Search Results for: hair thursday

Erica’s hair:

Self-described “beastly hair”
Light-to-medium brown
Lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (which apparently has some hella extreme weather)
Combination curly/wavy

From Erica’s email, I do believe she is the owner of bipolar hair. Depending on the weather, her curls act completely differently, sometimes shiny and bouncy and other times, well, BLAH.

I think all of the wavy/curly gals out there will agree – at least, I know I do. What to do, what to do…

I really like Erica’s curls and her layering technique. Notice how her cheekbone-length layers keep the overall shape from looking like the dreaded triangle. I do think she could take about an inch or two off and have a darling wavy bob.

What about these options?

Option #1 would take a little of the length off and shorten her layers accordingly. It would be a fresh look for the summer season, which she could let air dry or use a curling iron (like the photo) to add defined curls here and there. Option #2 follows the same idea, but with the addition of bangs. (My only concern would be the humid Winnipeg summers. Serious Humidity + Bangs = Interesting.)

Also, Erica should read this post (remember my fabulous Curl Expert, Jamie?) which covers all of the curl bases to help tame the “beastly” hair.

What do you all think?

(The second participant will be featured soon. This girl needs a break from the laptop.)

Awww, will you look at these two lovebirds?

Meet Allison and Blake, my very first Hair Thursday: Couple Edition victims. The future of their healthy tresses is entirely in my hands. I’m drunk with power! MWAHAAHHHHAAAAAA.

Oh, don’t worry. I’m a Pepper too, Blake.

Allison’s hair:

Medium brown, natural highlights
Normal to dry
Usually washes every other day or two
Very straight
Preference for long hair. Her hair is her “security blankie”, and will not chop it off.
Addicted to hot rollers
Lots of ponytails

Let’s hear a little bit about Allison’s hair issues.

I have become addicted to my hot rollers. Truth be told, I’m a wannabe curly top. I want wavy hair! Alas, it is stick straight, heck, straighter than most sticks. And the whole curling iron, blow out thing is tough to do daily with our 4 children here. Did I mention I homeschool? THERE IS SUCH LITTLE TIME FOR ME. I end up taking about 3 FULL showers per week, meaning my hair is dry enough that for several days I can spit bathe, and pull my hair up. Braids, pony tails, twists, whatever. There are only so many hours in a day to take care of our 4, eat, bathe, work out, clean house, work on a remodel project, etc.

I’m hella exhausted just reading that, but I think Allison is approaching her hair routine exactly how she should. Honestly, how else could she approach it? She wants long hair, she doesn’t have time to style it every day, she needs low-maintenance options, etc.

Let’s look at a photo of Allison using her hot rollers.

I think her hair looks nice when hot-rolled- very healthy and full of bounce. Don’t you? So, what could we do to add a little spice to that head of hair?

I KNOW!

Well, two things. First, Allison needs to trim the ends and shape up the layers in the front.

Secondly, let’s COLOR it. (Squee!)

Judging by the photos, I think Allison could go a wee bit darker. Think luscious chocolate…in fact, her hair color change could be similar to one of our past participants, Lori.

Remember Lori?

Remember how Lori’s blue eyes just popped once she went a little darker? Well, if you take a look at Allison’s peepers, I do believe they are beautiful and blue and BEGGING to be noticed.

Here are two shades that would look lovely on Allison. It’s important for her not to go too dark, or she will risk looking a little garish. The first shade isn’t too much darker, but has red undertones throughout. Option #2 is about as dark as I would recommend going, but would still look pretty with Allison’s complexion.

Which shade do you prefer for Allison? Either way, her hair will look incredibly shiny and those blue eyes will shimmer.

Let’s not forget Blake!

