Your go-to ponytail is getting a sleek makeover for the new year. Danilo says you can wear it low, knotted, or braided, but the key is that it looks shiny. "There's a new finished look to the hair that has a beautiful, touchable sheen," he says. If you're not a fan of the deep side part, Danilo says you can part your hair in the center, or wherever else you feel comfortable. Then tie your hair into a low ponytail. Take a 1/2-inch section of hair and wrap it around the elastic, pinning the ends in. Finish by smoothing down any frizz or split-ends with a cream like Pantene Advanced+ Keratin Repair Split-End Fuser, $12.99. It temporarily fuses any split-ends to give you a clean finish.
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Sleek, wavy blowout
If you don't want to fork over $40 on a professional blowout, you can get the same smooth look at home. But, Danilo says to be careful: "People often burn their hair when leaving the blow dryer on one section for too long." The key is to have state-of-the-art tools, he says. Invest in a tourmaline or infrared blow dryer, which has "components that'll protect your hair and dry it faster."
Make sure to apply a leave-in conditioner, like Pantene Aqua Light Weightless Conditioning Shake Spray, $6.99, to damp hair. Then, brush your hair upside down while using the blow dryer. "Once dry, I just go through the hair with a 2-inch curling iron, which replicates the look of blowing your hair out with a huge round brush."
You only want to heat up the iron up to two-thirds of its temperature range. Even though the tool can get hotter, Danilo doesn't recommend going all the way up. "If you were to put the tool on your skin, you'd see just how hot this stuff is," he says.
While summer was about intricate braided updos, beachy waves, and sun-kissed highlights, winter's reigning trend is simplicity. "The overall movement we're seeing is wearable hair that doesn't have any complexity," says Danilo, Pantene's celebrity hairstylist. "It may have some twists and turns, but overall the presentation is easy, simple hair."
But to pull off the latest trends, Danilo says you first need to have healthy hair. "A lot of this season's trends incorporate long hair and hot tools. So you want to have a good foundation that can hold up to the heat," he says. "Skin regenerates but hair needs all the help it can get to keep it from snapping."
So he recommends using moisturizing hair care products that can recoup even the coarsest, damaged hair, like the new Pantene Advanced+ Keratin Repair line. Having healthy hair is especially important now, says Danilo. "This season's new styles all highlight healthy, shiny hair." Want to see the new styles of winter? Read on.
