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The Retro Glamour Edition!

The lovely May wrote me months ago expressing her love for this hairstyle.

From her email:

“I don’t think my hair needs drastic cutting. But for the life of me, I have no idea how to get it to do what I want. Right now I do nothing to it. It’s naturally blond, it’s fine but there’s a lot of it, and it’s stick straight.

Can you suggest something that won’t make me lose much length but will help me look red-carpet fabulous? I need product recommendations and help. I’ve always wanted to look like a movie star of yore, sort of celluloid glamorous.”

May’s hair:

I must admit, I became overly excited at the prospect of such a style for May. To me, she just emulates that old school look. (Red lips! Be sure to wear the perfect red lipstick!) So, I did a lot of research – finding ways to get the pin curl/finger wave look without the all of the hassle.

First off, I found this link, which lured me into the greatest time suck continuum of my life. Oh my god, I could look at these hairstyles all day. Roller sets? Photo tutorials of rolls? Get out of here! (I’ve also been catching up on the first season of Mad Men, which is just fueling this 50’s obsession I’ve got going on.)

That website is just chock full of tutorials on how to get the retro glamour look, but let’s be frank, those hairstyles take a LOT of time and effort. Right?

Well, then I came across this link, which described a more modern take. But to me, that photo doesn’t have the detailed wave pattern in the front that really completes the look.

So, I’m going to recommend mixing the two tutorials and meeting in the middle. This should achieve May’s desired look without actually placing pin curls all over her head and taking 1,200 hours.

WWWD (what Whoorl would do) for pin curls/finger waves/50’s hair:

1. Wash and towel dry hair.

2. Apply a setting lotion or wave enhancer all over. I recommend Frederic Fekkai Wave Creating Spray, it works really well on damp hair and smells great. (I use it with the curling iron.)

3. Going from ear to ear (up and around the head), section off the front 1-2 inches of hair and twist in a clip.

4. Blow dry the remaining hair while brushing with a GOOD boar bristle brush (to close the cuticle).

5. Curl the dried hair with a 1 to 1 1/2-inch ceramic curling iron, wrapping the hair around the barrel like so:

6. Continue curling. Voila, three-quarters of your hair is done. Now, loosely pull the curled hair into a band to get it out of the way.

7. Now, we’re going to finger wave the front to give that specific retro look. Pull the front hair out of the clip, making sure it is barely damp – not too wet, not too dry. The old-fashioned way is detailed here (ohmygodwhat?) OR you can buy some hair clamps at the local beauty supply store, and place those clamps horizontally like this or this and allow the hair to dry/set OR (this one is the easiest, fastest and of course, most expensive!) buy one of these.

Any of these options will work, depending on how much time you are willing to spend. (Me? If this were a hairstyle I was planning to create multiple times, I would buy the triple-barreled iron. Only special occasions? I would use the clamps.)

If you go with the three-barreled iron route, start towards the top of the hair, and work your way down, starting where the previous curl ends in order to keep the waves symmetrical. In fact, if you buy the curling iron, you can use it for the entire head of hair. (Thus rendering my detailed, step-by-step instructions completely useless. Am crying.)

Okay, then! Am I forgetting anything? What about you sessy ladies? Do you have any tips for May regarding a retro look? Do tell!

Ramón Alejandro Django has traumatized my fingers and typing hurts mucho. No small talk, chiquitas.

Britt:

Britt’s hair:

Usually has light brown hair with blond highlights, but went all blond this summer and hates it.
Very oily at the roots and dry at the ends
Medium-thick, with a bit of frizz
Just needs enough length to cover her “protruding ears”. Open for suggestions.
Spends about 30-40 minutes styling with a curling iron, blow dryer, and flat iron
Uses frizz serum, hairspray, root pump, leave-in conditioner, shampoo, conditioner

I love participants like Britt because I know no matter what hairstyle I recommend, she will be able to handle it. She’s obviously proficient with styling tools and such, so I don’t feel like I need to walk her through every single step. (Plus, she has very pretty hair!)

However:

Britt, honey? What is that nest-like situation back there? Was it a result of back-combing/teasing for volume? Could you refrain from that from here on out? Mucho gracias.

(I’m not picking solely on you, Britt. I’m picking on EVERY WOMAN who teases their hair and neglects to look at the back before leaving the house. You know you are out there. By all means, tease away, just be sure to smooth it out!)

Let’s darken Britt’s hair a little bit for the winter- her previous light brown with blond highlights sounds perfect to me. Since I know she will rock whatever style she decides on, I’m going to let the readers do the talking (voting).

Long or short, whoorlistas?

