3 Fun & Easy Festival Styles Inspired by All The ~Lewks~ We Saw at Splendour
Herbal Essences bio:renew is crafted with a blend of essential antioxidant, aloe and sea kelp
Ahh, Splendour. Australia’s favourite weekender is always full of fine festival fashion, photo-taking opportunities, and music.
Splendour tends to uncover some pretty quirky fashion, make-up, and hair trends and, this year, it didn’t disappoint. From braids to space buns and afros – there wasn’t a hairstyle we didn’t see.
We asked Leon Swithenbank, owner and head stylist at Viva on Beaufort, how to pull off some of the most bangin’ ~lewks~ we saw at Herbal Essences’ fabulous Splendour style bar, which saw stylists use their antioxidant-filled Bio:Renew haircare range to churn out all kinds of ‘dos for the duration of the festival.
Braids
If you’re partial to cutting some shapes in the mosh, braids are your go-to festival hairstyle. No knots, no hair stuck to your face, no fuss.
When it comes to braiding, “volume and texture are everything,” says Swithenbank. “Braids don’t have to be perfect. They can be kind of edgy, cool, messy.”
Read: the messier the braid, the better.
To avoid looking like a grade five school girl on photo day, Swithenbank suggests making friends with a good quality volumising powder. The powder will give your hair volume (duh), but also adds texture and a bit of grit so your hair isn’t too slippery to work with.
Just pump some volumising powder through dry hair – focusing on the roots – before braiding. If you miss bits of hair or a part of the braid comes loose, don’t sweat it; the aim of the game is looking effortlessly undone.
If you like your braids more Kardashian than care-free, straighten the hair first, slather on a smoothing serum, and pull those braids tighter than your gym pants. For extra #fashun points, try braiding some coloured extensions or ribbon in with your natural hair.
Sleek & Straight
In theory, the sleek and straight ‘do is pretty easy to conquer. But, in reality, one teeny little run in with water can mean game over.
“For the perfect straight ‘do, you want the moisture out and the frizz down,” says Swithenbank.
To get your locks on the straight and narrow, use this fail-proof three-step method:
- Restore your hair’s smoothness by washing it with Herbal Essences bio:renew Golden Moringa Oil shampoo and conditioner, which is packed with good stuff (antioxidants that remove the build-up of free radicals and revive dull, lifeless hair) and none of the bad stuff (silicone, parabens and colourants)
- Then, apply a blow-drying lotion and blow drying it really straight with a paddle brush
- Go over your straightened locks with a lick of heat protector and a GHD
To keep your locks from looking like you stuck your finger in the electrical socket, carry a hairbrush and some anti-humidity spray in your handbag. Spritz some on and brush through throughout the day.
Oh, and avoid water at all costs.
Boho Waves
No splendor outfit is complete without glitter, those sunglasses you reserve just for festivals, and a head full of bouncy, boho waves. Are you even an #influencer if you don’t know how to do boho waves?
The secret to the perfect boho waves, like braids, is that “you don’t want them too neat – you actually want them a bit messy and a bit grungy.”
Swithenbank recommends starting with freshly washed hair (the whole Herbal Essences bio:renew collection is free from colourants, parabens, and gluten, so it’ll leave your hair proper fresh), then “use a GHD curling wand for the waves because it soft curls really nicely”.
“Then, set them with a blow-drying spray with hold, brush it through, and then spritz with some dry shampoo. It will give volume, texture and a little bit of hold.” Top your waves off with a floral hair wreath, and you couldn’t be more Insta-ready if you tried.
For all day long mermaid vibes, pop a pocket-sized bottle of dry shampoo and a wide-toothed comb in your bag. Naturally, the waves will flatten out a bit over the day (sad face), but raking through them with the comb and spritzing with some dry shampoo will keep putting the texture and body back in.
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(Images courtesy of Herbal Essences)
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Herbal Essences bio:renew has worked with the world’s leading plant authority, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, to develop an antioxidant hair-care range harnesses the power of nature and revolutionary science to bring your hair back to life. It’s also recognised as a cruelty-free brand by PETA, meaning you can feel good about preserving and protecting nature with every wash.