The festival scene is notorious for good music and interesting fashion — and hairstyles are a huge part of this! From enchanting and otherworldly to subtle and sustainable, festival hairstyles have the power to elevate the overall aesthetic and incorporate unfiltered personality into the festival experience. They also have the power to elevate the experience by offering easy maintenance (if any) and extreme versatility!
This is why certain styles have lasted the test of time and been seen at music festivals for ages and why a little extra something (like some sparkle) is always welcome! So whether it be glitter roots, all-over sparkles, shimmer weaved throughout or otherwise, festival season is approaching fast, and it’s time to start exploring the best hairstyles and how to take them over the top!
For basic application, you’ll need to prepare super fine glitter in the requested colors and possibly coarse glitter in the requested colors and shapes. Along with this, you’ll need an application brush (or just fingertips, depending on your preference and the texture of the glitter. We generally recommend using a brush for finer glitters) and a fixing spray or quality salon hairspray. Approach this process by:
Defining the part in clean and detangled hair.
Sprinkling fine glitter wherever it’s desired (as thick as it’s desired).
Patting glitter into hair with a damp brush or fingers to achieve a more intense outcome.
Adding larger glitter if desired, often very meticulously, to achieve the perfect look.
Using a hairspray or setting spray in short, even bursts wherever glitter has been applied.
The Look: Solid Sparkle Roots Between Space Buns
Space buns have become a festival-favorite style for a lot of reasons, and this won’t be the last time you’ll hear us suggest them! From utilizing a wide center part to utilizing the braids leading up them, we suggest playing with more than just space buns themselves! It’s in these areas that you can apply a heavy-duty gel and add some serious sparkle!
To take this look up a notch, consider shifting from space buns by adding several more topknots to the hair (like half a dozen or more) and adding an even more serious dose of sparkle in between each one!
The Look: Dispersed Shimmer in Straight Strands
These evenly dispersed, super-subtle strands of pure shine or sparkle will give straight hair with a lighter color a mirror-like sheen. Straight hair in a darker color will see this look translate into metallic speckles that glimmer through the hair. No matter what, though, this is a look that will allow anyone to boast intense shimmery/sparkly/metallic highlights without any commitment!
Your options are fairly open when it comes to achieving this look, but we recommend using a glitter gel or glitter hairspray to create baby lights and streaks throughout the hair. You can also opt for hair tinsel, thanks to how easy it is to apply, how affordable it is and how intense the results are! From here, adding baby braids will be the perfect way to polish the look!
The Look: Soft Fairy Dust in Down S-Waves
Large and luxurious waves are already a vibe, but a soft sparkle sprinkling down these strands can showcase so much more! When it comes to soft fairy dust in S-waves, the key is picking your glitter in a color that will complement the hair color. If you’re struggling with finding a good fit, something as close to the hair color as possible always looks amazing and is subtle enough that it can still elevate absolutely any aesthetic!
The biggest thing to avoid when it comes to sprinkling all-over glitter is a result that’s flaky or dandruffy-looking. To dodge this problem, opt for glitter that’s either EXTRA fine and shimmers seamlessly or, more likely, large enough to be easily identified against the hair as glitter. From here, the use of some extra large, shaped glitter (like stars or hearts) or straight-up sequins will only serve to help!
The Look: Explosive and Ethereal Glitter Roots on Curly Hair
A smattering of glitter that’s focused on the roots but explodes out with extra crazy curls will create an ethereal look — especially when larger, brighter, multicolored glitter is used! Whether it’s being incorporated into an ethereal aesthetic or not, though, this is a look that will be amplified by a little glitter on the skin somewhere (from the cheeks to the shoulders) as well!
While this look may seem spontaneous, you will want to make sure that you’re getting the sparkle exactly where you want it because you’ll likely be using large chunky glitter. Thanks to how spontaneous curls can be in the way that they lay, though, it’s all about following that flow!
The Look: Goddess-Like Glitter Base Ponytail
This is a look that’s as perfect for a week-long summer music festival in a field as it is for a late-night New Year’s Eve party in the city.
Simply smooth the hair back into a sleek low ponytail and secure it with a hair tie, leaving a strand out to wrap around and cover the tie. From here, apply a glitter gel heavily to the wrapped-up piece of hair and extend it in an ombre fashion over the base of the pony (just above and just below the tie and wrapped piece of hair). Sprinkle this area with glitter of different sizes and be sure to keep the rest of the hair clean!
When buying loose glitter, be sure to look for something that will be easy to wash out after use, won’t ruin your tub in the process and won’t bring harm to the environment (especially if it’s being washed out AT the festival in a communal shower or body of water).
Aside from the glitter you go with, it’s always a good idea to invest in the best professional hair styling products for festival season as well! From gels, waxes and hairsprays to create a look that will last the whole time to leave-in conditioners and oils to create a look that will feel okay after the festival, it’s all as important as the style itself — especially when glitter is involved!
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