Five Festive Looks with Errol Douglas

Errol Douglas MBE talks us through his five festive looks for the Christmas season – ultimate glamour guaranteed!  

The Up-do:

A sophisticated up-do with a little edge is a great mix of occasion and retention of your own style. The key to its polished finish lies in the blow-dry "scaffolding" that locks in moisture as you style, so use my Infrared Dryer in a downwards motion to really dry from the inside out in sections starting with the back and underneath. Using the cold blast feature, once dry, over the whole head seals the hair ready for the up-do.

Once in a bun and positioned loosely at equal distance from the nape and the crown, some gentle back combing at the front will give lift and a rock ‘n’ roll edge. This is a red carpet look that depends on hold, so plenty of hairspray required. We’ve seen Katie Holmes pull this off brilliantly at the Met Gala Red Carpet this year. 

The Big Blow Out

Volume always nods to an occasion and the festive season is the perfect excuse. We’ve seen so much of it on the runway; AW13 Carolina Herrera saw a sleek look with high movement through the crown that was defined by shine. Achieving this look lies in the preparation and hair condition. By using my Treat&Style to straighten the hair from the crown to the ends whilst infusing Keratin via the capsule system, will deliver gloss without compromising on the precision of the sleek finish from the heat. Place the Alice band where required and gently backcomb the crown to frame around it.

Contrasting Textures with Dramatic Fringes 

I love the drama that's available by styling matte with gloss in one style, and it's perfect for making a festive entrance that's got edge. My show look for designer Kristian Aadnevik at London Fashion Week celebrated contrasting textures and added a faux fringe for extra drama.

Start by preparing wet hair with Moroccanoil treatment as the essential foundation for styling and add a fringe piece by pinning underneath the hair on to the crown. Next, blow-dry the hair straight with my Infrared Dryer to lock in the hydrating qualities of the Moroccanoil; this achieves an all over smoothness. Once dry divide the hair into small sections and use my Treat&Style with gentle strokes from the tips to the roots. This is how to build in the matte element as it’s a gentle heated back-combing technique. To finish, use my Infrared Dryer to aerate the whole head to really highlight the matte/gloss contrast.

The Sleek Pony

This is a great way to let your festive outfit take centre stage whilst echoing its drama via a simple style that relies on a sophisticated polished finish. The key to a sleek ponytail is to boost hydration when wet (I use a tiny amount of Moroccanoil treatment and blow-dry fast using my Infrared Dryer to minimise drying time and retain moisture).

Choose middle or side parting and comb hair in a backwards direction before fastening the ponytail with bungee or elastic at the nape of the neck. For dramatic tension, using string as a fastener is also an alternative. Once secure, take a small section of hair and wrap around the bungee to create the polished hidden join. Run my Treat&Style with the Keratin capsule feature activated slowly down the length of the pony to seal in the shine.

The Old School Glamour Wave

This is such a good festive look straight from the Red Carpet vintage wave favourite. It’s about creating soft waves and movement that graduates through to the ends. This can be achieved through a very pronounced blow-dry that builds in movement but retains its softness. Using my Treat&Style as a gentle wave creator, wrap four divided sections of the hair from the eyebrow to the jaw line around the plates. Each section on completion should be pinned flat to the head for 3-4 minutes, and when gently releasing them make sure the movement is combed out very lightly with a thick comb, almost in a raking stroke - it's very important not to brush the waves out.

Hold with Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray for a medium to strong hold with absolutely no change to the look or texture. Its small particles evenly distribute perfectly for the final finishing blow-dry. Hold the hairspray ten inches from the hair and spray.

The Errol Douglas Infrared Dryer (£59.99) and Treat&Style (£109.99 – includes 12 Keratin capsules) are available in Boots stores nationwide. Additional TREAT&STYLE Keratin capsules are priced at £19.99 for 12.