Archive for July 13th, 2006
Get them with these 3 simple steps
by Linda Dyett
After a decade-long trend of stick-straight hair, curls have bounced back into style. But not just any curls.
These are playful, free-flowing, and slightly unkempt. The secret? It’s what you do with your hair while it’s still wet. Here’s how to get the fuss-free look whether your hair is straight as an arrow or tightly wound.
The Prep
First step: shampoo and condition. If you have thick or frizzy hair, leave in a hint of conditioner to keep it from drying out. To detangle, rake your fingers through curly or frizzy hair; run a comb through straight hair. Squeeze out excess moisture but don’t towel-dry.
Now comes the crucial part. While hair is still sopping wet, coat it with a combo of styling and frizz-control products. Today’s curl-specific groomers are so lightweight that they give springiness without weighing curls down, explains New York City stylist Antonio Soddu. Which ones you should use depends on your hair’s texture.
For naturally curly or wavy hair, choose a curl enhancer such as Frédric Fekkai Luscious Curls. For thick, curly hair, try Curl Friends High Humidity Gel. For fine, curly hair, use Matrix Curl.life Contouring Milk. For frizzy hair, go for a straightening product or a cream like Kiehl’s Creme with Silk Groom. For straight hair, a volumizing mousse or foam such as Tresemmé Curl Enhancing Mousse will do the trick.
In the palm of your hand, blend equal amounts of the curl enhancer with a frizz buster such as Pantene Pro-V Curl Shaper Anti-Frizz Crème. Finger-rake it through curly hair; use a comb with straight or frizzy hair. You needn’t coat every strand. The idea is to let these products find their own way through your tresses. Next, pat lightly with a towel to press out moisture so the cuticle of each hair shaft stays smooth. No turbans, please: You want your curls to blossom. The Set
If You Have Curly or Wavy Hair
Finger-comb it once again. Starting at the crown, gather hair into sections. Use the width of your fingers to determine how wide you want your curls. Give some sections a gentle tug and let them fall where they will. Twist others tightly into corkscrews or loosely into flowing ribbons–no need to pin or clip.
For the forehead area, send tendrils forward and down. For height at the top, crisscross five or six tendrils at the crown. Let your set dry naturally for 10 minutes. Continue drying with a diffuser set on warm or cool, or sit under a heat lamp until hair is moderately dry.
If You Have Frizzy Hair
Blow-dry it straight; then use rollers or a curling iron for a soft look.
If You Have Straight Hair
Lightly towel-dry and then set it on rollers, says David Kim of the Ted Gibson Salon in New York City. Or if time permits, try pin curls all over your head. (Twist a section of hair around a finger or two and hold it in place with a clip or pin.) To dry pin curls, cover them with a thick mesh hairnet and use a diffuser or a dryer with a hood attachment. Pin curls can take upward of an hour to dry, but they’re worth the wait and will last for several days.
The Finishing Touches
When hair is completely dry, break up curls with your fingers. It’s not a comb out, but more of an unfurling. Tresses should look and feel bouncy. Don’t use a brush unless you want instant frizz. For a polished finish, use a curling iron for a bit of lift here and there.
To add bounce to wilted curls, spritz with a curl renewer such as Pantene Curl Revive. To calm frizz, try a dab of hand cream diluted with some water.
July 13th, 2006
by Staci Ann Sander
Whether it’s a unibrow, peach fuzz, or hair on your chinny-chin-chin, you probably don’t want it there. Here’s a guide to the best at-home methods for zapping facial hair.
Tweezing is quick, cheap, and precise for both brows and chin, but it’s not practical for large areas. Be sure to pluck one hair at a time in the direction it grows. The pros love Slant Tip tweezers from Tweezerman ($20; Sally Beauty Supply), which offers free sharpening for life (dull tips don’t grab as easily).
