My Fave’s from the SAG Awards!

The SAG Awards were last night, did you watch? I did, well most of it at least (gimmie a break, Downton Abbey was on)!

Anyway, I saw the red carpet coverage which is the most important part for spotting hair trends, and hair that should have checked itself in the mirror one last time before stepping out the door!

My favorite trend that I spotted last night was hair that was styled over one shoulder with soft, light waves. It’s simple but glamorous, casual yet sophisticated. It’s also a great alternative to the all down or half up look.

I’m a big fan of hair just casually laying over one shoulder and not pinned into place. In most of these pictures the hair is long enough to do this and stay in place. If you’re hair is not quite long enough to stay in place on it’s own then try a soft loose braid or a roll/twist to one side. It will just stay better and you will be able to hide those pins you may have used.

I was not a fan of January Jones and Julia Stiles’ looks. I’m usually a big fan of January’s style, but in this case the look was too severe and overworked. Julia, while the look was fine, it did however, age her. She’s a young woman and the cut and style made her look pedestrian and older than her years.

I think the reason the hairstyles that worked so well just worked, is because the ones that worked used the hair as an “accessory”. Accessories like jewelry can throw off or add to a look just as much as the hair. The hair should never, in my opinion, be the main attraction. You should consider the whole look and how everything compliments each other.

I definitely will be using the over-the-shoulder waved look on some of my clients for their next big night out!

I’m off to rewatch Downton Abbey…it was that good!!

The Trend Continues for 2013!

For the past few months I’ve been following the short, shoulder length bob with bangs trend. Well, after the First Lady unveiled her on-trend hair-do this week it’s here to stay! I wanted to share this link to an article that supports this hair trend.

http://shine.yahoo.com/the-thread/is-the-karlie-the-new-rachel–174754413.html

As the article suggests, it’s only January…you might want to see if it lasts before chopping all your hair off. However, change is fun and ask yourself if you need to shake up your look this year?

First Lady 2.0! BANG BANG!

First Lady, Michelle Obama’s bangs almost have a life of their own. They even have ther own TWITTER account! As soon as they were cut they tweeted out a picture of themselves and for good reason! I LOVE these bangs! In the past Michelle has flirted with a side swept fringe, but this time she went full-on. They do all the right things for Michelle’s beautiful diamond-ish face shape. These bangs allow her great cheek bones to stand out by taking the focus away from her forehead. They also turn what can be a boring, in-between length into something much more chic and sophisticated.

Here’s to 4 more years of great hair and surprises from First Lady, Michelle Obama.

Great Lengths Makeover!

I saw a new client last week for a haircut and Great Lengths consultation. Brittany has a lot of fine hair and the ends were not in the best shape due to a lot of color damage. She’s now a rich brunette which will give her hair a break from being blonde last summer.

Brittany has had Great Lengths before and loved them but she was concerned about them damaging her hair. I put her mind at ease with my number one home care maintenance tip. I would say, in my experience, the main reason people feel like bonded extensions damage their hair is because they don’t brush between the bonds. You have to brush between the bonds twice a day to ensure the hairs you would naturally shed that are now in the bond do not get tangled around each other. I’ve seen clients come in with golf ball sized mats of hair because they never or rarely brushed between the bonds. Tugging and picking out those mats is where the damage comes in, not from the extensions.

That one tip alone can make all the difference with your extensions experience.

Brittany wanted her hair to feel fuller and just a little longer than her current length. We went with 12″ hair which added 5″ inches to her length. After 4 hours she was so happy with the finished look. Here’s the before, middle and after picture of this Great Lenghts makeover. Enjoy!

BEST & WORST of Golden Globes 2013!

So, the Golden Globes were last night and there was some AMAZING hair and some not so amazing.

The Golden Globes are the “fun” awards show. There are celebrities from both TV and Film, there is dinner and lot’s of champagne. The dress code is generally a little more relaxed and less formal than the Oscars. So, with that said, here are my TOP PICKS for up-do’s, down-do’s, and everything in between.

