Festival Hair Series: Europe

It’s time to get out your flower crowns and glitter, girls, because the festival season is upon us! Now that it’s officially June, summer is here, and it’s sure to go out with a bang. With your suitcase packed full of crop tops, dresses and vintage band tees, you’re finally prepared to see your favourite acts and gigs at the festival of your choice. Cloudless skies, cold beverages, and partying until the a.m. is all you have to look forward to while basking in the warm weather. You’ve got your outfits all sorted, but now it’s time to talk hair.

This year there are a wild assortment of festivals, which means the possible hairstyles to choose from are limitless! Here at BriaHair, we’ll show you all the amazing ways you can style your locks and let your hair down … or up! Welcome to part one of the festival hair series. In this segment, we venture into the amazing festivals touching down in Europe. As multicultural as this continent is, all of its events differ in both style, music and vibe, earning an array of festival enthusiasts and party-goers alike.

Glastonbury Festival: Denim, Waves and Braids

First let’s take a look at one of the UK’s longest-running festival’s to date. Glastonbury is known for hosting the biggest performers every year, with an astounding turnout of around 175,000. Every genre across the spectrum is embraced on the famous Pyramid Stage, and other attractions in the festival prove to be an immersive theatre-like spectacle for everyone to enjoy. Whether you’re into rock, house, pop, techno, drum ‘n’ bass, or R&B, you’ll love your stay at Glastonbury. This year the festival takes place at Pilton, Somerset, June 21st – 25th, 2017.

We know it’s officially summer, but, ladies, wellies are essential for this one! You won’t get the full Glastonbury experience without feeling a trickle of rain here and there, even on the sunniest of days. The most suitable look for this type of unpredictable weather are denim overalls/dungarees to match your coloured wellies. And if there isn’t any rain? Some espadrilles will add some flair to your outfit. Alternatively, light denim jeans with a casual tee, or high-waisted shorts and a crop top would be a great place to start.

At BriaHair, we love braids for its complex-looking style. The great thing about braids and cornrows are its versatility, as you can control the thickness, the position and the pattern. For this event, rain is inevitable, so rocking your wavy locks with a braid here and there is the best way to achieve that simple, yet chic look. Our top pick is the half braid, half leave out style. This can easily be achieved by braiding parts of the hair back and clipping it in place at the centre of the head, then leaving the lower half down to create an endless, flowing look. The braids will keep the hair out of the face, which is ideal for both warm and wet weather. Using styling spray will tame any flyaways and add a bit of shine to the mix. If you want to go for a more crazy plait, build the braid and gently pull pieces apart with your fingers. It’s possible to grab a texturizing paste and roughing up the braid for extra volume; sometimes, messier is better. Here, no one fusses over their appearance much, as long as they’re enjoying the music! Also you can always add some Hair Extensions if you want to add extra thickness & length to your look. x

 Fresh Island Festival: Buns, Glitter, and Flowers

Moving onto Croatia’s number one urban music festival, Fresh Island is literally what it says on the tin: bringing forth all hip-hop, rap and R&B fans to the one of the freshest sunny shores of Novalja’s Zrće Beach. Known as Europe’s most renowned event, Fresh Island features international superstars, a sun-drenched atmosphere and poolside dancing. This event is nothing but nonstop partying and late-night drinking, a chance for you to let loose and whip your hair back and forth, taking place at Novalja, Croatia, July 11th – 13th, 2017.

Other than the chilled vibes and exciting line-ups, festival-goers would do well to have the flashiest hairstyles to match such a tropical landscape. Glitter, flowers, and lots of pastel colours! These three elements make for the ultimate party look. We know, we know, the flower crown is the most obvious and played out trick in the book, but throw some glitter and floral accessories into mix and you’ve effortlessly upgraded from hippie to princess. The whole style is pretty Coachella-esque, but floral crowns are the traditional centrepiece of festivals, it’s almost mandatory at this point. We love the many styles that flower crowns go with, but we’ve picked our favourite! Pinning a cute chignon at the back of the head can keep all the hair out of the way, especially if you’re blessed with long locks. Sometimes you want to go wild and have fun, but your hair can get in the way. Adding a flower crown with tea roses or carnations attached gives a more classical look, the perfect juxtaposition of a party girl with a royal hairstyle.

