Valentine’s Day can be about so much more than just romance. It’s an excuse to toast to significant others, friends, beloved pets, plants you’ve managed to keep alive, even your favorite beauty products. Anything you love is on the docket for a little TLC come February. No matter the who, what, or how, celebrating love of any kind is cause for putting on a look, and there’s plenty of Valentine’s Day hair inspiration to fit every love-filled occasion.
Of course, there’s the inclination to keep things romantic or “date-appropriate,” which might be your vibe this year, but there’s no need to box yourself in like that. Valentine’s Day is an excuse to go for it and be a rom-com main character for the day. Our experts shared their secrets for pulling off woke-up-like-this styles, red-carpet-inspired glamour, and everything in between.
With the help of a few hairstylists, we gathered up Valentine’s Day hair looks that work for anything the day may have in store for you. And by anything we mean an actual IRL date, a Facetime kickback, brunch with friends, or even dancing alone—whatever celebrating love means to you, do it, and do it with dreamy hair.
Ahead, expert-picked Valentine’s Day hair looks that you don’t require a salon visit or lasting commitment. What’s not to love about that?
1
Smooth and Centered
“Super long, sleek, straight icon hair is having a major moment right now,” says celebrity hairstylist Clariss Rubenstein. To get this look, Rubenstein divided the hair into half-inch sections before running a paddle brush through the hair and flat ironing it. This is a no-hairs-out-of-place situation, so she recommends using a finishing spray to catch pesky flyaways and add shine. Pair this technique with a Gen-Z approved middle part and you’re well on your way to channeling 90s era Cher.
2
Effortless Dimension
With a couple of simple tricks, you too can look like you just danced through a field of flowers with your lover à la a perfume ad. Rubenstein’s tip for creating movement without looking like you tried too hard is to use a medium or large curling iron to create soft curls in different directions. “I don’t spend a lot of time on each section because the intention is to give hair some movement and dimension, not to create actual curls,” added Rubenstein. This technique is great for adding volume to straight hair that prefers to lay flat, or zhuzhing up naturally wavy or curly hair to make it more special occasion. Mussing up hair with a texture spray at the end will make sure it doesn’t look too perfect.
3
Bombshell Blowout
We would all love to walk around with a Jennifer Lopez-esque lion’s mane at all times, but that’s simply not realistic for after-work grocery store runs. But, if you can’t go full J. Lo on Valentine’s Day, when can you?
To create big loose waves, Giovanni Vaccaro, co-founder and chief brand officer at Glamsquad, suggests using hot rollers on freshly blow-dried hair to lock in as much volume as humanly possible. “With mega volume and bouncy, polished ends, this style is perfect for any special occasion, especially Valentine’s Day,” he added. Don’t forget to lock it all in with a strong-hold hairspray.
4
Bouncy Coils
Valentine’s Day as a day to celebrate romantic love only is so early aughts. Let’s expand our definition of who and what deserves all the love this year, starting with natural hair. Vacarro recommends using a leave-in styling cream to hydrate and define your curl pattern, like the Curl Charisma Leave-In Defining Creme from Briogeo. Let your curls be their best, bounciest ever this year.
5
Romantic Pony
The possibilities for having your hair up and still looking flirty and fun are frankly, endless, but here’s some inspiration to get you started. For a polished look, Vaccaro recommends pulling flat ironed hair into a ponytail, brushing after to smooth everything out, and adding a shine spray to top it all off. You can also go classic French girl and shake it out, tie it back, and pull out a couple of face-framing pieces.
6
Wavy Baby
Clayton Hawkins, hairstylist to Jenna Ortega and Olivia Rodrigo, and Tangle Teezer brand ambassador, also shared some tips for making sure you’ll be a tousled wavy baby all night long. “Opt for a smaller barrel curling iron than you usually use and wrap around small sections of your hair early in the day,” advises Hawkins. “Spray with tons of texture spray and let them fall into this beautiful romantic texture by the end of the day!” By starting with a slightly tighter curl, each will fall into the perfect nonchalant wave as they naturally loosen throughout the day. And in this case, the messier-looking, the better.
7
Volume for Days
Big hair isn’t for the faint of heart, but we highly suggest taking up some space this Valentine’s Day by using a diffuser to dry, add major volume, and define your curls. Start with your curl-defining essentials and then diffuse hair dry. “Then go through with your fingers and pull apart each curl gently for maximum volume,” advises Hawkins. This look works for long and short curls alike and it’s a showstopper. If you’re looking to get all the heart-eye emojis dropped on your feed, these voluminous coils are a no-brainer.
8
Accent Pieces
Hawkins dressed up this tousled ponytail on actress and singer Dove Cameron with a black ribbon tied into a big bow. The velvet fabric adds a romantic element to a simple pony with a hint of spice. You can also wear the accessory like a headband à la Audrey in the new Gossip Girl or Blair in the original version of the show.
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