New Year’s Eve is the one night each year when you can go crazy with color and texture and shine for your hair style, so why not take advantage and brighten up any room you walk into with some festive glitter? Shimmering hair color is the trend that was practically made for NYE. While glitter is dramatic and fun, it’s also notoriously messy. You can save the hassle and experiment with tricks that put sparkle on your strands without going full glitter.

Weave a jeweled headband or sparkly ribbon into a braid. Sprinkle sparkly stars or hearts from an arts and craft store in your hair and hold them in place with some hairspray. Pull your hair into a pony tail and apply glitter only to the pony to keep sparkles contained. Paint your part with a shimmery line of sparkle for a subtle look that will definitely get you noticed. Try out the look by sectioning your hair and adding a bit of glitter only to those few sections of hair.  If you want to play with more than one color, this is a cool option.

Glittery roots have been a staple of festivals and fun events for a while now, but the look still packs star power. The trick to glittery greatness is precise application directly on the roots. Keep attention focused on the roots by spreading the glitter no more than an inch away from your part.

Glitter hair products can be a little tricky, since pouring loose glitter throughout your locks will leave you combing out stray pieces well into the New Year. You don’t want to dunk a handful of loose glitter on your head and trail stardust in your wake throughout the evening.

Start with a clear hair gel to give your hair some stick. With a small but sturdy brush such as an old foundation brush, paint on the glitter. Mix your own glitter for a personalized statement by combining chunky glitter with more refined particles. The combo will prevent scratching your scalp. Use your fingers to sprinkle on more glitter where you want to add more oomph. Up the wattage even further by topping off with decorative stars or sparkly hearts.

Go bolder by covering more of the part. Make the boldest style statement of all by slicking your hair back into a tight bun and covering your entire head with glitter.  Or use different colors for the creative effect you want. Shimmery pink against brunette locks looks totally rocker-chic. Silver glitter on platinum roots is a cool way to reflect light.

The hard truth about glitter is that after you’ve had a memorable New Year’s Eve celebration, it is famously hard to remove.  One way to save yourself some time and hassle is by relying on glitter hairsprays. They’re easy to apply and relatively easy to lose.

To wash away all traces of any kind of glitter, use the best premium grade olive oil you have on hand. Lather it all over your scalp and massage for deep conditioning. Leave on for 10 minutes before rinsing. Your hair will be glitter-free and feel silky smooth.

Read More: The Best Glitter Hairsprays