My favorite down-do’s are Claire Danes and Lea Michele. What I love about these looks is that they’re glamorous but casual. A lot of the hairstyles that were worn down were a little too overworked for me, for this particular award show. Claire and Lea look effortless and allow the dress to be the star.

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My least favortie down-do is Kelly Osbourne’s gray-purple, over-worked “Dame Edna” style. This “Fashion Police” host is clearly going for a look, but it’s a little been there, done that. We get it, you’re different.

My favorite up-do is Julianne Moore’s elegant but simple french twist. It’s so classic and understated. I love that this up-do adds to her whole look, but doesn’t overshadow or overpower her dress. It’s perfect.

My least favorite up-do is Amy Adam’s vintage-ish look. It looks a little crispy and overworked. For me, this does not add much to the dress. It’s also too formal and heavy-handed for the relaxed atmosphere of the Golden Globes.

Oh, yeah, and Helena Bonham Carter but that goes without saying…I love her as an actress, but I think she forgot to return her Les Miserables wig!

My Favorite short-do is Michelle Dockery’s wavy layered bob. It has just the right amount of layers to keep it from looking boxy. It’s soft and casual and let’s this detailed dress shine.

My least favorite short-do is Jodi Foster’s blunt bob. This shape only makes her jaw line look more square. It also does not compliment her glitzy dress. It’s flat, boring and misses the mark in my opinion.

Those are my top and bottom picks for Golden Globe hair styles. I’d love to hear from you if you feel I’ve missed anyone in either category! Vote below for your favorite hair from my picks.

2013 Hair Trend

My first blog post ever in 2012 was about the Lob (Long Bob). I talked about the versatility of this style and how it’s a great choice if you have long hair but are afraid to make a huge change. Well, according to fashionising.com this hairstyle is still going to be a favorite in 2013 as seen on model Anja Rubik in this Dolce & Gabbana ad for Elle UK, February 2013.

The key to this style is the perfect length. It should be an inch to two inches below the shoulder. It can be worn with or without a fringe/bang. The fringe can be wispy like in this ad or a heavy, blunt  bang can be added. This style should not be overly styled. The goal is messy textured waves.

If you’re looking for a new look and want to be on trend for 2013 give this look a try.

Shinier & Thicker Hair for 2013?

First post of 2013! I hope everyone had a fun, and safe New Year’s Eve.

I found a great article that I wanted to share with you.

http://shine.yahoo.com/beauty/want-shinier-thicker-hair-look-ingredients-134300668.html

It’s a topic that comes up a lot in my chair with my clients. Everyone wants shinier, thicker hair, right? This article focuses on achieving shine and fuller, thicker hair for aging hair. I’ll give you my two cents.

I’ve had to delve into some of my client’s whole hair routine to find out why they never feel like their hair looks shiny. Most of my clients color their hair. If you are more than 50% gray and happen to be 40+ years, your hair is unpigmented and changing. The hair may become coarse and dryer than you ever remember. The latter is the segment of my clients that strive for shine.

The article says to look for products with phenyl trimethicone and dimethicone, which will give you shine. I also like a product that has those key ingredients but is also geared specifically toward color preservation without weighing hair down or making it feel greasy. I would recommend Fluide Chroma Riche by Kerastase. This fluid is lightweight, has a UV filter to protect color, has a softening effect (which is great for unpigmented/coarse hair) and gives hair a reflective quality.

The second part of the article covers thicker hair. Specifically thinning hair. Not everyone with mature hair (40+ and/or unpigmented) has thinning hair, but usually will experience a change in their hair. Usually there’s a loss of vitality or the scalp becoming dryer. A great product to combat these symptoms is Bain Substantif by Kerastase. This formula has hyaluronic acid to rebalance the scalp and is infused with collagen to plump the hair strands.

When it comes to thinning hair I’ve heard a lot about the enzyme 5 alpha reductase mentioned in the article. This enzyme creates DHT, which has a thinning effect on hair. Taurine, D-Biotine, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Trifolium Pratense (Clover) Flower Extract and the supplement saw palmetto berries can cleanse the scalp of DHT. These things will put the brakes on hair loss, however the only thing found to successfully regrow hair is Minoxidil.

So shake up your hair regimen.