Ladies (and gents), I think you are going to like what I’m about to tell you.
The wonderful owner of Stylebell (Hi Sapna!) is offering one lucky reader a collection of some of my very favorite hair products and tools. (Have you been to Stylebell? If not, PREPARE YOURSELF TO BE SUCKED INTO THE FABULOUS HAIR VORTEX.)
(I KNOW!)
Take a look at these awesome, tried and true bestsellers.
Thanks to the extremely generous Casey and my trusty random number generator, the lovely Andrea from Mommy’s Martini will be featured as this week’s Hair Thursday participant. You can read Andrea’s contest entry here, and I am thrilled that she is the winner!
Andrea is a professor with two young children and quite a busy schedule, as you can imagine. Her naturally wavy hair has grown extremely long and she would like something different, yet low-maintenance.
Andrea’s hair:
Medium brown with reddish undertones, grays have started to make an appearance
Has used Clairol Natural Instincts in the past
Would love to be a redhead without repeated, expensive trips to the salon
Thick, wavy/curly, individually fine strands
Likes to pull hair up into chignons and/or out of her face (see above)
Spends 1-5 minutes styling, usually an air dry because curls look best left alone
Has trouble straightening hair with round brush and blow dryer
Andrea is very happy with her stylist, except that she can be a little conservative when cutting her hair. (Hey, that’s better than the opposite in most cases, right? ) From Andrea’s email, it seems her stylist really understands her curl pattern, and uses a technique to create subtle layering without any strong horizontal layers. (Andrea’s hair is so fine that tons of horizontal layers create an overly thinned-out look at the bottom.) The major problem is that Andrea waits w a y t o o l o n g i n b e t w e e n c u t s.
First off, let’s talk about color. Unfortunately, going red requires substantial upkeep – red fades faster than all other hair colors and requires a decent amount of attention. (Low maintenance? I don’t think so.)
However, Andrea could pull off a semi-permanent reddish-brown shade that would add depth to her color, cover her grays, and naturally fade without leaving any “roots”. (Low maintenance? CHECK.) L’Oreal Color Spa makes a temporary color (lasts 28 shampoos) in a reddish-brown shade aptly named, Reddish Brown. Also, Andrea shouldn’t rule out golden brown shades either!
Let’s not forget that Casey is generously paying for Andrea’s salon visit, so I would encourage Andrea to consult with her stylist about adding some reddish tones OR some subtle golden highlights throughout, but later down the road, when she is looking for a DIY option, I would recommend the semi-permanent options.
Now, for the kicker. The CUT. Let’s take a gander.
Option #1 would be such a fresh change for Andrea. With her waves, Andrea could put some Bumble and Bumble Curl Creme in her towel-dried hair and air dry as usual. The cut virtually styles itself. It’s easy, it’s chic, and it’s perfect for Andrea’s lifestyle. (p.s. – shoulder-length hair is really hot right now. Just ask Gywneth Paltrow and Liv Tyler.)
Option #2 leaves more length and adds a long, sideswept bang. Now, the hair in this photo has been styled to the hilt, and I’m not expecting Andrea to wake up and pull out the styling tools every morning. However, I like the length and shape of the cut and think it would look nice dried naturally. (Although, a whoorl curl would look mighty nice once in awhile!)
The time has come. Tell Andrea which look you like the best!
Thanks again to Casey for her generosity, and I can’t wait to see Andrea’s transformation!
