One of the best things about the holiday season is the excuse to dress up and be 'extra'. From holiday dresses to makeup looks, it's clear that opulence is the goal. And although glitter is a term not commonly found in my vocabulary, the onset of the season has given me reason to adorn everything - including my hair - with it. 

There was a time, in which, I believed the trend was too difficult to mimic, and therefore never bothered with it at home. However, after playing with glitter braids/roots earlier this month with my girl, and personal braid whiz, Elizabeth Kay, I realized how simple and attainable the trend truly is – albeit messy as all hell. So today, I'm sharing two of the glitter hairstyles we created to help inspire you to shine this holiday season.

HOW TO / GLITTER HAIR AT HOME

This glitzy riff on a milkmaid braid is not something I would normally wear, which makes it all the more special. Elizabeth began by sectioning my hair to feature a zig-zag part, before french-braiding and bobby-pinning the ends of each braid so they would be hidden within the rest of my hair. Once complete, she simply used a clear hair gel purchased from the drugstore, alongside glitter she found at Michael's and the dollar store. After mixing the glitter and hair gel in a mixing bowl, Elizabeth applied the glitter to my roots and atop one braid. For the following side, we decided to add interest by applying single silver stars throughout the braid, as shown above. Again, each of the stars was applied using a clear extra hold hair gel.

The end result is ultra-dreamy – the perfect hairstyle for a fancy Christmas dinner or New Years party. 

HOW TO / GLITTER HAIR WITHOUT THE MESS

While the former hairstyle is glitzy and chic, it's also EXTREMELY messy – be prepared to find glitter in places you never assumed possible.  So, Elizabeth and I created a hairstyle that is equally as impressive glitter roots, without the mess. For this look, Elizabeth sectioned the top portion of my hair into four equal sections, french-braiding them towards the crown of my head and tie-ing them off with an elastic. She then twirled and pinned my hair to create two medium-sized buns, intertwining the braids around them. To add a glam factor to the hairstyle, she then lined the braided sections with stick-on gems she found at the dollar store. To ensure they stayed put all day/night long, Elizabeth added a drop of clear gel to each of the gems for added hold. 

This hairstyle took a matter of minutes to create and was insanely popular amongst those who had a chance to witness it first-hand. It's definitely one I'll be re-creating for months to come, both with and without gems.

Once the night draws to an end, simply peel gems off/wash the glitter out of your hair using your favourite shampoo and conditioner – and pray you don't see glitter around your space for days to come. 

Are you brave enough to try glitter roots/hair this holiday season?
Let me know in the comment section below!