4.12 – Chic, Shoulder-Length Bobs

Meet Leah.

Leah has some gorgeous hair, no doubt.  Alas, she wants a change, so who I am to deny her? Let’s take a look at her questionnaire.

1. What color is your hair? Do you color/highlight your hair? If so, what color?

Natural blonde, no color. (Not interested in color, either.)

2. What condition is your hair? (Dry, Oily, Normal, Chemically-processed, etc.)

Normal (although super dry on the ends right now, which is why I need to cut them the hell off).

3. What type of hair do you have? (Fine, Thick, Wavy, Curly, Straight, etc.)

Fine but there’s a lot of it. Super-duper straight and doesn’t hold curl. Slick and shiny. Stylists always refuse to give me layers in the back when I ask(?). (I do tend to like layers around the face, though.) I have a mild and controllable-to-a-degree cowlick slightly off-center of my forehead (which is where I split the side-swept bangs).

4. Tell me about your lifestyle. What are you looking for in a hairstyle?

I work from home and have a preschooler, so I need to be able to pull my hair off my face and have something quick and easy when I want to wear it down. I love buns and braids for going out. I’ve gone chin-length before, but because I have an angular face, I feel that a blunt cut at the chin makes me look too severe. I love side-swept and blunt bangs, but my husband doesn’t (although I have veto power on what I do with my hair, obvs).

5. How much time are you willing to spend styling your hair each day?

Ten minutes tops. Outside of my family, the only person I see regularly is Daycare Lady, and I love her but I’m not going to spend a half hour fixing my hair for the two minutes I talk to her each day.

6. Do you have a preference for length? If so, what?

It’s almost always been long (too long!), but it’s time for a change, so I’m willing to go slightly above the shoulder.

7. What kind of products/tools do you use on a daily basis?

Fekkai Glossing Cream and a blowdryer (although sometimes I skip that and air dry). If any part of my hair is up, I usually need a bit of hairspray.

8. Do you wear your hair in ponytails frequently?

Almost daily, and usually with my bangs clipped back for work.

9. What kind of environment do you live in? (Rainy, humid, high altitude, etc.)

Mediterranean/temperate. The only weather than affects my hair is super-high humidity, in which case the baby hairs at my temples turn into ringlets(!). Not much anyone can do about that.

Okay! I think I have a pretty good idea of what Leah needs. Since Leah’s hair is so straight, shiny and slick, she needs to work that to her advantage. Let’s see…Leah doesn’t want to spend too much time styling, she clips bangs back on a daily basis while working, layers won’t work on her baby fine hair, and “it’s time for a change”…sounds to me like a simple, shoulder-grazing bob would be a perfect look for Leah. Short enough to give her the change she is looking for, but still long enough that she can pull back the sides or do some fun braiding around the front. What about this?

Photos courtesy of Daily Makeover

Oh, I think Leah could look quite stunning with this cut, don’t you?

As for the bangs situation, with Leah’s features and cowlick, I’m in agreement with her husband. I’m a fan of keeping bangs out of this equation, especially since Leah would just pin them back anyway. Plus, her bangs look to be quite grown out at this point, and adding shorter, sideswept bangs would make the above hairstyle completely different. (Not that it’s bad…just different.) I think the beauty of this style is the chic simplicity of the way the hair frames the face and collarbone, and Leah’s features would be enhanced beautifully with this cut. Also, Leah would most likely wear this style with a slightly off-center part, due to her cowlick, but I like how the cut takes on a different personality just by changing up the part from side to middle.

Now. If Leah deems that option too short, she could always keep the same style, but leave a few more inches of security.

Photos courtesy of Daily Makeover

What do you think? Should Leah take the plunge?