One of my favorite parts about the holidays is getting all dolled up. I love adorning myself with festive jewelry and slipping on a glitzy party dress, but there's nothing better than sitting in front of the mirror, testing out a new makeup look and hairstyle. Jamie Schneider, senior beauty editor at Who What Wear, agrees. "For the holidays, I love testing looks I wouldn't necessarily consider in my regular rotation," she told me. "I tend to opt for a tousled beach wave over a super-polished, old-Hollywood curl. But there's something about the holidays that inspires me to step outside my beauty comfort zone."
So, what hairstyles are on Schneider's holiday mood board? "I'm envisioning a slick-back bun with a sleek, glass-like shine, and gorgeous swoopy waves," she said. "I also love to play with hair accessories during the holidays. Shiny bits and baubles just add a touch of joy."
Lucky for me, Schneider shared how she creates these holiday-ready hairdos, and her secret to nailing these elegant styles every time is Aveda. It's number one in her book for efficacy, naturally-derived ingredients, and versatility. "A lot of other formulas are clean and natural but they don't actually, well, work," she admitted. "I love that I don't have to sacrifice performance for high-quality, botanical-derived ingredients." She also applauds the brand for having something for literally every hair type and styling goal—from luxurious curls to sleek updos. Keep reading to learn how to re-create her looks and get a peek at the Aveda products that are currently on her vanity.
"I've been seeing French twists everywhere this season, and I only expect them to continue soaring. Calling it now: The French pin is coming for your classic claw clip. The style is just so effortlessly elegant." — Schneider
"I started with the smooth infusion perfect blow dry™. I like to spray it into my hands, gently emulsify, and then rake it through my hair. It doubles as a heat-protection spray, which is essential any time I pick up a hot tool. I also love how soft and shiny it makes my blowouts. Next, I dried my hair using a blow-dry brush and dried my bangs upwards and outwards to achieve an effortless Bardot-like bang. Once my hair was completely dry, it was time to twist. I will say, it takes a bit of practice to nail the twist. I'm not above watching a TikTok tutorial (or seven)! I basically gathered my hair into a ponytail, twisted the ends around the pin, then twisted the pin two rotations before securing it at the crown of my head. The result should look perfectly undone. I gave my whole head a spritz with the air control™ light hold hair spray to ensure everything stayed in place. Finally, I massaged the ends of my bangs with a little bit of the control paste™. Voilá!" — Schneider
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"I'm predicting that old-Hollywood waves will dominate the holiday season. This vintage-inspired, voluminous look is everywhere, from backstage at fashion week to celeb-studded red carpets." — Schneider
"I began by giving my damp curls a spritz of the be curly advanced™ curl perfecting primer and raked a healthy dollop of the be curly advanced™ curl enhancer cream through the length of my locks to add some extra smoothness. The definition and shine this cream gives is unmatched! I then dried my hair with a blow-dry brush and did a few passes with a 1.25-inch curler to create those swoopy, defined waves. After waiting until each curl had cooled down, I gently brushed each side of my hair to soften the wave, and set the sections with duckbill hair pins and creaseless hair clips. I gave each section a good spritz of the air control™ light hold hair spray to provide hold, while still keeping my strands soft and flexible. Here's a tip: Spray a tissue until it feels wet, then gently wipe it on top of your hair to smooth down flyaways. I can personally attest that this hack works like an absolute charm. Once my hair was completely cool, I removed the pins. I swooped my hair to one side (very old Hollywood, IMO) and gave my face-framing pieces an extra pass with the curling iron. I then added on a bit of control paste™ to define the waves and smooth out any flyaways." — Schneider
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"A chic, slick-back bun never goes out of style. Sophisticated and timeless, it exudes classic glamour." — Schneider
"To create this look, I first applied a nickel-sized amount of the botanical repair™ bond-building styling creme to my hair to really nail that smooth, frizz-free finish. I gathered my hair into a ponytail and secured it with an elastic, then twirled the ponytail around itself to create a twisted bun. Next, I applied control paste™ all along my hairline to smooth down my flyaways. Nothing has staying power like this paste. Finally, I sprayed air control™ light hold hair spray directly onto my boar bristle brush before giving my hairline an extra pass. This step is key—it really gives the slick-back look that glass-like shine! This is one of the best hair sprays I've ever tried—it seriously smooths down every last baby hair without making my hair feel crunchy or stiff. I can easily brush out my style at the end of the night without feeling like I need to wash my hair. Plus, it smells divine. I decided to finish with a pink jumbo scrunchie to give the look a little something extra." — Schneider
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Schneider also filled me in on Aveda's holiday gift sets, which are housed in reusable boxes designed by luxury designer Joseph Altuzarra. "They're so gorgeous that you don't even need to wrap them," she gushes. "I really couldn't dream of a better collab. Both are icons in their respective fields, and each set from the limited-edition capsule is truly something special." Keep scrolling to shop a few of our faves from the collection.
Shop The Aveda Holiday Collection
