Easy Thanksgiving Looks

Thanksgiving is only two weeks away! While you're planning the menu to host or just the side dish you're going to bring, maybe you're also ready to plan your look. This week, we're bringing you easy Thanksgiving looks for hair, nails, and makeup. (Find your beauty timeline here to look your best for big events.)

Thanksgiving Hair Looks

Whether you want to dress to impress or simply look pulled together, these easy Thanksgiving hairstyles have you covered, and don't involve a lot of effort. (Find more easy hairstyles and beauty routines here.)

Updos:

• Sleek ponytail: Always a classic! Straighten your hair and pull it into a high or medium-high ponytail. Make sure flyaways are slicked back and stay down with hairspray or wax. Make it a little extra with a headband or hairclip.

• Voluminous ponytail: On the opposite end of the ponytail spectrum, lean into your hair's natural texture. Keep the front slicked back and let your curls take center stage in the ponytail. Add a bow to feel a little fancy.

• Loose ponytail: Create your usual ponytail, add some waves or texture, and leave a few pieces framing your face for a little extra fancy.

• Bubble pony: Easy, quick, and sophisticated, start by pulling your hair in a high pony and slicking it back. Add elastics down the ponytail every few inches and pull to create the "bubble". Tie bows or use colored elastics for a festive touch.

• Pigtail twists: A little playful and unexpected, this look starts with a severe center part. Pull your hair up into high pigtails and slick your strands with a pomade or hair wax. Divide one pigtail into two sections, then start twisting and secure the ends. Do the same for the other side, and finish off with lots of hairspray.

• Looped pigtails: Pop your hair into low pigtails, braid them, and loop the ends back around to the top of the pigtail. Add bows or a festive ribbon.

• Wispy topknot: Pull your hair up into a bun, keeping your hair fairly slicked back. Pull a few face-framing pieces free to create the wispiness, so you look put together but not too severe.

• Spiky bun: For a perfect '00s hairstyle, pull your hair back into a bun at the center of your head, keeping everything slicked back. Fan the ends out around the bun and spike them with a little pomade or gel.

• High curls: Use your natural curls or create big curls with a curling iron and pile your hair up on top of your head, in a messy bun, claw clip, or ponytail. Leave a few strands around your face for a soft, romantic look.

• Braided crown: Another soft, romantic look! Separate your hair into two pigtails, braid them, and secure them on the top of your head. Tug pieces loose to frame your face and pull lightly at the braids so they don't look perfect.

Down:

• Textured waves: Use a small barrel curling iron to create tight waves around the face, then a larger one to create a wave pattern in the rest of your hair. Brush them out and spritz with a little hairspray for a look that's perfectly undone.

• Flipped bob: Short hair? Flip the ends up and keep the rest of your hair straight, then tuck the front behind your ears for a chic, yet casual look.

• Glam half-up: Pull your hair half-up, using either an elastic or a fun clip (or even a small claw clip), create loose waves, and pull a few pieces out in the front. If you have naturally curly hair, lean into your natural texture.

• Half up with volume: Tease the crown of your head to add extra volume, or braid hair on each side of your head, wrap it around the back, and secure with a pretty clip.

• Full braid: A big, voluminous braid goes well with a pretty sweater or dress. Use lots of texturizer to create the volume you need before braiding.

• Classic braids: What could be easier than braided pigtails? Part your hair down the center (don't worry about it being too perfect or severe), braid, and secure. Tug lightly at each braid so it's imperfect, and add beads or bows on the ends and you're all set.

• French braids: A single or double French braid is an easy way to look polished and put together at the Thanksgiving table.

• Blowout: Choose whether you want your hair sleeky or curly and add a statement headband. Easy!

• '70s volume: Keep your hair long and straight (or add some beachy waves) and add some face-framing '70s style waves. Blow dry with a round brush and use rollers around the face for extra volume.

• Baby braids: Your hair can be curly or straight for this style. Create two small braids framing your face as you leave the rest of your hair alone for another '00s look.

• Pigtails: Yes, you can keep them from looking too young. The secret to sophisticated pigtails is to wear them low and add lots of texture.

Thanksgiving Makeup Looks

You may not have much time to spend on your makeup routine but want to look put together for Thanksgiving. Here are some ideas to help you look fabulous without a lot of fuss. You can mix and match the ideas that work best for you.

Start here:

• Prep and prime: After following your regular morning skincare routine, (Need a routine? Get help here.) use a grippy or long-lasting makeup primer. Your makeup is in for a long day, whether you're traveling or in the kitchen, so give it a little extra staying power with a long-lasting primer.

