Hairstylist Sarah Mills on Enhancing Your Natural Look for New Year's Eve

Sarah Mills is a British blessing to New York City’s high-end hairstyling circuit.  What sets the stylist apart from the city's frenzied and impersonal mini hairdressing empires is her warm, abode-style salon operation, intended to make you feel you are the most special person in the room. “I’m lucky to be able to work in a very intimate and personal way, and I like to think that makes a difference,” Mills says.

Unlike other frentic New York hair establishments that buzz with too-cool-for-school stylists, fervently pacing assistants, and colorists with furrowed brows, Mills’ Worth Street space in the Tribeca neighborhood is a decidely more relaxed setting, where clients sip and savor cups of green tea. “My clients can chat with me with no one else around, so I get to know them very well, and this helps me do my job better. What I give is more than just a good haircut. I try to make sure everyone leaves here on a positive note. It’s a very rare thing to say, but I love my clients,” explains Mills. Perhaps that’s why many of New York’s in-the-know creative types, financiers, and actors have had their manes tamed by Mills for years. Fellow Brit Agyness Deyn, for one, seeks Mills' inviting chair to be simultaneously charmed and beautified.

But don’t be fooled by the calming ambience, as the Manchester-born, Vidal Sasoon-trained Mills has scissor skills as mean as a boxer’s jabs. Mills doesn't believe in trends, instead taking a deeper, simpler approach. “I try to bring out my clients' truest selves, to give them a look they can manage on their own. This means a haircut that really works for them, so they’re not fighting with what's there naturally,” explains Mills.

Given her take on how hair is best styled, we sought Mills' advice on unfussy, yet uncompromisingly chic options for New Years Eve festivities. “I often find that when people are doing up-dos or party looks, they tend to overdo it on the product. Small amounts are all that is ever required. This gives the most modern look,” she offers. So ditch the complicated tresses of glorious Dynasty proportions, and pay attention to Mills'  lessons on how to ring in the new year in proper style.
 

Model Agyness Deyn at a movie screening, November 2009 (Photo by Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic) “What can I say? The hair itself is high drama! Agyness has her own unique style, one that’s edgy and a bit androgynous. When styling her hair, I apply Aveda Light Elements serum and blast it with the hair dryer. Then I put a little Elnett hair spray in my hands and run it through the hair for definition.”

Model Natasha Poly walking the runway at the Tommy Hilfiger Spring 2009, September 2008 (Photo by Fernanda Calfat/Getty Images) “I love this look. It’s so simple and elegant. To achieve it, add Bumble & Bumble Styling Lotion through the ends. Dry the hair with fingers and then take medium sections with a large curling iron and curl the hair starting from the ear down to the ends. Brush the hair on the top straight back and add a small amount of Bumble & Bumble Grooming Creme to smoothe the top out. Use the residue on the ends. Add a sleek hairband.”

Actress Jessica Alba at a charity event, October 2007 (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage) “I like the relaxed quality of this beautiful half up-do. Wash the hair with Aveda's Pure Abundance shampoo. It’s best not to use conditioner, as you need as much volume in the hair as possible. Add Bumble & Bumble Styling Lotion all the way through near the roots, then turn the head upside down and dry with the hands. Distribute a small amount of Bumble & Bumble Grooming Creme through the whole head. Using a medium curling iron, take sections starting from the bottom and curl the hair back off the face. For a more natural look, sections should be uneven. Take a rough section from ear to ear starting at the front, checking in the mirror for balance and height. With a whole section, twist once and pin, continuing through the back in this manner. It will be about three sections. A glimmering hair accessory at the nape of the neck makes a nice finishing touch.”
 

Actress Nicole Kidman at an awards show, April 2008 (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)  “This dramatic look is so simple to achieve: Wash the hair and then apply quite a lot of Bumble & Bumble Styling Lotion throughout. Dry with a center part.Then take inch-wide sections, starting from the bottom, and curl from roots to ends. With the last sections on top, leave about two inches from the scalp before beginning to curl. If needed, add a small amount of Bumble & Bumble Brilliantine for shine and definition. A thin, jeweled headband would be beautiful for a festive New Year’s Eve look.”
 

Actress Emmy Rossum at an event, June 2008 (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)  “This easy look works wonderfully on very thick hair. It’s optimal if the hair is washed a day before. Section off a two to three inch part off to the side and braid that piece up to the nape of the neck. Brush the rest of the hair underneath back into a ponytail and secure with a covered band. Use existing hair from the braid to wrap around the ponytail and fasten with pins. With an iron, curl different-width sections of the ends of the hair. Spray with a little Elnett hair spray.”
 

A model walking the runway in the Bottega Veneta show during Milan Fashion Week, February 2009  (Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)  “This is a more edgy look for someone with strong style. Use a small amount of Bumble & Bumble Grooming Creme to slick the hair back. Add a donut shaper at the nape of the neck, on top of the hair, and pin all the way around it to attach it to the scalp. Lightly back-comb the bottom hair and twist it around the donut, securing again with pins. The style can be worn smooth for a refined look or a little messy as in this photo for a modern look.”

TV personality Nicole Richie at an event, June 2008  (Photo by John Shearer/WireImage) “Ah, the classic chignon. Perfect when you’re in a hurry, but always elegant. Depending on where the chignon is situated, this style works on almost everyone. It’s better if hair is not freshly washed. If needed, add a little Bumble & Bumble Grooming Creme through the front of the hair. Pull hair back into a ponytail and secure with a covered band. Tease hair and split into two sections, wrapping one to the left and one to the right, securing both with pins. If the hair is longer and thicker, the chignon looks especially beautiful at the nape of the neck. Antique hair pins would look lovely stuck through the chignon.”
 

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant at a movie premiere, December 2009 (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)  “I think the naturalness of this look is very becoming. To get this effect, dry hair with as much body as possible, then mist all over with Elnett hair spray. Take uneven sections, starting from the bottom of the ear, and use a big curling iron to create soft waves. If the curl is too tight, brush the hair through. For a little more evening oopmh, try a headband like this one. I happen to prefer it because its just simple.”

Robert Cordero is editor at JC Report, an influential online global style publication, where he also works on the new media company's business development and marketing initiatives.