Anyone else think Britt looks like Kellie Pickler? (Clearly, another fan of the hair tease.)

Miss Dawn:

Dawn’s hair:

Natural reddish brown color
Normal condition
Wavy and thick
Needs hair to be long enough to pull back (babyproof)
Doesn’t have any time to style, pulls it back into a ponytail
Has a difficult time with bangs due to a stubborn cowlick

Oh, this is a hard one. Not due to Dawn’s hair condition, but her lifestyle. I like to keep things realistic on Hair Thursdays, and here’s the deal. Dawn wants long hair. She can’t have bangs due to cowlick. She has a baby, which means she inevitably is going to pull it back.

What to do, what to do.

I looked and looked and looked for a photo last night, but everything was too styled, too many layers, just too much for Dawn.

I know what I want her to do. I want her to trim an inch off the bottom, cut a chin-length layer in the front for some definition, start parting her hair on one side (make the cowlick WORK for it, Dawn), and I want her to cut very subtle, very fine layers all over to get rid of the triangle effect she has going on.

Now, when Dawn sent me an email, she remarked that her hair looked like The Rachel every time she cut layers. These are not the type of layers I’m talking about- I want VERY subtle layers, the kind that you can barely see, but will change the overall shape of the hair.

Then, I saw the photo in a magazine last night:

This is similar to what I’m aiming for – fine layers all over (see the shorter pieces blowing in the model-esque wind?), so a little of the overall bulk is reduced.

I think this cut would look beautiful and it doesn’t require any extra effort. In fact, it should be one of those styles that will have people wondering if you did something different with your hair, but still similar to your previous length.

Since I’m letting Dawn off practically scot-free, I have one more request. How amazing would her hair look in this color? (FYI -notice the subtle layers in this haircut as well. If Dawn straightened her new style, it would look very similar to this.)

Tell her!

The ONE night I blow off my duties for Gossip Girl, and it’s a rerun. The audacity.

Let’s continue the theme of DIY, only this time, our next participant literally DIYed herself. (As in, snip snip.)

Meet Ashley.

Ashley au natural:

And Ashley – straight:

Ashley’s hair:

Thick, wavy and frizz-prone
Lots of volume
Usually takes around 10 minutes to style, unless she straightens which is 30-35 minutes (uses a wet-to-straight iron)
Once straightened, she can go a few days without washing
Finger combs while wavy, uses mousse
Recently cut her own hair (GASP!)

Ashley sent a great email about being a fairly recent college graduate and wanting a more mature look. (Which immediately conjured up visuals of Bea Arthur. How about “polished”?)

Some excerpts from Ashley’s questionnaire:

I have a preference for STYLE. That would be, make me look more mature/older!! (HUH?) Like you, I seem to look much younger than I am. (Already buttering me up – I like it.) I have had a similar hairstyle my whole life and since I recently graduated from college and am entering the working world, I’d love to look put together and polished. I don’t seem to have what it takes to make my hair look good (whatever THAT is?! products? tools? hair implants?!).

As for her current feelings about her hair:

I wear my hair up about 75% of the time. Maybe more. Either a messy bun or ponytail is my style of choice, I’m ashamed to admit. I think it’s mainly because I’m not happy with my hair. I like it when I straighten it, but is there any way around it taking nearly an HOUR!? If I run everyday, that means I have to shower and straighten it everyday. That’s like 2 hours total. I just can’t do that! It dries pretty well naturally, but if I go to sleep with wet hair…it’s curly city in the morning! When I put mousse in it, it’s SO easy (I let it air dry). But I don’t love having product laden hair everyday, you know what I mean? It’s not that my hair is too crunchy or anything, it just doesn’t feel as natural.

This situation sounds very similar to hair woes I’ve had in the past.

First off, the whole college into working world transition. I’ve been there. In fact, I was so determined to look “mature” after graduating college that I lopped off my completely healthy hair into a Posh bob (of course, it was 12 years ago. Posh was just a twinkle in the Spice Girls’ eyes at that time.)

Oh, but that wasn’t enough! I thought blond highlights would be sassy, yet stylish (?) and polished (?).

Something like this:

That’s my token happy drunk face, if you were wondering.

That hairstyle and the color involved HORRENDOUS UPKEEP. It wasn’t worth it. Why was I trying so hard when I had lovely hair to begin with? What can I say, it was my early twenties.

So, where am I going with all of this blabbering? Ashley doesn’t have to make huge changes to pull off a more polished look.

