If there's any time of the year when experimental hairstyles are welcome, it is during the festive season. And when talking about fun and risqué hairstyles, you cannot go far from the trendy Korean dos. Whether it was Irene Kim's ‘rainbow hair’ that took the fashion world by storm or the music band Blackpink’s Jennie's two-toned hair, they have made heads turn. If you’ve been looking for an excuse to change your hair ahead of the festive season, take this article as your calling.
To make it simple, Zee Zest asked celebrity hair expert and appliance brand, Dyson’s global ambassador - Sunwoo Kim, to share some Korean hairstyles that you can wear to any upcoming occasions with the latest launched next-generation Dyson Airwrap multi-styler, which is an updated version to the original Dyson Airwrap model launched in 2018.
Kim has been the hairstylist for some of South Korea's biggest celebrities such as Irene Kim, Go-Eun Kim, Min-young Park, Ye-ji Seo and Soo Joo Park.
The new Dyson includes a wide-tooth comb for curly and coiled hair, two round volumising brushes, and four smoothing brushes with hard and soft bristles. There’s also a more compact smoother that uses Enhanced Coanda airflow - which allows for air to be distributed more evenly and efficiently to help with flyaways.
For those of you who are looking for a reason to change your hairstyle for the festive season, here's how you can do so with the new Dyson and Kim’s guidance. These hairstyles are sure to take over your feed for the festive season:
1. Mermaid waves (soft)
If you're going to a party or hosting a dinner at home, you'll want a more polished take on the classic wave hairstyle. Plus, you want it to stay all night long and look great (and frizz-free) for all the photos. Enter: mermaid waves that are the modern-day version of the 2000s crimped hairstyle but in soft wavy patterns and appear effortlessly chic. These soft waves, whether Korean or not, are in for the season.
“Sectioning your hair is the most important to achieve consistent waves across all hair strands. Section off hair into the top and bottom, then separate strands into the left and right side,” cautions Sunwoo. Here’s how he advises how to do it using the new Dyson airwrap styling:
Steps to create the hairstyle:
1. First, start with towel-dried hair and apply your favourite styling product. Then comb mid-lengths and ends with a detangling comb to completely detangle your hair.
2. Next, attach the Coanda smoothing dryer and select the drying mode. Choose the high speed and medium heat and pre-dry your hair to 80 percent. Don’t forget to divide your hair into two sections after dying your hair.
3. Now to create those gorgeous soft curls, use the 30mm long barrel (curler) and set the airflow direction to curl away from the left side of your face. Starting with the bottom half of the left section, wrap a small piece of hair around the barrel, leaving out the ends and hold it.
4. Next, set your curl with the cold shot for 5-10 seconds and slowly release the curl. Repeat the same on the top left section.
5. For the right half of your hair change the airflow direction and repeat on the bottom right section and top right section. Lastly, separate the curls with a detangling comb and you are left with gorgeously soft Mermaid waves.
Our word of advice: To achieve those effortless curls have your hair lightly straightened if it is already curly or on the dry side. Dyson’s upgraded paddle brushes can help transform curly, frizzy hair into straight strands. Make sure your hair is towel dried and mildly wet.
2. Retro blowout
Bouncy, polished ’90s blowout vibes are having a moment once again. A voluminous, polished blowout is the perfect way to showcase your gorgeous locks ahead of the festive season. It's also pretty easy to DIY, you can replicate the look at home. Sunwoo advises the following steps-
Steps to create the hairstyle:
1. Firstly, start with clean, wet hair and apply your favourite styling product. Then comb mid-lengths and ends with a detangling comb to completely detangle your hair.
2. Next, attach the Coanda smoothing dryer and select the drying mode. Choose high speed and medium heat and pre-dry your hair to 80% dry. Don’t forget to section your hair into two after dying your hair.
3. To add volume to your hair, use the round volumising brush and choose medium speed and medium heat. Next, place the brush under the first section and lift the hair (more height adds maximum volume) and roll it up from the tips. Let it dry for a few seconds.
4. When dry, set the hair with the cold shot for 5-10 seconds. Roll section with hand and secure with a clip. Now roll the front section up and away from the face, leave the hair to set and remove the clips.
5. Finish off by combing through with a detangling comb and you’re all set to rock this classic retro blowout.
Our word of advice: The Next Generation Dyson is probably the best styling tool out there to add volume to your hair in a jiffy. If this is your first time using Dyson's styling equipment, this is also the easiest hairstyle you can achieve. Make sure to make your brush movement from the top, hold the brush at the roots to add volume and then work toward the ends, using the brush to pull hair forward and out for the added bounce. However, if you have frizzy hair, tame the texture of your frizz with a good bit of hair serum before you get started.
3. Mid-parted, sleek hair
Centre-parted hairstyle is an easy and chic hairstyle to wear to elevate your everyday look. The hairstyle counts its fans in the east and west alike. Exuding ease, simplicity and giving more definition to your face. This is how Sunwoo guides to create this sharp look:
Steps to create the hairstyle:
1. Firstly, start with clean, wet hair and apply your favourite styling product. Then comb mid-lengths and ends with a detangling comb to completely detangle your hair.
2. Next, create an off-centre parting and divide your hair into sections.
3. Attach the soft smoothing brush and choose the medium speed and heat. Using the brush, start combing through the bottom left section of your hair and smoothen from root to tip until dry.
4. Repeat the same on other sections of your hair.
5. Next, use the Coanda smoothing dryer which is a multi-functional attachment to smooth and hide flyaways.
6. Select the smoothing mode and choose the high speed and low heat. Start at the front left of the parting and smooth down the full length and repeat around the head.
Our word of advice: If you already have straight hair and want a little lift-off on the crown, the round volumising brush can help in the front section. Those with curly frizzy hair may not be rendered with sleek straight hair and may have to undergo numerous brush strokes, although they may still have a few curls crippled, more like crippled straight hair. Applying a mousse or gel and then brushing the hair to pull them back is advisable.