Depilatory creams dissolve hair fast and effectively–results last for up to 2 weeks–but may irritate sensitive skin (pretest on your forearm before using). Choose one designed for faces, such as Nair No Touch Upper Lip Cream ($4; drugstores), and don’t apply to cuts or scratches.
Shaving is speedy, simple, and gaining popularity among women. Don’t worry, cut hair does not grow in thicker, but its blunt ends may seem so. Any razor will do as long as it’s clean and sharp. Never shave dry skin–use soap or shaving cream–and stay away from your brows to protect your eyes. A post-shave product such as Tend Skin Liquid ($20; 800-940-8423) will keep ingrown hairs and irritation in check.
Waxing gives you the best at-home results for eyebrows and upper lips. It’ll hurt for just a moment, but you’ll enjoy smooth skin for 2 to 4 weeks. The downside: waiting for hair to grow in at least 1/4 to 1/2 inch before rewaxing. Try one of the new no-heat gel waxing kits, such as Epil-Ease or One Touch ($5 each; drugstores).
Lotions can make hair finer and less visible. Use a hair-minimizing lotion with soy, like Aveeno Positively Smooth Facial Moisturizer ($14; drugstores).
July 13th, 2006
Medium hair styles are the lovechildren of long locks and short cuts. They can be anywhere from chin-length to your shoulders.
You get the versatility of long hair and the ease of short hair. You can put it up, pin it back or wear it down. You can flip the ends out or under and it’s easy to give the roots volume. Short Hair Styles often leave their wearers feeling stuck in a rut. Girls with long hair sometimes feel their hair is limp and lifeless. If your hair is chin-to-shoulder-length, the possibilities are endless.
Who Can Wear Them
Anyone can wear a medium hair style. It all comes down to the actual style - the layering, the highlights or lowlights, and the overall length in conjunction with face shape.
Oval-shaped faces look good with any hair cut because they’re so symmetrical.
Heart-shaped faces look great with chin-length bobs because they add the illusion of extra width at the chin. Keep a few shorter layers around the face.
Square-shaped faces go best with cuts that are chin-length or longer that can soften a strong jaw. Fluff the sides out instead of keeping them close to the face for a more oval appearance.
Round faces can wear chin-length or longer styles as well. The difference between the round and angular face shapes is round faces want the hair kept close to the face. This gives the illusion of a slimmer face.
Girls with straight hair can go just about any length while girls with curly hair will do better with layered shoulder-length cuts to keep ringlets from going haywire.
Sprucing the Cut Up
Layers, color and products can really amp up medium hair styles. All can add dimension to your versatile style.
Layers
Depending on your face shape, layers can make all the difference in your cut. They can make heart-shaped faces seem fuller around the bottom, angular faces seem soft or just add bounce to an otherwise blah cut. Don’t forget the benefit of layers in the back, too. They add height and bounce so you’ll look good going and coming.
Color
Slices of color can liven up a mid-length look and add spice and definition to layers. Experiment with lowlights and highlights for a truly unique look. Brown bobs look fabulous with thick and thin caramel chunks woven throughout. Redheads look stunning with just a few blonde pieces framing the face. Blondes can brighten up all over just by adding lighter blonde strands at the crown. Medium hair is one length that looks best with interesting color. Short and long hair can get by more easily with just one color.
Products
The styling possibilities with medium hair styles are endless, and the styling products you can utilize are never-ending, as well.
▪ Root-boosters: These sprays are applied to the roots and massaged a bit. Then you flip your head over and apply heat with a hair dryer. Instant va-va-voom!
▪ Waxes: Put wax on the ends of your hair to add separation to the layers. You can also get colored waxes for extra fun - and they wash out at the end of the night. Apply conservatively because it can get stiff and weigh your hair down otherwise.
▪ Hairsprays: Hairsprays are a godsend for any medium hair style. You can spray your ends to keep them flipped up or under, spray the pieces around your face to keep them from straying into your eyes, or even add volume by spraying it on your hair while upside-down.
