Evening, gala, New Year: the blow-dry that lasts to the end
Neat curls on arrival, soft waves at dawn.
By Manel, M BRUSH5 min read
N° 05
The occasions
The essentials
For a long evening, a gala or New Year's Eve, iron curls are the most hard-wearing finish: a voluminous blow-dry, then curls worked with an iron, more defined and longer-lasting than with a brush. They relax into waves over the course of the night instead of falling flat.
A long evening wears out a hairstyle faster than a week at the office: the heat of the room, the dancing, the embraces, then the cold on the way out.
To last right to the end, you need a finish with some staying power. That is the role of iron curls, whose curls start out crisp and end as waves, without ever falling flat.
What wears out a blow-dry in the evening
Before choosing a finish, you need to know the enemy. Over an evening, five things attack the shape:
- The heat of a packed room, which gently relaxes the root.
- Sweat, especially at the nape and on the forehead when you dance.
- Hands, yours and everyone else's, which crush the volume with every embrace.
- The coat, whose collar rubs against the ends on arrival and on leaving.
- The shift from hot to cold, which makes hair sensitive to humidity swell.
A hairstyle that is already relaxed when it starts has no margin left against all this. A hairstyle that starts out well defined can afford to lose a little of its definition.
Why iron curls
The iron curl blow-dry is done in two stages. First a voluminous blow-dry: the root is lifted, the body worked with a round brush. Then the curls are worked with an iron, section by section, and cool in their shape.
It is the most elaborate finish on the menu, and for an evening it has three advantages:
- It has staying power. Its curls are more defined and longer-lasting than with a brush. As they lose a little of their spring, they become waves, not flat hair.
- It stands up to dancing. Movement is part of the hairstyle: a curl that moves is still a curl.
- It photographs well at any hour, under flash as under low light.
For a quieter evening, a seated dinner or a show, brush curls give softer curls with a more natural result. Both curl finishes take a little longer than the others.
Gala, dinner, New Year
The gala
Long dress, carefully designed lighting, official photos: this is the evening where iron curls are most in their element. Wear the curls loose on the shoulders, or brought to one side to reveal an earring.
The dinner that goes on
A dinner followed by a drink and then dancing is the most demanding situation. Choose iron curls and pack the emergency pouch described below.
New Year's Eve
The night of 31 December adds one difficulty: going out at midnight. In Lausanne there is no official fireworks display; the tradition is the lighting of the cathedral, with light displays on the belfry and a celebration on the esplanade.
If you go up, you will move from hot to cold, sometimes in the bise. A large silk scarf placed over the head, rather than a hat, protects without crushing.
Our article on Lausanne moments that deserve a blow-dry gathers other end-of-year dates.
The emergency pouch
In an evening bag there is no room for a full kit. Four objects are enough:
- Two flat clips without teeth, to pin the hair up during dinner or to reshape a curl.
- A fabric hair tie, for a last-minute half-ponytail if the room gets very hot.
- A small wide-tooth comb, to loosen without breaking the curls.
- A silk scarf for going out.
A good evening hairstyle does not try to stay intact: it changes with the night, and stays beautiful at every hour.
What is best avoided
- Brushing the curls. A brush turns them into a cloud. Use your fingers or a wide-tooth comb.
- Adding hairspray by the handful mid-evening. It sets the curls in clumps and makes them brittle. A light veil, from a distance, if really necessary.
- Applying an oil to "add shine" on the way: it weighs down the root for the rest of the night.
- A tight hat on the way out, which crushes the root within minutes.
The next morning
An evening hairstyle can still serve the next day. Before sleeping, gather the hair into a loose bun on top of the head, held with a silk tie, and rest your head on a silk or satin pillowcase. The details are in our article on making your blow-dry last the night.
On waking, undo the bun, shake the root with your fingertips and reshape two or three curls around the face. To go further, our guide to reviving your blow-dry on the second day sets out the method.
Book before the evening
Have your blow-dry done the same day, ideally at the end of the day if your slot allows. Iron curls take a little longer: allow some margin so you can get dressed calmly afterwards.
Booking is done online: your length, your finish, a free slot. No deposit is required: everything is paid on site, in cash or by TWINT.
Come with clean hair, without oil, serum or styling product. In December, everyone's diary fills up quickly: book as soon as your evening is fixed.
Is your invitation on the table? Book your iron curls and dance without a thought.
Frequently asked questions
- Which hairstyle lasts a whole evening?
- Curls made with an iron after a voluminous blow-dry are among the most hard-wearing: as they relax, they become waves instead of falling flat.
- How do you stop your curls dropping during an evening?
- Do not brush them, avoid touching them, and reshape a tired curl by winding it around your fingers for a few moments. A flat clip helps pin the hair up during dinner.
- Should you have your blow-dry done the day before a celebration?
- It is better to have it done the same day, for an evening that long. A blow-dry from the day before has already been through a night, and it will have less staying power by the end of the celebration.
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