How to nail the hair tinsel trend this Christmas
Why decorate a Christmas tree, when you could be one?
If you thought that tinsel was just for decorating the Christmas tree come December, you can think again.
Introducing: Hair tinsel, a fun and glittery type of hair extension that’ll match your equally sparkly Christmas makeup this festive season.
Affectionately referred to as ‘fairy hair’ by the TikTok community, hair tinsel is the glittery hair accessory that makes the most sense during the silly season and Pride month.
Celebrities like Kacey Musgraves, Megan Thee Stallion and Beyonce have all tried hair tinsel and put their own personal flavour on the trend: Musgraves and Megan Thee Stallion have both tried rainbow glitter hair extensions in recent years, while Beyonce opted for subtle gold strands to compliment her honey blonde hair back in 2010 for the Grammy Awards.
Want to try hair tinsel? Here’s everything you need to know about the glittery hair trend…
How long does tinsel last in hair?
Hair tinsel usually lasts between one to two weeks, however the longevity of tinsel hair extensions depends on how gentle you are with them. Excessive brushing or tugging on the tinsel when you’re washing your hair can increase the likelihood of them falling out faster.
How much does tinsel hair cost?
Tinsel hair extensions are relatively inexpensive and usually retail for less than $20 per bundle of 120-150 tinsel hair strands. Most tinsel hair extension kits are easy to install, however if you’d rather get a hairdresser to install them the cost will vary based on their personal rates.
The best hair tinsel extensions
Lazy Rainbow Hair Tinsel ($6 at Larzy) / Sparkling Fairy Hair Tinsel ($11.99 at Amazon Australia) / Milk & Honey Heat Resistant Hair Tinsel ($14.99 at Milk & Honey)
Lazy Rainbow Hair Tinsel
Sparkling Fairy Hair Tinsel
Milk & Honey Heat Resistant Hair Tinsel
What not to do with hair tinsel?
Hair tinsel is made from plastic so it’s important to keep it away from heat styling tools like hair dryers, straighteners and curlers. The tinsel will melt, change shape or break if heat over 250 degrees celsius is applied directly to it. A hair tool with a low heat setting can be used on hair tinsel, but it’s important to make sure you don’t repeatedly apply heat to glitter extensions by going over the same area with a heated styling tool multiple times. Some hair tinsel is heat resistant but it is important to check individual product disclaimers before applying heat to glitter hair extensions.
How do you attach hair tinsel?
1/ First, brush and detangle your hair.
2/ Then, section the top third of your hair and tie it up.
3/ Fold your hair tinsel strand in half and loop it to create a slip knot with a hole large enough to fit a small section of hair (2-3mm) through.
4/ Pull a 2-3mm section of hair through the hole and tighten the slip knot at the base of the hair, where it touches the scalp.
5/ Double knot the tinsel to make sure the thread doesn’t fall out.
6/ Cut the end of the extension to match the ends of your own hair.
The year’s almost come to an end. December’s the time to try one of 2023’s trending nail looks.
Image credit: @giovannidelgado
Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).
