Hair do: Clip in bangs
These clip in hair extensions are offered by Jessica Simpson and Ken Paves' Hairdo, Raquel Welch Hairpieces, and EasiHair.
Want bangs without the long term commitment? Try clipping them in. Yes, clip in bangs exist. Whether you want to avoid cutting your own hair or thicken your fringe, these hair extensions are the perfect way to give your hairstyle a new look. Get your hands on these bangs at your local hair supply store or get them online at Hairextensions.com.
Haute summer hair: Ponytails
I have long been referred to by my mom as “Queen of the ponytail.” I rock them nonstop. I just can’t seem to help myself; if I see a rubberband somehow it ends up in my hair. But how do you keep the most basic of hairstyles from looking completely stale and boring? You switch it up! Tailor it to your look for the day. Here are a few ponytail styles I like to rock.
Jennifer Connelly and Kirsten Dunst add a french braid to the front of their pulled back do.
The Braided Ponytail
The braided ponytail is pretty much the same things as the braided bun. Give yourself a deep side part, and section off the front of your hair (width is up to you, though you want at least a medium sized braid). Then, just braid the parted section in a french braid style, following your hairline. Take the end of the braid and the rest of your hair and put it into a ponytail. Ta-da!
Eva Mendes, Kristen Bell, and Ashley Simpson are all working the bouffant ponytails in various ways.
The Bouffant Ponytail (with bangs)
Why, the bangs? I think it makes the ponytail look softer and more modern that way. I prefer to wear the bouffant with side swept bangs but you can wear it with full on “in your face” fringe, if you prefer. To get that bump, try pulling your hair over some well placed loose extensions, as opposed to teasing the hair, which can result in damage to the cuticle. Another option is to set the hair at the crown on large rollers, to add lift. Give a spritz of hairspray for hold and secure your bump with bobby pins. Then, secure your hair in a ponytail at the base of the bobby pins. Voilà!
High School Musical star, Vanessa Hudgens, embraces her curls with this textured ponytail hairstyle.
The Textured Ponytail
Give your hair a rest from the flat iron and embrace your natural hair texture. Mine goes into a nice big barrel loose wave when I let it air dry. So, I just gather it on top of my head and put it into a ponytail. Whatever the texture of your hair, add some product that works with it, not against it, put it in a ponytail and go!
John Freida, protecting hair one strand at a time
I am a hair serum junkie. I love that it does all the things to my hair that I want without weighing it down or making it stringy. Right now I’m using John Freida Frizz Ease Thermal Protection Serum, and I’m totally digging it. It gives all the shine of a regular hair serum and offers added heat protection, which is something I need. I have to say that so far the heat protection factor is working pretty well. So of course, I felt compelled to sing it’s praises and share it with all of you. I’ll admit, it’s a tiny bottle for the price but you don’t have to use much to get the benefits. I’ve had my bottle for about a month and haven’t even used 1/4 of it. Whether you need to protect your hair from heat, including UV rays, or if you just want a nice shine enhancing finishing products for your tresses, you get the best of both worlds with this particular John Freida product.
Happy styling!
Beauty tips to help you look younger
We all want to turn back the hands of time and capture our youth in a bottle. If I could I would look the way I did when I was in my early 20s, forever. While that’s not possible, there are a few thing we can do to make onlookers say, “There’s no way she’s (fill in your age here)!” Try these beauty tips to keep you looking younger.
Bronzer
No matter how old, or young, you are every woman needs bronzer. It is the makeup cure all. It gives your skin a beautiful glow, like that of your youth. Mix a bit into your foundation before you apply it for an even all over healthy, dewy look that makes your face come alive.
Lip gloss
I love “juicy” lip colors. Think cherry, fuchsia, watermelon…colors that you associate with childhood. Giving your lips a bit of color in a lip gloss shade will do wonders. First, gloss doesn’t dry your lips out the way lipstick does and you don’t have to worry about feathering. Secondly, you don’t have to worry about lipstick bleeding into wrinkles around your mouth. Plus, something about lip gloss conjures up pictures of our youth. And isn’t that how you’d like to be portrayed, as opposed to “the older lady who always has lipstick on her teeth?”
