Articles

There’s a particular kind of chaos that only December can bring: group chats buzzing, outfits piling up over a chair, a diary full of work drinks, winter weddings, and “just one more” festive dinner. In the middle of all this, the last thing you want is hair that takes an hour and three hot tools to behave.

Effortlessly party-ready hair starts long before you plug in a curling iron. It’s a mix of smart care, clever product choices, and a few simple styling habits that work for both stylists behind the chair and clients doing their own hair at home.

From glossy blowouts to color refreshes, here’s how to get your hair holiday-ready—before the festivities begin. Once fall hits, the holiday season seems to happen overnight, which is why November is the perfect time to prep for the season ahead. And because the holidays are all about polish, here are our favorite ways to ensure light-catching shine, soft movement, and color that looks expensive without trying too hard.

For years, luxury hair was defined by length, color, or how perfectly styled it looked. But this year’s real status symbol is shine. The kind of glossy, light-reflective, healthy-looking hair that signals there’s an effort behind it. From fashion month runways to #HairTok, shine has become the universal marker of “expensive” hair—and they’re achieving it with smarter color services, tech-driven formulas, and targeted at-home care.

And at the center of this new glow is Redken Shades EQ + Acidic Color Gloss system—a fan-favorite among stylists and color enthusiasts who want their hair to look as hydrated as it is shiny.