In the world of hair, Ted Gibson‘s is reigning king. A hairstylist who’s built his reputation on his intuitive and sharply honed skill set, Gibson’s work is sought after by the tastemakers of the fashion world, such as those at Vogue and Harpers Bazaar; as well as being the trusted beauty council of some of Hollywood’s most stunning A-listers including Angelina Jolie, Emma Watson and Anne Hathaway, star of this season’s most talked about blockbuster, Les Misérables.

The resident hair advisor on TLC’s What Not To Wear (back on air Thursday, Jan 3), Gibson shares his talents with FILLER, and talks holiday hairstyles. Below, Gibson’s expert tips to creating your perfect New Year’s Eve do, hopefully paired with an equally perfect kiss come midnight!

When it comes to hairstyles for New Year’s Eve, what’s a common mistake women tend to make? For example do big events call for big hair?

One common mistake women tend to make with their hair during the holidays is they overdo it! They don’t use the right product to create the best end results. I’m not a fan of sausage curls or thinking of holiday hair as wedding hair. Big hair works anytime, but you don’t want your hair to look frizzy or out of control. A way to make it not look that way is my Tame It Shine Lotion.

Is party hair necessarily always up, rather than down, as many believe?

No! I think in this day and age it’s important not to be a slave to thinking it has to be one way or another. However, you should know what the trend is. Soft, sexy, beachy waves are always on trend. Updos like French twists and chignons can create a sophisticated look without being contrived. Less is more!

How do you suggest balancing hair with makeup. For example, if makeup is heavier — such as a bold cat eye — should hair be kept slightly simpler, or should they match?

I think that if you’re talking about makeup, if you’re doing a strong eye, don’t do a strong lip. If you’re doing a strong lip, keep the eye makeup simple. As far as the hair and the makeup, yes they should go together. Side swept bangs, soft updos using a workable hairspray like my beautiful hold look great with any makeup look. It’s about breaking the rules, leaving what your mom thought behind.

From this year’s many red carpet events, which actress would you say wore the season’s hair trend the best?

Allison Williams at the 2012 Emmy’s is my favorite (above). Her French twist is on trend and looked amazing with her gown.

How could our readers recreate this look?

I started off on dry hair by creating a roughed up texture. I rubbed Ted Gibson Hairsheet into her hair concentrating on the ends before blow-drying with a smaller round brush, so that I can give the hair a slight bend to the hair. After the hair dried, I pinned everything with clips till it cooled. Next, I sprayed with Beautiful Hold Hairspray. Then, I back-combed the entire head from front hairline with a center part that’s 60s inspired and deliberately tousled. I then created a high sexy French twist pinned with a mixture I secured with bobby and hair pins. Before she walked out the door, I sprayed more Beautiful Hold Hairspray to give that extra hold. Red carpet ready!

What about something more casual that our readers could try at a lo-key New Year’s Eve cocktail event, like a get together at a friend’s house?

Try this look worn by Ashley Greene above. For this, I created the straightest hair imaginable. The straight hair worked because the color, neckline and length of this amazing Donna Karan gown were a party in and of themselves.

I started off with Build It Blowdrying Agent on dry hair with Fix It Gel on the mid shaft and ends. I blew her hair dry with a flat brush to create flatness at the scalp and flatness throughout the rest of the hair. I finished the blowdry the used my Ted Gibson flat iron to add shine and flatness to the hair.

I used Tame It Shine Lotion at the scalp and front of the hair. I only wanted that brilliant shine on the top of the head. I used Beautiful Hold Hairspray to hold that hair close to her scalp, and its perfection!