Hair
There are a few things you want to keep in mind. As you get older your hair should not get darker or harder. That means, stay away from the hairspray, helmet head hairdos, and monotone hair color. Softening your hair will soften your face, so avoid extreme hair looks. Make your hair multidimensional with highlight and low light accents. Regardless of the style, don’t try to keep it in place with gel or hairspray just style it and go. Keeping your hair soft to the touch and flexible will take years off of you.
Skip this trend: 20’s Inspired headbands
Every magazine I look in, every website I go to this hideous “trend” is staring me in the face. When did it become cool to wear 20s Flapper inspired head bands again? Umm news flash, it didn’t! This look is just a big ol’ fashion mess! I admit that there are about a handful of people who can actually pull this look off and not look totally ridiculous but I can say with almost 100% certainty that the vast majority of people reading this article do not fall into that category.And if you think you’re going to “prove me wrong” and do it anyway I can assure you that the only person you’ll be hurting is yourself (and the people looking at you who have to keep a straight face).
Seriously, if you are not from a culture that wears headbands as part of your everyday dress or if you’re not wearing drop waist Flapper garb and dancing the Charleston, then please don’t try to pull this look off. I know you think you look cool but you don’t, and believe me people are laughing at you (or at least I will be).
3 Summer hair care myths exposed
Okay. So it’s not officially summer yet, but it’s pretty close. Before the even hotter days get here, there are a few summer haircare myths that need to be addressed. Separating fact from fiction will help to keep your hair looking luxe all summer long.
Myth: Sunscreen sprays work on hair.
Truth: SPF is only measurable on skin, not hair. Therefore, douse your locks with a leave in conditioner so there is a physical barrier between your hair and the sun.
Myth: Rinsing hair before swimming reduces chlorine damage.
Truth: Saturating your hair before hitting an overly chlorinated pool will keep your hairs chlorine absorption to a minimum.
Myth: A full 15 minutes is needed for a deep conditioner to work.
Truth: “Any amount of time you can dedicate to deep conditioning is good. It’s better than nothing — just like exercise,” says Amy Abramite, Creative Director of Chicago’s Maxine Salon.
The best bangs to fit your face
Bangs are always a fashion do, in my opinion. They look great on just about everyone, and they’re a very inexpensive way to freshen up a stale hair look. I’ve been rocking bangs for a few years now. Oh every now and then I let them grow out, but I always go back to them. They skim years off of my face and actually make my red locks look less severe and more whimsically fun. So why aren’t you wearing them? Don’t be scared to dive into the always in vogue “bangs trend.” These few simple tips will ensure that you get the right look for your face.
Oval face shapes
An oval face is considered to be a face shape that can wear any type of hairstyle, this includes bangs. So, pick a look and go for it! The chances are that it will look stunning. However keep in mind your hair’s texture when choosing your bangs style.
Round face shapes
The most flattering style of bangs incorporate soft layering or feathering. Go for bangs that gently hug the cheeks areas. When skillfully constructed, feathered bangs can add contouring to round faces, minimizing large round cheeks and giving the illusion chiseled cheek bones.
Long face shapes
Blunt Bangs cut bluntly just around the brow bone will help to give the impression of a more oval-shaped face. The oval look can be enhanced by opting for long or graduated layers around the sides of the face.
Square face shapes
Consider side-swept bangs that gently curve or taper inwards towards the jaw to soften overly pronounced angles of the face.
Heart face shapes
On a heart shaped face, bangs can minimize the general wideness of the heart shaped face and even help to balance the commonly prominent chin. Side swept feathered bangs or textured bangs are both great options. However, a heart shaped face can also carry off full bangs cut straight across the face. Long or short, full bangs can look really great for a heart shape.