Blake’s hair:

Very thick and wavy
Large cowlick in the front
Has worn all lengths
Needs a style that won’t hang in his eyes while looking downwards
Uses products (Aveda styling stick)

Blake is a graphic designer and has super hair, but both he and Allison think his current style is a little too Kris Kristofferson 70’s shaggy. (For the record, I am a huge fan of wavy, shaggy hair on boys. This may or may not be related to the fact that I live in a beach town with tan, shaggy-haired surfers everywhere. Yummy. Especially the ones with super dark hair and really white teeth…or the ones with the sun-bleached ends…yeah…definitely…wait, what was I talking about?)

Sorry.

Yes, the options.

Oh, I know what you’re thinking. Patrick Dempsey? HOW OBVIOUS.

Trust me, I spent hours yesterday (literally, HOURS) trying to find two suitable haircuts not involving Patrick Dempsey, but y’all, Blake has Patrick Dempsey hair. (!!!) Thick, wavy, healthy…seriously, how could I NOT.

Taking some length off the top in Option #1 would really enhance Blake’s thick waves. Right now, his hair is too weighed down to get much lift off his face. Plus, we need to get Blake’s cowlick to work with him, not against him. American Crew has some great grooming creams and pomades that would help keep the hair up, up and away. I also like how the sides and back of this haircut are left a little longer, where you can see a little wave here and there.

Option #2 would still leave some length on the top, but would be a much tighter cut around the sides and back. This is when Blake’s Aveda Style Stick would come in handy, just rub some between the palms and go crazy. Blake definitely has the volume to pull this off.

Now, go ahead. Tell Blake what you think!

Will you take a look at this woman?

It’s been several months, but I think it’s time to induct another participant into the Hair Thursday Fishing For Compliments Hall of Fame.

Cue lights! Fanfare! Trumpeteers!

Congratulations, Sarah! Your hair is so lovely that I just might weep.

That is her natural color, people! NOT FAIR, SARAH.

I’m totally pissed.

Obviously, Sarah doesn’t need much help with the color/style issue, but she did have questions about products. She currently owns a hair dryer and a flat iron, but doesn’t know what (if any) products to use while styling her hair. Judging from her photo, I don’t think she needs to use tons of different products on her hair. Since it’s so texturized, she could run the risk of weighing it down, but I do have a couple of recommendations that could make all the difference.

First off, Cutler Protectant Treatment Spray is AWESOME. I just started using it myself, and it does an excellent job of detangling and protecting my hair from heat styling and the sun. And don’t even get me started on the the scent. Honestly, I don’t wear perfume, but if I did, it would smell exactly like this. Light, fresh and clean. In fact, I might just start spraying it all over my damn body. Excuse me for a second.

The treatment spray would be a perfect way for Sarah to protect her gorgeous locks when busting out those styling tools or spending time out in the sun. Another product that I would recommend for her (or anyone who has texturized ends and/or flyaways) is the Cutler Fly-Away Stick, which would add smoothness and shine on days when she’s dealing with frizz (HELLO, summertime is on its way). Just rub a little bit between your fingers and work it through the rogue parts of your hair.

Cool? Cool.

(Sarah, let me know if you try out the products. Seriously, the scent alone is fantastic.)

Our next participant is Maui.

Maui’s hair:

Black, straight, very fine
Has grown-out layers mixed throughout
Wears ponytails all day, every day
Prefers longer hair

Maui’s a new mother, so I understand her preference to keep it longer in order to pull it off her face, BUT I think she needs to take off several inches.

In fact, the illusion of shorter length in her first photo confirms my thoughts. Taking those inches off will give her hair so much more vitality (HATE THAT WORD) and many more styling options. Maybe cutting it to the length of the bottom of the black stripe in the second photo. Oh yeah. That would look good.

Orrrr what about a little shorter with layers around the face? With a little curling iron action for extra oomph?

It’s a toughie. What do you think?

First things first. You guys, the craziness. THE CRAZINESS.

I’m currently in Oklahoma trying to catch my breath after a whirlwind trip to New York City this week.

(Deep breaths.)

And I have so much to tell you, but I simply can not until I get back to California and reattach my head.

Thanks to these ladies for making my last night in New York a fantastic one.