If you want to opt for a more glamorous look, a simple trick of parting the hair (preferably into two high buns) and applying glitter on the parting really does the trick. Festival’s are the place where you can feel your best, so if you aspire to be a fairy, now’s your chance! The best thing about glitter is that it can be applied anywhere, so if you want to dunk your ponytail into some glitter, then by all means, go ahead. You’ll get plenty compliments for it. The high-bun style with a glittered parting amplifies the colour of your hair, no matter the colour or texture, making the roots appear almost magical adhering to the colourful theme of Fresh Island. Along with this, using hair chalk or spray for a temporary glamorous colour will surely make you stand out in the crowd, especially if you choose a brighter pastel colour. This is a more modern method than the dip dye we’ve seen at Coachella in the past. Now you’ve got your candyfloss hair with glitter sprinkled all over with a flower crown to match. Toss your hair up (or back) and you’re set.

Afropunk Festival: Afros, Braids and Headwraps

Look around you at the elegant city that is Paris. Now we’ve reached our last destination, and it’s sure to be a good one. Calling all enthusiasts to one of the greatest afrocentric events of the season! AfroPunk Fest is a cultural movement that celebrates empowerment, individuality and diversity. This festival holds a more powerful meaning, embracing urban and soul music as well as visual artistry and performance. Promoting roots in the black community and culture, AfroPunk welcomes a myriad of new music and styles for everyone to enjoy. The popularity of this event has resulted in an expansion reaching locations such as New York, Atlanta, Paris and London. This year’s event will take place in Paris, France, 15th – 16th July, 2017.

Completely different from the others in its category, Afropunk features hair and styles that celebrate black culture. These styles can range from a wild afro, to braids, to straight and sleek, to headwraps — everything is acceptable, as long as the culture is appreciated in the process! This niche event consists of lots of funky retro styles, bright colours, and aztec patterns to suit the deep theme. Festival-goers tend to use face paint and neon colours to complete their style.

With culture comes an assortment of styles and colours. At AfroPunk, no two people will be dressed the same, and that’s because of the many tees, flared pants, denim jackets, overalls, and accessories that are available for this kind of event. Here at BriaHair we love the afro look, and it’s only a matter of letting your hair loose and allowing it to puff up for a change. Those with coarse and kinky hair will love this, as it gives you a chance to let your hair slay in it’s purest, most natural, state. Aside from this, ladies who appreciate a protective style can opt for coloured braids, a great alternative for those who want a temporary bolder hair colour. Whichever you chose, be sure to keep the hair moisturised, as we all know, it can get hot!

Lastly, we have the glory of the headwrap, another protective style that enables you to keep your hair safely packed into a bun, while you rock a scarf full of eccentric colours and patterns. This is a growing trend in parts of Europe and Africa, not to mention trendy and retro. Wrap your favourite scarf around your high bun and flaunt your best hoop earrings, you’ll be sure to fit in.

Maybe three festivals just aren’t enough for you and you want to experience more! If that’s the case, don’t forget to check out these events, too.

Here are BriaHair’s honourable mentions:

Wireless Festival – London, UK (7-9 July 2017)

Lovebox Festival – London, UK (14-15 July 2017)

Ultra Europe – Split, Croatia (14-16 July 2017)

Tomorrowland – Boom, Belgium (21-30 July 2017)

Sziget Festival – Budapest, Hungary (9-16 August 2017)

Bestival – Isle of Wight, UK (7-10 September 2017)

And there you have it! We hope you’ve enjoyed part one of the Festival Hair series and have picked up some tips on hairstyles for the warm season. Be sure to send us in any pics of any style you wish to try out, and let us know your favourites in the comments below. Until next time, ladies!

info@briahair.com      www.briahair.com

Written by:  Deborah Lewis