Triangular face shapes
Wider cut bangs that are feathered, wispy, or textured can help balance the face and create more of an oval shape. A slight wispy fringe will cover and conceal a wide forehead. It will also bring it into a better proportion with a wide chin. Avoid the flat, pageboy fringes. These can level out fullness and height.
Haute summer hair: The braided bun
Drew Barrymore is rocking one of summer’s trendiest hair looks; the braid. Braids are synonymous with warm weather. But this do takes the very casual summer look and glamorizes it. Why not make that braid into a haute braided bun?! Here’s how to get the look.
1. Simply give your hair a deep side part.
2. Braid front of hair following direction in which hair is falling (remember that slightly messy keeps the look fresh).
3. Take the rest of your hair and secure it in loose braids.
4. Take all the braids and interlace them however you like, at the nape of the neck, and secure them over each other with bobby pins.
There you have it, a great messy braid bun that’s perfect for any occasion this summer.
How to fight frizzy hair
The sun is bright, the days are warm and long, and I bet you’re dealing with humidity in the air; I know I am. So how do you combat day after day of frizzy bad hair? We’re going to tell you how!
The first thing you need to know to fight frizz is what causes it. In a nutshell, damaged cuticles are a major factor in creating frizzy hair. Hair cuticles are made of overlapping layers that, ideally should lie flat over each other. When the layers sustain damage it affects the porosity of hair. And once that happens, hair becomes unable to retain moisture. It becomes dry, brittle, dull, and in some instances frizzy. But these few steps will do a lot to help you fight frizz.
- Deep condition your hair at least once a week.
- Always towel blot your hair after washing. NEVER rub your hair with your towel to dry it (it damages the cuticle).
- Avoid overuse of styling products that require heat, including blow driers.
- If you have to blowdry your hair, keep it on a medium setting and constantly moving so no one section of hair is overexposed to the heat. Also, avoid holding the drier too close to your hair.
- Use a silicone based hair serum to keep hair coated and to protect the hair cuticle.
- Avoid touching your hair too much, this is a common cause of hair frizzing during/after styling.
It doesn’t take much to make hair fabulously frizz free. For more hair care tips CLICK HERE.
10 Hair color tips
Whether you’re going blonde, red, or brunette nothing is worse than watching your once vibrant hair color fade into a dull lifeless version of it’s former self. Well, now you don’t have to. With these 10 hair color tips, courtesy of Marie Claire, your red can stay radiant, your brown can be brilliant, and your blond will look golden well past your hues projected expiration date.
10. THOU SHALT play THE COLOR FIELD
“Hair color is like an accessory,” says Marcy Cona, Clairol’s color director. “Play with shades lighter, darker, or redder than you usually choose. You might make a pleasant discovery.” For real commitment-phobes, try a tinted gloss or washout color-enhancing foam.
9. THOU SHALT CODDLE THY curls
Coloring curly hair is a delicate business, says Ouidad, of Manhattan’s Ouidad Salon. Because it’s naturally dry and porous, it absorbs color faster and is more susceptible to damage than straight strands. Ouidad says to dilute the dye by replacing a quarter of the activator with distilled water. Then proceed as usual.
8. THOU SHALT age GRACEFULLY
“To cover grays, choose an allover shade that falls between your new silver strands and the color you had as a child,” says Slattery. “This softens your face and camouflages regrowth.”
7. THOU SHALT NOT trash THY TRESSES
“The more you baby your hair, the better it maintains new color,” says Slattery. So choose shampoos formulated for color-treated tresses and deep-condition at least once a week.
6. THOU SHALT touch up WITH CAUTION
“Mismatched roots and ends are a dead giveaway that you dye your own hair,” says Backe. “This happens when dye dribbles down from the roots and oversaturates already-colored ends.” Better to get a friend — or a three-way mirror — to help you confine dye to the regrowth area. Need to refresh the rest of your hair too? Wait until the last five minutes of the process, then run color down the shaft.
CLICK HERE to read more.
