Six party hairstyles: a step-by-step guide

Party hard: Michelle Obama, Alexa Chung, Sienna Miller provide hair inspiration Photograph: Getty Images

Hair stylist Richard Ward takes six fantastic party hairstyles and describes how to create them at home.

Michelle Obama's voluminous blow dry

Michelle Obama attends the 2013 Kennedy Center Honors. Photograph: Getty Images • Wash and towel-dry your hair, then spray Richard Ward Couture Hair Volumiser Root Booster to the first two inches of your roots.
• Blow-dry your hair using a radial bristle brush. Start at the nape of your neck, and work your way up to the crown. Ensure that the hairdryer nozzle is on, and each section of hair is the width of the brush you're using. As you dry your hair, curl each section up on to the brush and hold dryer underneath.
• Apply large heated rollers in a brick-work fashion, spritzing each section with hairspray as you go. Leave in until the rollers have completely cooled (about 20 minutes) and then gently remove.
• Tip your head upside down and spritz with Moroccan Oil Glimmer Shine Spray (£18.65) before raking your fingers through your hair to break up the curls a little. Create a strong centre parting and spray with a little more hairspray.

Alexa Chung's glossy waves

Alexa Chung at the British fashion awards. Photograph: Jonathan Hordle/Rex • Start with day old hair and begin by blow-drying it through using a radial bristle brush to smooth out any kinks.
• Create a low side parting.
• Take horizontal sections of hair from in front of the crown to behind the ear. Spray each with L'Oreal Techni Art Constructor (£11.25), followed by hairspray. The section should be about 3in wide and 2in deep. Wrap the hair around a tong. Hold for 10 seconds, before gently releasing the hair.
• Continue working up the head, towards the crown and repeat till the whole head has been tonged. Remember the thicker the section, the looser the finished wave.
• Once complete, gently brush the curls through, though not too many times or they'll lose their shape.

Zoe Saldana's messy bun

Zoe Saldana arrives at the Screen Actors Guild awards. Photograph: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage • This look works best with day-old hair, ie hair that was washed yesterday. Start by brushing it through and applying a taming and de-frizzing serum like Kerastase Cristalliste Cristal Sculpt Double Serum(£25.80) taking care to focus on the mid-lengths and ends of the hair.
• Using a bristle brush, comb your hair up into a ponytail that sits between the crown and the nape of your neck, and secure with a hair band. Or alternatively use your hands to give the hair a more textured finish.
• Now, take the ponytail and twist it around itself before coiling it around the base of the hair band. Secure in place using plenty of hair pins and Kirby grips.
• Finish the look with a blast of hairspray. Gently guide the hair towards the bun with a comb as you're spritzing. Don't place too much pressure on the comb, this method is purely to direct and tame any flyaway hairs.

Jennifer Lawrence's fishtail plait

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss in The Hunger Games. Photograph: Lions Gate/Everett/Rex Features • To get this look, start with day-old hair as it'll help the finished plait to grip better and stay in place for longer.
• Damp your hair slightly and apply Richard Ward Couture Hair Energiser Styling Spray (£19 ) before rough drying it through
• Next brush your hair over one shoulder starting a few inches below the crown, begin to loosely plait using a fishtail plait technique. Divide your hair into two channels, and bringing small, even section of hair from the outside edge to the opposite inside channel of hair. Repeat this step until you reach the ends of your hair and secure with a hair band.
• To create a dishevelled finish, simply tease the hair as you plait with your fingers, or use a tail comb to pull small sections of hair from the finished plait.

MIA's messy chic

MIA at the 2013 YouTube music awards. Photograph: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images • Start with day-old hair and begin by taking small horizontal sections of hair, (from the front of the crown to behind the ear), spray with a heat protector and tong. Hold for 10 seconds, before gently releasing the hair. The smaller the tong, the more curly your end result will be.
• Continue working up the head, towards the crown, and repeat till the whole head has been tonged.
• Once complete, apply Aussie Dual Personality Curl Definition and Soft Feel Serum (£5.19, Boots) to your hands, rub it over them like a hand cream and pull out the curls section by section. You may want to tip your head upside down so you can rake the underside fully and ruffle the roots to create extra volume.
• Once you've created the desired loose-shaped curls, simply create a deep centre-parting and spritz your curls with a flexible hold hairspray.

