One of the most anticipated, yet short-lasting seasons is still lingering on, with the sweltering heat to follow. You’ve already experienced the fresh shores on the tropical island of Croatia, the overwhelming crowds in Somerset, and the enticing afrocentric atmosphere in Paris; but it doesn’t stop there. The heat is reaching its peak but you don’t have a care in the world, because there’s still lots to do!
Welcome to part two of the Festival Hair series, where we delve into the liveliest events spread all over the globe and uncover many exciting hairstyles that you can use to slay the day. Here at BriaHair, we care about your locks, so even on the hottest of days, you’ll be the centre of attention in a crowd full of thousands. Get ready for your next big adventure!
Nothing says fun like the good ol’ US-of-A, where anything goes, and all 50 states can be thoroughly explored no matter your interests. Similar to Europe, this massive continent is as multicultural as it gets, containing many different customs and ethnic groups to dominate the sphere. The number of festivals taking place is astounding this year, totalling over 1,000; religion, sports, music, LGBT, food and art festivals, you name it — it’s there. Since there are way too many to cover, we’ll focus on the music festivals, and what hairstyles to rock when you’re there. Let’s jump right into it, shall we?
Essence Festival: Dresses, Curls and Jeweller
Known as “the party with a purpose”, Essence is an annual music festival which started back in 1995 with an original goal to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence, a magazine aimed primarily toward African-American women. Bringing forth R&B and Hip-Hop royalty along with tons of rising talent and classic favourites, Essence is held in NOLA’s Superdrome and festival-goers can expect a stylish getaway weekend where everyone dresses to impress while singing along to their favourites of yesterday and today. This glamorous event takes place in New Orleans, Los Angeles, June 29th — July 2nd, 2017.
Similar to Afropunk, Essence Fest holds a positive meaning to a very large community. As it features many popular and classic artists, it’s no surprise that these event-goers would want to look their absolute best. It’s safe to say that anyone attending this festival will care the most about their looks. Being an indoor festival, it’s much easier to dress as if you were going to a concert; this means makeup, elegant dresses, and plenty of jewellery to add just that bit more glam to your outfit. Now ladies, no one is telling you to wear heels, but footwear is also important. You want everything to look stylish yet you want to make sure your feet are comfortable. A lovely flowing summer dress and gladiator sandals would be the perfect choice. Whatever style your dress is, it’s essential to wear matching jewellery; you might as well throw some shiny lip gloss in there for fun, too. You’re celebrating another year of success for one of the best magazines, after all, you gotta look on point!
With an elegant dress comes elegant hair to match. At BriaHair, we believe curls suit the glam look best. No matter your hair type, a curly hairstyle is easily attainable with the right curlers, and the longer, the better. Hair that cascades the shoulders in bending locks seems almost princess-like and exudes elegance. You want to show that lavish side of you, so wearing a glittery head-chain would work wonders for pushing that extravagant look as well.
We’ve spoken about the curls, but what style, exactly? Well, that’s completely up to you! All hairstyles look stunning with bouncy curls; especially the classic quiff and high ponytail would be one of many great choices. If you want that extra chic appearance, it’s always helpful to add some colour. We love the flowing balayage look. Highlighting the hair in which the dye is painted on to create a graduated, natural-looking effect will make you fit right in for this kind of luxurious event, you may even be treated like royalty. A way to keep these curls intact is using anti-frizz crème or oil hair spray. After all, this event is indoors; the last thing you want is a frizzy afro.
Burning Man Festival: Feathers, Bohemian, Freestyle
Anyone would jump at the chance to visit Las Vegas to take in the flashing lights, exciting shows, and 24-hour casino’s, but for this particular season, people are travelling far and wide to the sandy desert of Nevada for the Burning Man festival. Known as “an experiment in community, art, radical self-expression and self-reliance”, Burning Man gives festival-goers and all free spirits alike an artistic escape as opposed to a typical music festival. Each camper provides a service or performance for their space over the event. The main attraction is the famous annual burning of a large wooden statue, along with surprise performances, interactive sculptures and the chance to meet a large variety of like-minded people. This festival will be alight in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, August 27th – 4th September, 2017.
Given that the general theme of this festival is environmentally-friendly, Burning Man is the epitome of radical, encouraging its attendees to dress however they like. This freedom of expression usually means that festival-goers show as much skin as possible. Picture being barely clad in a sandy desert! Of course, that isn’t for everyone, so at BriaHair, we recommend the coolest outfit possible: denim cut-out shorts with a lace bandeau. This shoulder-less style suits any occasion, and is great for really warm weather. Add some lace-up sandals and dreamcatcher-style jewellery, and you’ve already got the Bohemian look down. You’re halfway there!
