It's cold. Really cold. There's no denying that. Personally, when the temps drop, I have no motivation to be out and about aside from my obligations — I'd much rather cuddle up by the fire (or, uhh, my electric heater) and watch the snow fall instead of trying to commute in it. That same lack of inspiration seeps over to my wardrobe choices sometimes, when I find myself reaching for my black puffer, beanie, sweater, jeans, and boots... and it carries over to beauty, as well. I'd rather shovel 10 inches of snow along 5th Avenue than style my hair. At least, that was the case before I saw these winter hairstyle ideas, taken straight from Kate Middleton, Lauren Conrad, Uzo Aduba, and more.
Some of the ideas are lower-lift, like Michelle Obama's sleek and shiny blowout with waves. And some, like Aduba's "bondage" ponytail, might require a little extra styling time — especially with those 22-inch extensions. But every single one is special because they're all attainable, and can work on a range of textures and lengths, too.
Ahead, see seven styles to jumpstart your week — plus tips from celebrity hairstylists Yene Damtew, Takisha Sturdivant-Drew, and Kahh Spence.
Ponytail With A Bow
For a busy day of public engagements, Kate Middleton wore a power ponytail... upheld by a darling black ribbon. If you're nowhere near a craft store, fear not: Jen Atkin's latest Chloe + Isabel collection has a velvet bow scrunchie that does all the work.
Frosty Blonde
"'Twas a long day but the mission was accomplished," Hilary Duff captioned post-dye job. The actress went platinum courtesy of Riawna Capri and Nikki Lee at Los Angeles' Nine Zero One Salon — by far the best place to go blonde, if you ask celebs like TK and TK. Nine Zero is so popular that Capri and Lee launched a haircare line called In Common — and their first product, Magic Myst, works to repair damaged hair.
Sleek And Shiny Blowout
"Personally, I prefer ceramic over titanium, because the heat distribution is very high with titanium," Yene Damtew, Michelle Obama's hairstylist, tells us. "You see a lot more heat damage with titanium irons than ceramic. There are grooves in ceramic that are similar to an orange peel. You still leave some of that natural fullness and curl pattern in there, so it's not bone-straight."
Blinged-Out Half-Up
Clearly, Kristen Ess was seeing stars — she pinned them all throughout Lauren Conrad's beachy waves. The "stars & snowflakes combo," as she called it on Instagram, was done with Jennifer Beher and Lelet NY barrettes.
Long Segmented "Bondage" Ponytail
Uzo Aduba's ponytail was pretty sleek in the front... so imagine the reaction when Takisha Sturdivant-Drew posted the 360 on Instagram. Surprisingly, the style is a lot easier than it looks. "Make sure your hair is sleek and shiny with volume," she says. "And invest in a BaByliss Pro Titanium flat iron to smooth out your hair. Get some Aveda Emollient Shine in your life, which gives the hair a beautiful shine and doesn’t weigh the hair down at all. Then buy some affordable elastics for when you want a ponytail... and go to tsdhair.com and get 22-inch body wave hair! It was used to create Uzo's bondage ponytail."
Freeze-Proof Fishtail
"For Ella Mai’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Hair, we decided to go with an updo, as she was sporting a pretty large but warm coat," hairstylist Kahh Spence tells TZR. "To achieve this fishtail, I used OGX Beauty’s Extra Strength + Honey Hold Mega Glue, Bodifying + Fiber Full Big Hair Spray, and Natural Finish + Aspen Extract Texture Molding Paste. I started out with freshly blown out hair, applying the gel to create a really sleek ponytail. Following this, I use the hairspray to lock the hairs in and then attached extensions for the braid. To keep the hair on the braid in place, I used the paste. After braiding, I used the gel on her edges and sideburns to create a wave, and then she was ready to hit the float!"
Wispy Bun
To recreate Emma Stone's elegantly carefree bun, done by Mara Roszak, you'll want to start with natural-looking, voluminous hair. This spray provides moisture, shine, and just the right amount of texture to make it all that easier to throw into a bun.