Sienna Miller's pink rinse

Sienna Miller at the British fashion awards. Photograph: David Fisher/Rex • Lou Rose, technician at the Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa has the following advice for putting a touch of colour in your hair:
"There are numerous way to create a similar effect, both at home and at the salon. If you're thinking of taking the plunge, do ask your hairdresser to initially opt for a more subtle effect. Start with a very soft shade, and then go more vibrant if you decide that you like it."
• L'Oreal's new colour chalks (£15), which need to be blow-dried into the hair, are a great non-committal at-home option, or you could try using one of the pastel pink hair home hair dye options that are on the market such as L'Oreal Feria Pastel Pink Panther (£5.79, Boots).
• Start with day-old hair and begin by blow-drying it through, to smooth out the hair line.
• Create a strong centre parting using a tail comb.
• Take random horizontal sections of hair from in front of the crown to behind the ear and spray with a heat protector followed by hairspray. Wrap the hair around a tong. Hold for 10 seconds, before gently releasing the hair.
• Continue working up the head, towards the crown and repeat till the whole head has been tonged. The thicker the section, the looser the finished wave, but a variation of different sizes works best with this look, so use both ends on your tongs.
• Once complete, gently pull out the curls with your fingers until they drop slightly, and apply Label M Shine Mist (£13.25) to the ends.

Style your hair happy

When it comes to shampoo and conditioner, one size doesn't fit all. Choose products specifically formulated for your hair needs. Photograph: TOPAS/Corbis
We all love those days when we experience glossy, full-bodied hair. But according to new research, 53% of women are concerned about hair thinning and 68% feel self-conscious about their hair and how it looks. Thankfully, there are simple ways to give your hair a fuller, thicker appearance.
"A haircut is a very individual thing, so there is no set answer for what cut someone with thinning hair should have," says Michael Lendon, advanced creative director at Aveda. "But having a cut with a strong structure can help. Blunt edges can help to give weight and define shape. Graduations towards the back of the head can also add impact to a look.
"For longer haircuts, I'd suggest not over-texturising the hair with layers, as this can make it look thinner. And avoid fringes unless you're sure it won't go wispy – wispy hair automatically looks thin."
There are other styling tricks you can borrow from the professionals to give your hair the appearance of extra thickness. "When styling your hair, try to move your hair up and away from your face to create height and volume," says Lendon.
"Heated rollers are great, too; even just three or four put in dry hair before you go out will add a lovely soft lift to your hair. Spray a little Aveda Air Control Hairspray (£18 RRP for 300mls) in each section before you roll to ensure it holds – and leave the rollers to cool down properly before taking them out, otherwise your hair will drop flat."
Five steps to fuller-looking hair
There's more to washing your hair than dunking it under a hot shower. Follow Aveda creative director Michael Lendon's expert advice:
Get personal
When it comes to shampoo and conditioner, one size doesn't fit all. Choose products specifically formulated for the needs of thinning hair, such as Aveda's Invati range. The three products are made from a blend of Ayurvedic herbs, including turmeric and ginseng, which – when massaged in – help to revitalise the scalp around the follicles. The exfoliating shampoo (£20.50 RRP), thickening conditioner (£22.50 RRP) and scalp revitaliser (£43 RRP) are made with 97% naturally derived ingredients, and can help you to get thicker, fuller looking hair for longer. Discover how to get a free Invati sample at aveda.co.uk/guardian
Go with the flow
Giving your head an invigorating massage as you shampoo is a good way to encourage blood circulation and helps to detoxify the scalp.
Splash out the right amount
The volume of shampoo you should use depends on the length and thickness of your hair, but a blob the size of a 20p coin is a good start. Longer hair needs a 50p-size dollop. Use shampoo on wet hair and use a little more water to help get extra lather. Cleanse twice, as this will really encourage a healthy scalp. In turn this means better hair growth and thicker-looking locks.
De-knot, avoid hot
Comb your conditioner through your hair, as this will help to ensure the product works its magic on each individual strand. Leave it in for two to five minutes and then rinse it out with warm or cool water – never hot.
Step away from the hairdryer
You should always be careful with heat, but this is especially true if your hair is thinning. Keep the hairdryer nozzle two inches away from your hair and always use a heat-protector spray, such as Aveda's Brilliant Damage Control spray (£16 RRP). Use a soft brush, such as the Aveda wooden paddle brush (£19 RRP), and don't be rough with your hair: treat it nicely and it will repay you by looking healthy and shiny.

