Longer Hair Styles for Men
Jul 29th
Over the past few years, shorter hair styles for men have been the dominating style. While it’s true that keeping your locks short and sheared makes getting ready for work each day much easier to do, there is something to be said for longer hairstyles. Men, if you plan to wear your hair in a longer cut, here are some tips to help you look your best. Read the rest of this entry »
Nourish Your Scalp For Stunning Hairstyles
Jun 26th
As the foundation for an impressive hairstyle, your scalp is often one of the most neglected parts of your head. While most women are only too happy to spend a fortune on conditioning products and deep moisture treatments for their hair, if you’re like the crowds you may not be able to honestly pinpoint the last time you took the time to do a specific care treatment for your scalp. Read the rest of this entry »
Short and Long Layered Hairstyles
Mar 26th
Adding layers to your hairstyle, whether it’s long or short, is a great way to add texture, shape and movement. You can use several criteria to determine whether your hair would look better with short or long layered hairstyles. The main thing to consider here is the shape and size of your face. If you have a long face, you may want to keep your layers shorter, to attract peoples’ eyes upward and to balance the look of your face. Layers of roughly chin length will add extra volume to this area, and minimize the long facial appearance. On the other hand, if your face is round, using long layered hairstyles will help to balance your look out.
If your hair has too much volume, you may want to use medium layered hairstyles to reduce it. These layers will help for breaking up your hair mass and giving it movement, adding more life to your hairstyle. Layers also work well if your hair is long or straight, since it will add more flow and movement, rather than leaving your long hair all one length. If you have a long layered hairstyle, make sure that your shortest hair layer isn’t of a length above your ear lobes.
Short layered hairstyles work especially well for people with curly hair. The layers will help your curls retain their natural body, and also give them a bounce. You can match a blunt fringe with a short layered hairstyle, as long as you make sure that the layers don’t lie above your eyes.
If you’re still trying to decide whether you will look best with a short or long layered hairstyle, remember that the layers you create can also add a sense of width to your face, wherever you need them. If your face is shaped like a heart – that is, narrow at chin level and wide at the temples – you can add layers of hair in the area beside your chin to add extra width to the area. If you have more of a square face, you’ll want to avoid blunt medium layered hairstyles around the chin area. Let some casual wisps fall in that area, and keep the main areas longer.
Layering hair can work for many people. All you need to do is figure out the best way to use layers to accent your facial shape.
Choosing Your Prom Hairstyle
Mar 22nd
Prom! You’ve dreamed of this night for months; you have the perfect dress, shoes, and date, now all you need is the perfect hairstyle. Choosing just the right hairstyle for prom enhances your look, creates drama, and boosts your confidence on the most glamorous night of your life.
Choosing a hairstyle for your dress
Prom dresses vary in style from traditional, formal, and glamorous, to trendy, short, sleek, and sexy. Your hair style should complement, or set off, your prom look.
Glamorous and formal dresses lend themselves to traditional hairstyles. A French twist, or cascading curls will set off a low-cut or strapless dress to perfection. Short hair can be slicked back using light gel while flipping up end pieces can add elegance to your hair.
Sexy, flirty, and fun hairstyles are perfect for short, trendy dresses. Consider a ponytail or adding bows, clips, or headbands to your hair. Leaving long hair straight or in loose curls creates an easy, stylish look; while, spikes, twist, clips, or texture, will provide short hair a chic and dramatic flair.
Choosing a hairstyle for your hair
Prom night is not the night for bad hair. Choosing your prom hairstyle will depend, in part, on hair length and texture. Shortly before prom is not the time to sport a new do. A good trim and deep conditioner a week before is all you need.
While not recommended, if you must have a new style for prom, make the change several weeks before; you need time to adjust and look for a style suitable to your new look. Shy away from colouring and dying before prom; the wrong colour or dye can take weeks to remove and leave hair badly damaged.
It doesn’t matter if your hair is long, medium, or short; your prom hair style options are limitless. When choosing your hairstyle, select a style suitable to your hair. If your hair does not hold curls, a curly up-do may not work for you; consider a dramatic twist or simple chignon at the base of the neck.
Magazines or websites have an abundance of ideas for sensational prom hairstyles.
Choosing your stylist
When choosing your prom hair style, you need to consider who will be styling your hair. A local salon will charge anywhere between $50.00-80.00 and appointments need to be made weeks in advance. Also, your appointment may be early in the morning as your stylist will have other appointments that day.