• Build your base: Choose your coverage--tinted hydrator, BB cream, long-wear foundation. Consider adding bronzing or illuminating drops to your foundation to give your skin a little extra glow for the holiday. Add concealer wherever you feel you need it.

Now, pick the look that works best for your celebration. Choose your adventure:

• Soft golden glow: This one's all about the eyes: Sweep gold eyeshadow across your lids, line your eyes with some smudgy black liner, and finish with mascara. Mix some glow drops in with your foundation, and use your favorite blush or bronzer. Add a glossy neutral lip, and you're good to go!

• Pretty periwinkle: Sweep a shimmery light purple or blue eyeshadow across your lids (alternatively, use any light purple or blue shadow and top with iridescent glitter) and line your eyes with a soft purple color (gray or brown also work if you want more definition). Use a full-coverage foundation, a neutral blush, and a matte nude lipstick for big impact.

• Soft glam: Your favorite foundation and bronzer as blush make the perfect base. Well shaped, filled-in brows help create part of the statement. Use neutral, brown and umber-toned eyeshadows plus fake lashes or your favorite mascara, and a glossy brown or nude lipstick.

• Golden olive: An illuminating base works best with this look, so mix in some glow drops with your favorite foundation. Use olive green tones in your eye look, topped with golden sparkles in the center of your lid. Keep your blush neutral and finish with a glossy nude lip.

• Pretty pink: This flirty and fresh look is guaranteed to be a hit. Start with your favorite foundation and sweep a little pink blush across your cheekbones. Play with your favorite pink tones in your eyeshadow, and make sure your brows are filled in and defined. Top it off with a soft matte mauve lipstick, and you're good to go!

• Sultry sienna: Add some bronzing drops to your foundation and sweep a terracotta blush across your cheeks (or use your favorite bronzer). Play with bronze tones on your eyes, and finish with a glossy terracotta lip.

• Subtle autumn glow: Add illuminating drops to your foundation to give your skin a subtle glow, and use your favorite light blush. Keep your eyeshadow colors autumnal (bronze, deep green, orange, gold), and pair with a glossy nude lip for a glowy look that's all about the eyes.

• Fiery fall look: This Thanksgiving, be inspired by the colors of the leaves on the trees and pull out those orange, red, brown, and gold eyeshadows. Create a colorful look on your eyes, anchor it with mascara or false lashes, and finish with a soft matte lip.

• Soft glow: Add illuminating drops to your foundation to give your skin a nice glow. Pair it with soft contour, soft eye makeup, and dramatic lashes for a pretty look that can transition from day to night, depending on what the holiday calls for.

• The classic: Pair soft eyeshadow and black eyeliner with red lipstick for a classic holiday look.

• Peachy glow: Add illuminating drops to your foundation for an all-over glow. Use peach and brown eyeshadows to create a peachy look and pair with flushed cheeks and a nude lip.

• Some like it matte: Think latte-inspired makeup with brown and bronze toned eyeshadow, dramatic eyelashes, flushed cheeks, and matte brown lipstick.

• Marigold: The eyes and lips work together on this one, so keep everything else understated. Sweep a bright yellow (or as yellow as you are comfortable with) eyeshadow all across your lids, ending in a wing shape, and edge it in black winged liner. Use a bold burgundy lipstick for an edgy, fun look.

• Sweet and subtle: Use your favorite foundation, blush, and eyeshadows. Add a little winged eyeliner and frame your lower lashes in brown. Finish the look with a peach or nude lipstick for a soft, romantic look.

• Pumpkin spice: Wear everyone's favorite latte as a makeup look! Use your favorite orange-toned eyeshadows, orange or bronze blush, and matte terracotta lipstick for a playful, seasonally-appropriate look.

Thanksgiving Nail Looks

Hopefully, you'll have a little more time for your nails and can get those done a couple of days before your prep starts. If all else fails, nail polish strips or press-ons can save the day, but if you have the time to polish, here are our ideas for fabulous Thanksgiving nail looks:

Solid color ideas:

• Espresso brown: Glossy and dramatic, espresso brown is right at home at the Thanksgiving table.

• Monochrome brown gradient: Glossy or matte, try a brown skittle this Thanksgiving. Start with a dark espresso on the thumb and use a lighter brown for each finger until you have a pretty cream on your pinky.

• Gravy brown: Want something earthy but not too dark? Try a glossy, mushroom-y brown this holiday.

• Shimmery red: Can you ever go wrong with a shimmery red nail?

• Cranberry sauce red: A nail color reminiscent of the famous side dish, this red is deep and glossy.

• Moody red ombre: Start with a bright cherry red as your base, then swipe the tips with a darker red. Create the ombre look by blending both colors together and rolling it on your nails with a sponge (use a quick dry top coat before you do this).