How to Tame Split Ends

You've been growing out your hair into long, Jemima Kirke waves for months now, and yet, there's something standing in your way of Jessa hair perfection: split ends. Nothing will kill the length and strength of hair quicker than split ends, and they're so tricky to fix, because the more you have, the quicker they multiply. Plus, everything from brushing to straightening to fishtail braiding can exacerbate the situation. Luckily, we’ve got a plan to get rid of them that starts before your morning shower and keeps working straight through the night, even while you sleep.
Pre-Shower:
To fight the good fight against split ends, defense should begin before you even shampoo. Try pre-wash treatments that act as cuticle menders and sealants, like Michael Van Clarke’s 3” More Inches Pre-Wash Treatment. Apply it an hour or so before getting in the shower and leave on as long as you like, letting the cashmere proteins and amino acids perform their anti-aging, moisturizing magic. Or reach for Orico’s Superseed Vitamin Dry Multi-Oil, which you can leave on for just 15 minutes before you hop in the shower.
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In Shower:
For a one-two-punch of split end mending sorcery, Davines Melu Shampoo and Conditioner will revitalize strands that are prone to breakage. The spinach extract and apricot butter strengthen and soften while the Quaternium-8 makes combing through wet or dry tresses super easy. It also minimizes heating tool damage and protects the hair by significantly cutting down drying time.
Related: 16 Dry Shampoos to Get You Through Festival Season
Post-Shower:
AG Hair’s Keratin Repair Serum uses one of your locks’ primary building blocks, keratin protein, to penetrate frazzled cuticles and bond to broken hair, correcting past damage and preventing further breakage in the process. As you continue to use it, you’ll find your split ends fused together and the overall health of your hair renewed. As an added bonus, it restores elasticity, giving you bouncier tresses, too.
Another keratin-packed wonder, Phyto Paris’ PHYTOKÉRATINE Reparative Serum, uses not only the aforementioned ingredients, but also silk peptides, which act like a bandage, smoothing and repairing split ends immediately. Plus, its hyaluronic acid is an unparalleled moisturizer, so applying to your ends will give you a supple and shiny look, straightway.
Before You Style:
Reach for Gold Lust, a nourishing and non-greasy oil that's liquid gold for dry and damaged manes. As one of Oribe’s most popular products, its signature mixture of watermelon, lychee, and edelweiss flower extracts works as your hair’s arsenal against aging, oxidative stress, and the deterioration of your cuticle’s natural keratin reserve. Boasting a bevy of oils, this emollient formula is sure to be a standout shelf staple in your battle against brittle ends.
If you're looking for something that offers immediate relief from frizzy locks, opt for R+Co’s Tinsel Oil. It features exotic oils like argan and jojoba compounded with antioxidant rich vitamin E for a supremely strengthening formula that will leave your hair in child-like form, no frizz in sight.
While You Sleep:
Nighttime is the right time to rectify your split ends, as your strands are least exposed to external aggressors while you catch up on your Zzzzs. To repair while you snooze, spread a nickel-sized amount of Phyto’s SECRET DE NUIT Intense Hydration Regenerating Night Treatment through freshly brushed ends before bed. You'll boast suppler, shinier, and more manageable locks upon waking, thanks to the ceramides encapsulated in chronospheres, which offer time-released hydration and nourishment while you hit the sack.