Another option? Do it yourself or with the assistance of a friend. Doing your own hair will save you money, but can add stress to an already hectic day. Practicing your style will not only relieve last minute stress, it will ensure that you have all the necessary supplies.
When choosing your prom hair style, remember, the goal of the evening is having fun and creating memories with friends. Choose a style that makes you feel glamorous, yet simple enough to leave you worry-free while you dance the night away.
Women’s Spring Hairstyles 2010
Feb 24th
Two years ago, I was flipping through the latest issue of NYLON and came across a spread with a model whose hair was so bleached it was silver and was cut into a choppy, spiky mullet. Yes my friends, this is the very picture I brought to my hairdresser and asked her to re-create on my head. “This model is wearing a wig, you know,” was her somewhat incredulous answer to my request. Wig or no wig, I was ready to make the drastic change. After a couple of seasons of having my hair as my “thing”, (and getting called Garth, yes, from Wayne’s World) I got extensions and took my mullet to a whole new level. Almost a year later and immense amounts of regret for putting my hair through irreparable damage, I have learned the art of the updo and will continue to pile my hair on top of my head until its long enough to look normal again. (This will take years, according to my hairdresser. She’s too nice to say, “I told you so,” even though she was apprehensive to bleach, tone, and bleach again to achieve that non-colour I so desperately sought after). Luckily for me, as a product junkie, I have a whole lot of new reasons to slather, massage, wrap, heat and slick on the slew of miracle creams and masks for damaged and splitting hair. Hopefully, after a few more weeks of using Redken’s Heavy Cream and Ojon’s deep conditioning masks (which are AH-MAZING!), my hair will be long enough to attempt to recreate the stylish and chic hairdos that dominated the spring runway.
PLAITS, PLEASE
A major reoccurring trend in the hair department that was seen on the runway from the likes of Rochas, Oscar de la Renta, Alexander Want, and my personal favourite, Giambattista Valli, the school-girl braid has been taken to a whole new level. Popular styles varied greatly in design and the braid can be really be worn any way this season and still hit the trend bullseye. Spotted on the runway: simple, loose, and on the side; a more complicated, twisted updo version, milkmaid style, and inspiration from Heidi to Pippi Longstocking was evident. At Giambattista Valli, the models’ hair was pulled into a big, voluminous ponytail before being teased some more and braided or fishtailed. A style so easy we were doing it in elementary school. Guess I’ll have to come up with another excuse for being late!
POLISHED & PRETTY
The slick look has also been a reoccurring trend for a few seasons running now, but this spring, the hair can either be parted (centre or side; it’s your call) or pulled back off the face. Let the rest frame your face or pull back into a ponytail; both were seen on the catwalks this season. Previous seasons looked hard and shellacked while this spring, the style looked like it was created with a few mists of water and shine serum as opposed to a tub of super-hold gel.
SHE’S COME UNDONE
Last week, part of my intern duties included transcribing an interview with one of the hairstylists from the set of the Sex And The City 2 film. After rewinding and listening to the interview about 700 times to catch every. single. word., the “ undone styled style” is the only thing I could think of for days. After catching a glimpse of this look at Gucci, Chloé, Giles and Tommy Hilfiger, I finally understood the stylist’s obsession. Loose, big waves with lots of movement and texture fall right in the very centre of the spectrum of prom queen curls and bedhead. Hair should look styled, but not like you looked like you spent hours styling it. Tips on how to achieve the look: use a texturizing product, (my personal favourite is Bumble & Bumble Brilliantine) and a few different wide barrel curling irons, switching directions and never clamping the hair but instead wrapping it around the outside of the iron. Shake it out (upside down for added body), mist with light hold hairspray and don’t get mad when people stare.
OMBRÉ
Long since a trend from everything from cardigans to cocktail dresses, it was Prada’s sequin ombré clutch I was after last season. This season? The trend has migrated north and is allowing me to stretch out the salon visits to 12 weeks instead of 6. (Both my wallet and my damaged hair are thanking me). Letting your true colours show has been a huge hit on and off the runway. Trendsetting fashionistas from Rachel Bilson to Cameron Diaz to Alexa Chung have been sporting major roots, but fear not, the look gives off a laid-back cool vibe and totally looks on purpose and not like you missed your salon appointment. The trick is to ensure your roots are a maximum of 2 shades darker or lighter than your ends, any more and it quickly goes from trendy to tacky. Any trend that is encouraging me to show my true colours while saving cash? I’ll take it!
Aimee Brothman
Style.ca Writer