▪ Shampoos/Conditioners: To boost your color, try a color-enhancing shampoo or conditioner. There are lines for blonde, brown and red hair. Need thickening? Try volumizing hair products.
▪ Mousses: These can help volumize your hair or coax curls into a more defined pattern.
▪ Texturizing Sprays: Want surfer hair, the carefree hairstyle that comes with a day at the beach? Testurizing sprays work great on mid-length hair to create a wide range of sassy styles.
July 13th, 2006
Great hairstyles and great hairstylists go together. A really good stylist should have patience, great listening skills and the ability to give feedback in a positive way.
You can evaluate these qualities by first scheduling a brief consultation before the haircut begins. Remember, it’s easier to walk out of an uncomfortable situation before the scissors start flying than storming off when half your hair is six inches shorter than the rest!
Flattering hairstyles begin with great communication. For example, how many times have your walked out of the salon with a much shorter cut than expected? When talking about length, it is always best to visually demonstrate (with your thumb and forefinger) how much you want taken off. Also, bring a picture of the hairstyle that you want, so that the stylist can see exactly what you have in mind. He or she can then advise you whether that look will work for you or suggest modifications so that the style will suit your face.
Hairstyles For Your Face Type
Your face type will determine which hairstyles look best on you. Oval shapes can wear virtually any length or cut, although extremely long blunt cuts tend to make your face appear drawn out. (However, a few wispy layers in the front can negate this effect.) For round faces, blunt cuts tend to call attention to the width of your face, so opt for tapered ends. Cuts that are just below the jaw line work well for round shapes. In contrast, for square shapes, this length tends to emphasize your facial structure even more. Instead, try a shorter cut or longer sleeker style with soft, framing layers. Face framing layers also work well for a heart-shaped face by de-emphasizing a pointy chin and calling attention to your eyes and cheekbones.
If you want to duplicate another individual’s look, always compare their facial structure with your own to make sure the style will translate well to your own facial shape.
Other Considerations
When it comes to hairstyles, you need to take other factors into consideration besides what looks good or happens to be the latest trend. For example, cost is one aspect to think about when choosing a style. You may look stunning as a platinum blond, but do you have the money to have your roots done every six weeks, not to mention the slew of professional products necessary to repair the damage done by such a radical procedure?
Lifestyle is another factor to consider. What is your morning routine like? Are you an active person that is constantly on the go? How much time and effort do you really want to spend on your hairstyle? If you can’t stand to fuss with products and gadgets, a high-maintenance cut is probably not the best option for you.
The best hairstyles result from a combination of research, careful thought and a preliminary heart to heart at the salon with your stylist. Of course, a bit of an adventurous spirit can also contribute to the experience of crafting a new look.
July 13th, 2006
Remember Rapunzel? Hair so long her boyfriend climbed her braid to rescue her from a prison tower! Popular images of hair down to there have implanted deep in our psyches a desire for long locks.
Until recently, Black hair had to be naturally straight, hot-combed, chemically treated, dreadlocked or storebought if we wanted it to swing below our shoulders. And those who were able to grow their natural hair long didn’t have many styling options. We asked Peggy Dillard, owner of Turning Heads styling salon in New York, and her team–Pamela Henderson, DeKar Lawson and Hugh McDaniel–to show just how versatile long natural hair can be. Remember, it requires professional attention to stay healthy and beautifu. And it has to be trimmed regularly while it grows. Our model, Malaika Adero, an editor at Fireside/Simon & Schuster, Inc. Makeup, Giana for Kramer & Kramer. All makeup by Flori Roberts: lipstick, Sensual Beige. Stylist, Elaine Wallace. For clothing information, see Shop, next-to-last pages.
Malaika’s hair was first conditioned, then colored with Mahogany from Sebastian’s Wood Series. While it was still damp, her hair was set on wave rods using Soft Sheen’s Optimum Designing Lotion. For all the styles, Henderson and Lawson chose to finger-comb rather than use regular combs and brushes.
July 13th, 2006