to how you feel. If you feel calm you will radiate beauty. People want to see a happy person, not the perfect-hair person who is obviously stressed.

QUIZ: How Stressed Are You?

Schedule your cut and color now, so it’s out of the way and you’re not trying to squeeze appointments into your busy holiday schedule.

Then add a few easy styles to your hair routine so you can look pulled together, but with ease and effortlessness.

Hair Accessories: Simple pins, clips and headbands from the drugstore—in metallic silver or gold, black, tortoiseshell or a bit of crystal—are great because they present the idea that you’ve made an effort, even if all you’ve done is add a clip to your regular hairstyle. It’s a simple psychological trick. Something as easy as side part and a plain bobby pin can work wonders.

Braids: The best part about braids is that you don’t even have to be that good at them because they look soft and pretty when they’re a bit rough and imperfect. You don’t have to do anything intricate—just a nod to a braid is enough to impress people. If you don’t want to braid all of your hair or dive into the braided circlet look, try a little braid or two starting at your part.

Twist: If you’re running around, especially if you’re hosting a party, the last thing you want to worry about is your hair. With a simple knot or twist you don’t even have to wash your hair—a spritz of dry shampoo revives the hair, and then you can pull it back, twist and add some pins. It doesn’t need to be perfect—just the act of lifting your hair back will make you look pulled together.

Happy holidays, everyone—and keep in mind that people are going to remember being relaxed and sitting around the table together, not that your hair was perfectly straight!

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