• Moscow mule: Think bright, coppery nails that match everyone's favorite cocktail mug. Use a brown base topped with chrome powder, or an auburn base with copper and gold glitter for a similar effect.

• Pumpkin: Paint your nails a deep orange and top with your favorite shimmer.

• Olive green: Looks great on short and long nails alike, and a glossy olive green looks refreshing next to all the orange and brown.

• Holographic sage: Paint your nails sage green and top with chrome powder for a stunning, nail art-free manicure.

• Wine red French tips: Mix up the classic French tip by using wine red instead of white!

• Bright orange: Go bold! Paint your nails a bright orange; this looks good whether they're long or short.

• Rose gold: Elegant and classic, a rose-copper nail polish is very fall and very flattering on any nail length. Use a chrome powder or a coppery nail polish.

• Deep berry: A deep berry polish color topped with an iridescent sparkle is a perfect, yet unexpected Thanksgiving nail color.

• Shimmery white: A white nail color with a layer of sparkle is a refreshing, sophisticated fall manicure.

• Midnight blue: A rich color that's perfect for anyone tired of the earthy tones on the Thanksgiving table.

Nail art ideas:

• Maple leaves: Glossy brown nails except for the ring fingers. Paint your accent nail a sheer pink, top with chunky gold glitter or flecks, and tiny maple leaves in the same brown as your other nails.

• Chocolate ombre: Paint your nails a creamy white, then blend the white polish with a brown one to create an ombre French look. Paint the layers on a sponge, roll it on to your nails (pro tip: use a quick dry top coat before you do this), and use a clear shimmer to add a little extra sparkle.

• Latte brown and floral: Latte brown nails, then choose an accent nail. Paint it blush, then add tiny leaves and flowers in brown, terracotta, and orange.

• Gold floral: Deep chocolate brown French tips edged in gold, plus one accent nail (the same brown) with tiny flowers.

• Pink and brown floral: Alternate pink, brown, and burgundy on your nails, and use the same colors to paint '70s inspired florals scattered across your nails.

• Cappuccino nails: Use a cafe-au-lait base on all your nails, then use a dotting tool to place espresso brown diamond shapes on the nails as you see fit.

• Low-key leaves: Start with a blush polish base, then paint brown and gold leaf sprigs, one on each nail near the bottom or top, so there's lots of space but have some visual interest.

• Golden jewel tone: Use emerald, maroon, and sapphire on your nails and line the bases with a thin strip of gold. Create a cognac tortoiseshell pattern on the other two fingers.

• Vampy purple: Vampy purple fades into almost black at the tips, with a lavender aura in the center. Use a sponge to blend the colors and create the aura in the center.

• Pumpkin spice: A rust-brown base with orange French tips blended with gold glitter turn the infamous latte into the perfect Thanksgiving manicure.

• Sweet potato: Paint your nails a matte peachy orange and add a coppery curve along the base of your cuticle for some monochromatic interest.

• Thanksgiving hearts: Use a soft pink for your nail polish base, then paint stacked hearts in brown, rust, gold, and white vertically down your nails. Perfect Thanksgiving spirit without being sterotypical.

• Abstract art: Grab your brown, rust, gold, and white polishes and create some abstract art on a couple of your nails, bookended by solid rust or brown nails.

• Half-moon skittle: Every nail gets its own fall color palette, so choose five to ten of your favorite fall shades and jump in! Paint a nail cream and top it with a pumpkin half moon. Plum goes over caramel. Maroon over orange, and so on.

• Olive green and tortoiseshell: An unexpectedly cool combo. Paint some nails all olive, some all tortoiseshell, and split some in half horizontally for a funky fall manicure.

• Matte florals: Use a blush nail polish base and paint big abstract blobs, funky florals, and leaves in your favorite fall colors. Don't skip the matte top coat, as that's what makes this manicure different.

• Geometric: Cream-colored base plus angular wedges of orange and green on the tips create an unforgettable Thanksgiving look.

• Polka-dot brown: Use a cream-colored base and paint espresso brown French tips. Then use a caramel-colored polish to add funky dots scattered on the tips.

• Celestial French: Start with a creamy base, then paint your tips dark green or brown. Paint gold stars scattered on your nails with silver dots in the center.

• Simple stripes: Use a gray base and swipe a single maroon stripe horizontally across the middle of the nail.

• Glittery turkeys: Red and yellow nail polish alternated on most nails with a holographic topper. Paint your accent nail of choice brown and top it with the same holographic polish. Add some googly eyes, a beak, and a wattle for a cute Thanksgiving mani!

Need nails, hair, or makeup before the holidays? Give Salon Patrice a call at (815) 223-8643 to schedule an appointment or find a list of our services here.