Credit: Gracenguessan
Between the office end-of-year party and the crossover service, most women will wear one hairstyle to eight or nine different events. The carol service, a cousin’s traditional wedding in the village, a concert that doesn’t start until midnight, a beach day with friends who just flew in, and at least one family lunch where an aunty will comment on your hair no matter what you did with it. That’s a lot to ask of one salon appointment. Here are the Christmas hairstyles worth booking this year, and the Darling hair behind each one.
What Your December Hair Has to Get Through
Most Detty December hairstyles fail for the same few reasons. Harmattan dryness makes our hair date faster. Halls get hot once the dancing starts, and sweat at the nape is usually what lifts a style first. Then there’s the gele, which flattens anything styled tall.
Timing matters too. Good stylists are often fully booked by mid-December, so make your hair in the first or second week. Most styles below last for four to six weeks, which takes you past New Year’s Day.
Trending Christmas Braids This Season
Boho Knotless Braids
Credit: Shatara Gordon
Boho knotless braids were on what felt like every second head at Lagos parties last December, and they haven’t slowed down. Regular knotless braids form the base, with curly strands left loose along the length so the style moves when you do. Darling Boho Braids covers this look, and the same hair works for goddess braids or a fuller Bora Bora finish. Keep it mid-back. The catch is tangling. By week three, the curls need mousse and your fingers running through it frequently.
French Curl Braids, Long or Bob
Source: Maggie Roggers
French curl braids sit neat at the root and fall into loose, bouncy curls from about mid-length. Darling Curly Braids gives you this curl. The bob version, cut between chin and shoulder, has been everywhere since last year because it keeps hair off your neck in a packed hall. Curls also hold their shape under camera flash. That counts for a lot in a month where you want to be outside and take plenty pictures.
Braided Bob
Source: Pinterest
If your December has more concerts than church functions, a chin-length braided bob is about the lightest thing you can wear. Some call it the Tyla braid, after the South African singer who made it her signature. Darling Easy Vibes is made for knotless styles like this one, and the short length means less time making your hair while every salon in town runs late.
Tribal and Fulani Braids With Beads
Source: @_SWEETHAIRSTYLES_
Travelling home for Christmas? Tribal and Fulani braids look neat on Christmas Day, go with Ankara and virtually any type of attire, and survive a long road trip better than loose curls. Stitched or zig-zag cornrows run along the front, with individual braids at the back finished in wooden, gold or pearl beads. Darling Super Star has the firm, smooth strand those clean partings need, and since it’s a hot-water set, your stylist can curl or flip the ends. Keep the beads light.
Red, Emerald and Silver Peekaboo Braids
Source: Pinterest
December is the one month bright red braids look right in any room. If a full head of colour feels like too much, peekaboo braids place the colour underneath or through the black, so it flashes when you move. Darling Super Star has a festive range for this, including Red & Ready, Emerald Ice, Silver Slay, Gingle Bell and IJGB. Browse the Darling Christmas colours and ask your stylist to mix your pick into your usual black.
Twists and Crochet Styles for Back-to-Back Events
Micro Twists
Source: Hairdolab
Micro twists take some time to make. No shortcut exists. In return you get a style that looks like your own hair on a very good week, worn down to Christmas lunch and pinned into a high bun by the time the owambe starts. Darling Natural Twist has the soft kinky texture that keeps them looking real. In harmattan, a light oil sheen spray every few days stops the ends going dull.
Miracle Knots
Source: Pinterest
These are for the woman whose leave starts on the 23rd. Miracle knots are a crochet method: your hair is cornrowed first, then pre-looped curly hair is hooked under the braids so each knot sits flat and almost disappears. Ask for Darling Passion Twist. How gentle it feels depends on how tightly the cornrow base is done, so speak up if it pulls.
Bohemian Twists
Source: Pinterest
Bohemian twists are passion twists with loose curly strands left out along the length, which softens the shape around your face. You get much of the boho braid look with less weight. Darling Bohemian Passion Twist is made for this style, and because it goes in as crochet, it’s one of the easiest Darling ranges for a first-timer. It’s a good pick for a beach day that runs straight into a birthday dinner. Mousse revives the curly pieces when they flatten.
Updos for Owambe, Christmas Service and Crossover Night
Braided Bun for Gele Days
Any braid or twist above can be gathered into a bun at the top, which can work when a gele is involved, only that the gele requires specific styling for the bun to “pop” . A high bun with the gele tied around it as opposed to over it, is a very clean look when put together correctly. When the gele comes off at the reception, your hair still looks finished.
Stitch-Braid High Ponytail
The braided ponytail has been a December staple since the days of telephone-wire extensions, but today’s version is far cleaner. Stitch braids are sculpted up to the crown and the tail is finished in French curls, where the old style used one thick braid. Darling Super Star handles the stitched rows and Darling Curly Braids gives you the curly tail. It keeps everything off your neck for a long night of dancing. Treat it as a crossover-week style, though. A tight high ponytail kept in for weeks pulls hard on your edges.
Keeping One Style Fresh From Christmas to New Year
Most of the work happens at night. Tie your hair in a satin scarf or bonnet, and if you’re wearing boho braids or bohemian twists, gather the curly lengths loosely on top of your head first so they don’t get crushed.
During harmattan, use a braid spray on your scalp twice a week and a light oil sheen on twists and crochet styles. Wipe off old edge control before adding more, because layers of gel in dry weather leave white flakes that show up in photos.
Rinse salt water out properly after a beach day. Trim frizzy ends around week three. And switch between high and low styles, since pulling your hair the same way every day is what thins the edges.
FAQs
What is the best hairstyle for Detty December?
The best Detty December hairstyle lasts four to six weeks and can be restyled without a new install. Boho knotless braids, French curl braids and micro twists all do this well. If you are short on time, miracle knots install in about two hours and still carry you through the festive season.
When should I make my hair for Christmas?
Book your Christmas hairstyle for the first or second week of December. Stylists fill up fast as the month goes on, and late bookings often mean rushed work. Installing early also gives braids a few days to settle, so they look neat but still fresh on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.
What braid colours are trending for Christmas?
Red, emerald green and silver are the classic Christmas braid colours, and many women wear them as peekaboo braids with the colour showing through black. Burgundy and golden blonde highlights are also popular this year. Darling Super Star has a Christmas colour range that includes Red & Ready, Emerald Ice and Silver Slay.
Pick the style that suits the December you actually have. Lots of gele days? Go for something that packs low. Mostly dance floors? Keep it light and off your neck. You’ll find the hair for every look above in the Darling collection at The Diva Shop, and it’s worth ordering before the Christmas delivery rush.
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