Metalia, Isabel, Deb, Sarah, Heather and Rebecca (with her new, soon-to-be-disclosed do)

Luckily, I had today’s Hair Thursday feature finished in my drafts. Viva la planning!

Enjoy, and I’ll be talking to you soon.

Amy’s Hair:

Light brown with lighter ends from sun exposure
Doesn’t want to highlight – too much upkeep
Healthy, very fine, stick straight
Likes shoulder-length or longer
Very interested in bangs, but is nervous about the commitment
Spends 1-5 minutes styling

While reading Amy’s questionnaire, three quotes jumped out at me.

“I really want long bangs, or maybe even shorter bangs for that matter, but I want them to sweep perfectly to the side, which they will do, but only if I blow them dry (and even then they don’t always go the side how I want), and I am lazy, and rushed and don’t always want to do that.”

“Every now and then, when I have time, I’ll blow out my hair and use a round brush. I like the way that looks.”

“I think my fine hair needs some layers because it’s so damn flat, but I look at pictures of my hair all one length and really like that look too. I am indecisive. Plus, I only like the layers when I take the time to blow it out. If I let my hair air dry, I hate them. I don’t always want to dry my hair everyday.”

In a nutshell, Amy likes her hair when she spends time on it, but doesn’t enjoy putting forth the effort. Um, might I refer you back to my Hair Thursday commandments?

I wish I could show Amy a fabulous haircut that morphs itself perfectly on the head without lifting a finger, but my feverish efforts to create a Hairstyle In A Can are not proving futile. Good hair requires effort, good hair requires effort, good hair requires effort. Say it with me, folks.

Here’s the deal, though. Good hair doesn’t require tons of effort! Just a little bit, and that’s what I’m asking of Amy. For instance, the bangs situation. On most days, I allow my hair to air dry, but still dry my bangs. It takes all of 2 minutes. 120 seconds, people. Should that even be considered “effort”? TWO MINUTES? Yet, I’m happy with the results. I’m not asking for back-breaking, brow-sweating effort over here.

{End tirade.}

So! Let’s look at some options for Amy.

Option #1 leaves Amy’s length intact. Long, sideswept bangs and layers around the face would give Amy the look of bangs without the upkeep. These type of long layers grow out easily, so she wouldn’t be dealing with multiple bang trims. I also would recommend using a light pomade around the front layers for some texture and movement, which would really help mask Amy’s color issues (since she doesn’t want to highlight to even out her color).

Option #2 is a would be such a chic look for Amy. First off, cutting off the length would get rid of her bleached-out ends and even out her color. Secondly, the bangs are still sideswept (easier to maintain than blunt), and wouldn’t require too much effort. This type of style is perfect for Amy’s fine, super-straight hair. Just a little bit of time on the bangs and she could head out the door.

Enough of my blathering, what do you think?

Next up, Marissa.

Marisa’s hair:

Dark brown, with lighter brown highlights
Healthy, despite swimming twice a week
Very thick, but individual strands are very fine
Lots of volume
Prefers current length or shorter
Spends 15 minutes or less on styling
Doesn’t own a blow dryer or any heat tools
Triathlete, needs to keep hair off face while exercising

I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that Marisa’s wavy hair is of the “shorter you cut it, the less wavy it is” camp. If you look at her photo on the right, you can tell the top of her hair is relatively straight. With that in mind, take a look at these options.

Option #1 would involve some light layering all over with very minimal piecey bangs. Marisa doesn’t need to cut the bangs if she doesn’t want, as I’m more concerned with her stylist cutting light, texturized layers to help give the waves more bounce. As I’ve mentioned before, texturized layers blend very well, so Marisa could easily pull her hair off her face.

Option #2 would be a great style for the upcoming summer months. It’s super stylish and would be a great short cut for her triathlete training. Marisa would only need a bobby pin to keep the front off her face while exercising, and it would dry quickly after her weekly swims. The shape of the style is very versatile – it would look great air-dried or flat-ironed for an occasional sleek look.

What say you, friends?