For such a free-spirited event, any hairstyle will do. This is a rare case where leaving your hair in its most natural state is best. Got shorter, thick hair? Leave it out. Got long, thinner hair? Throw it up in one, or layer it. There’s no limit to the types of hairstyles you can rock for this festival, as everyone chooses to express themselves differently. This event consists of people who are either over-the-top, or mild and casual — there’s no in between. It could be hard to match these outfits, so we’ve chosen our top versatile hairstyles. The simplistic middle parting with waves is the typical aesthetic of any festival. If you’re going for a Bohemian-esque look with plenty colours and patterns, this would be your best bet. Feel free to add a chain braid by twisting two small sections on either side of the head and pinning them at the back of your head in the centre. This creates a chain effects and acts almost like a crown. You can accentuate this look with floral accessories and a headpiece.
Speaking of headpieces, feathers are a general favourite among all festival-goers, almost as much as flower crowns. Not to be confused with a massive Native America headdress, feathers can be attached to a headband to hang over the back of the head, or it could be worn on your clothes as a necklace. They look best when the hair is worn down and pulled back behind the shoulders to create an everlasting flow of waves. Lastly, we love the low and loose ponytail. Neat enough to be stylish, but messy enough for Burning Man’s rebellious theme. For a wilder ponytail, braiding along the side of the head and packing it with the hair adds character, as well as back-combing the hair to thicken the strands. This style gets all the hairs out of the face and allows more focus for any face paints or facial accessories.
Budweiser Made in America: Buns, Bangs and Headbands
Are you ready for one of the largest-scaling festivals of the season? Founded by rapper, record producer and all-round business mogul, Jay-Z, Made in America is known for being a cultural celebration of bands from the states, along with artists on the rapper’s label. With famous Hip-Hop headliners, expansive music genre’s to explore and a thrilling vibe, who wouldn’t want to attend this event? The theme of the festival is to unite “like-minded people together” and “trade each others culture”, which is nothing but a positive stance, if you ask us! This festival is popping off in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 2nd – 3rd, 2017.
With such a bold theme in one of the proudest states, it’s only natural to rock the national red, white and blue. That’s right, crop tops and band tees will do well to match the flag and follow the theme of the festival. This is Made in America after all, so you need to flaunt those colours to the heavens! Dungaree shorts compliment crop tops the most, as you can wear them however you see fit. Many tend to leave the straps hanging to show diversity and style. Throw your favourite pumps or trainers in and you’ve got the perfect outfit. You’re in an environment where comfort comes first, especially when you’re standing up for hours on end, or jumping around to your favourite tunes, so rocking a comfortable, yet stylish look is key. However, your hairstyle is just as important as your patronage.
At BriaHair, we understand that the stifling weather and the masses of people will only make your hair sweat out, so why not throw it up in a bun or two? This style oozes simplicity, however it allows more focus on hair accessories and colours while simultaneously keeping your head cool. It’s time to bring out the headbands, ladies! If you’re able to snag an American-style headband, the bold primary colours of red, white and blue will add a lovely contrast to your hair, no matter what colour it is. We love the chic top bun look, and packing it on top of the head while keeping it secure with the headband adds to the retro look and theme. Other than the classical bun, having a couple of bangs is a cuter option, which frames the face and gives your look more flair. An alternative to one bun is adding a zig-zag to part the hair into two sections. Pastel colours and tight knot buns work well to get that clean look.
Other than these three, there are many other festival’s worth checking out in the US. Here are BriaHair’s honourable mentions:
FYF Fest – Exposition Park, Los Angeles (22-23 July)
Lollapalooza – Grant Park, Chicago (3-6 August 2017)
Afropunk Festival – Brooklyn, New York (26-27 August 2017)
Electric Zoo – Randal’s Island, New York (1-3 September 2017)
Austin City Limits Music Festival – Zilker Park, Austin (6-8;13-15 October 2017)
Ultra Music Festival – Miami, Florida (March 2018)
We’ve come to the end of part two of the series. We hope you’ve soaked up some more tips and tricks to look a little more dazzling at the festival of your choice. As always, make sure to comment below on your favourite look and send in any pictures of a style you’d love to rock. Adiós!
info@briahair.com www.briahair.com
Written by: Deborah Lewis
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