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Celebrities have been thriving on the red carpet this award season, starting in January at the Golden Globes, running through the Emmys, Grammys, BAFTAs and more, and we have been served LOOKS. Our thirst is finally quenched after several years of surfing a metaphorical desert of Covid and strike afflicted sparseness. 

Creativity, self-expression, drama and joy ruled the red carpet this season, with hair and makeup teams being a crucial part of the celebrity equation. The hottest (and most prevalent) trends? We’re here to run you through them. 

The best news is that while we can excitedly live vicariously through the celebrity looks we see flooding our social media feeds, thanks to the technology of industry leaders ghd, we can also replicate these trends at home.

It was only a matter of time until advances in technology gave us the ability to create red carpet worthy looks from the comfort of our own bedrooms, and the new ghd chronos styler has granted us just that. 

Extensive research and development at the brand’s Cambridge lab has identified 185 degrees as the perfect temperature to heat style hair to achieve long lasting (and high shine) results while maintaining its integrity and optimal health. Alongside this, ghd has also developed HD motion-responsive technology – a fancy algorithm that identifies how the tool is being used, to optimise heat consistency and power delivery to maintain that perfect temperature for incredibly fast and impactful results.

So, armed with our trusty ghd chronos styler on the eve of the Oscars, we tasked ghd NZ senior educator Michael Mendel with telling us how us mere mortals can achieve three key hair trends from the 2024 award season. 

We know the amount of work that goes into these seemingly effortless ‘dos, but Michael assures us that with the right equipment, anything is possible. Speaking of the right equipment, Michael advises the first step for all these looks is to freshly wash and dry your hair, followed by a spritz with the ghd heat protection bodyguard range that best suits your hair type: Bodyguard for coloured hair, fine hair or all hair types 

Soft waves 

“Turning the world into a red carpet with sexy soft waves is a hit at any time,” says Michael. As seen on Danielle Brooks, Taylor Swift and Margot Robbie at the Golden Globes, Suki Waterhouse at the Emmys, Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo at the Grammys.

1. Section the hair for even distribution of your chosen styling product. Using a paddle brush and hairdryer, dry the hair while using the brush to create a smooth finish.

2. Mist ghd curly ever after hold spray after into the hair from the roots to the ends. This lightweight spray will help to achieve up to 24 curl hold, while also protecting against heat damage.

3. Starting from the back of the head, create a horizontal section from one ear to the other – clip all up the hair above the ear, then create 1cm vertical sub-sections using the hair on the nape.

4. Place the ghd chronos styler vertically and rotate the styler away from the face, gliding it from roots until the ends in one motion. Keeping the sections and tool vertically will allow you to maintain the length, elongating the curl.

5. Repeat the steps and finish the look by brushing the hair with an oval dressing brush to soften the curls and form waves.

Messy bun 

“The fun messy bun with a touch of glitz and glam! Perfectly imperfect,” exclaims Michael. As seen on Natasha Lyonne, Selena Gomez, Billie Eilish and Lily Gladstone at the Golden Globes.

1. Section the hair for even distribution of your chosen styling product. Use a ghd detangling comb to help distribute product through the hair.

2. Use the soft waves technique above to prep the hair, or for a messier/undone look, alternate the sections rotating towards the face and away from the face. 

3. Clip away the front part of the hair (from the ears towards the face) and with the hair left at the back, create three equal horizontal sections.

4. Create three ponytails (hat elastic is great to secure it) and tie a knot in each ponytail as you would when tying your shoes. Remember to always retain tension to keep the hair together. Tie multiple knots depending on the hair length.

5. Use bobby-pins to secure the knots.

6. If the front part of the hair is too long, pick random bits of the hair, and pin it into the messy knot.

Textured ponytail

“Low, mid and high, sleek or texture ponytail this look is always the star,” says Michael. As seen on Taraji P. Henson and Riley Keough the Emmy Awards, Rachel Brosnahan, Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore at the Golden Globes 

1. Section the hair for even distribution of your chosen styling product. Use the ghd detangling comb to get your Bodyguard heat protection product through and blow dry the hair to get it smooth.

2. On the top of the head, section the hair from one side to the other (ear to ear) and clip both parts.

3. At the back, create a high ponytail and secure it, then add the front part of the hair into the ponytail, to create a secure and clean look. Use a ghd oval dressing brush to help you brush the hair and create the perfect tension on the sections.

4. Once the hair is secured, use ghd chronos styler to create texture on the ponytail.

5. Pick one layer of the hair and create the “S” wave bending the hair and tapping the styler, which will create a 'belly' on the section. 

6. Once you notice the piece taking the S shape, move down to the rest of the section. This technique will give a textured finish to the ponytail.

The ghd chronos styler is now in-store and online. To find the hair tool perfect for you visit ghdhair.com/nz/. And for more hair inspiration check out ghd on Instagram