I don’t think Ashley should lop off her hair. 2-4 inches at most, grazing the shoulder would be ideal- giving her the most versatility possible. The focus needs to be on different styling methods. First off, Ashley has a great wave pattern. Some light layers starting in between her cheekbone and chin all around her head would give her waves and instant boost. (Please don’t do this yourself. PLEASE ASHLEY IBEGOFYOU.)

Long sideswept bangs could make a huge difference with little effort. Ashley already cut long bangs herself, but I think having a professional blend those front layers into her hair would be fantastic.

As for products, I would suggest using Aveda Be Curly or Pureology RealCurl. Both of these products are going to define the natural shape of Ashley’s waves while adding shine and smoothing frizz. I personally use both of these products on my waves, and I love them both.

If we focus on playing up Ashley’s waves on most days, the styling time will be kept to a minimum so she doesn’t need to spend hours after her runs (runs, heh). Of course, some days call for that polished look, and I would recommend using a flat iron for a sleek look, or a large-barreled curling iron for big bouncy waves.

Ashley, I am NOT a fan of the wet-to-dry flat iron. I think you need to splurge and get yourself a ceramic or tourmaline flat iron (eBay has great deals). I promise you, a ceramic flat iron will actually reduce the time you’ve been spending with the wet-to-dry iron. Why? Because you don’t need to dry your hair at all! If you are anticipating wearing your hair straight, wash your hair the night before, let it air dry or sleep on it, wake up looking like a hot mess, and get that flat iron out and get to work. It takes less time and is less damaging because you aren’t drying AND straightening.

Wow, I’m quite the chatterbox today. Let’s get to some photos.

(Yes, these are recycled photos. I have no choice, as I spent all of my allotted time talking about the glory days.)

Okay, both have layers. #1 has heavier sideswept bangs, #2 is more similar to what Ashley is sporting right now. Both cuts will look fantastic when straightened (WITH A CERAMIC FLAT IRON, ahem) and they still give Ashley the versatility she needs.

Oh my, I have carpal tunnel. Please put me out of my misery and vote.

The HT theme of the week is Do It Yourself. Why am I sitting here typing this when I could be watching Gossip Girl? You all don’t need me!

Like Shawna, for instance.

Shawna’s hair:

Very thin and baby fine
Likes chin-length
Natural color is mousy brown, but has a front section with no pigment (white), so she highlights to blend
Hair gets oily by the day’s end

Shawna sent an email, as well as discussed her ongoing hair drama over here. In a nutshell, Shawna’s hair is extremely fine and thin, she can’t grow it too much longer without it looking stringy, and needs to highlight due to the pigment issue in the front. She just didn’t know how to remedy the situation.

Or did she?

Looking at her before photo, I thought her highlights looked lovely with her complexion. Beyond color, I was going to suggest keeping the bangs, trimming the ends about an inch, and keeping the layers. However, I wanted to suggest cutting back on the texturizing and/or side layers to give a fuller appearance.

I sent her an email asking if she needed to send an updated photo due to her submission from the days of yore, and she replied that she had just gotten her haircut.

And voila!

Bangs? Check.
Trimmed ends? Check.
Less texturizing? Check.
Quite lovely AND alleviating all of her concerns? Check.

Once again, WHY AM I HERE?

Don’t let the door smack your fine asses on the way out, ladies.

(Second participant coming tomorrow, but I really need to spend some quality time vapidly staring at my television screen tonight. Peace.)

Welcome to Hair Thursday 2008! Let’s start this year with lovely Mary Beth.

I love how Mary Beth sent me two photos, labeled “Done” and “Not done”. God, I love that second photo.

MB’s hair:

Medium to dark brown, with some gray threads coming in
Dry condition
Bastardly thick and wavy
Would like to go to shoulder length
Uses a big round brush, a hair dryer, and a tourmaline flat iron when styling
Uses Suave shampoo and Biosilk conditioner on a daily basis
Hair is “One big, mushroomy layer”

Well, speaking from experience (bastardly thick and wavy hair), MB needs to ride that mushroomy layer for a little longer and keep growing it out. Which, for HT purposes, is super boring, but trust me. I know that hair, as it is very similar to my own, and it needs to be longer to avoid the puffball effect.

I would recommend some additional texturizing in the meantime to keep the mushroom effect under control, and as it grows longer, adding some light layers around the front.

I added Option #1 because it might be something fun for now – to change up the look while she’s patiently waiting for growth. This was achieved with a curling iron – you know, similar to the way I’ve shown before. Kind of like a modern version of a 40’s bob, and fun for a night out without the kids.

Option #2 is what I would like to see as her hair grows out. Continuously taking the bulk of the weight out during her trims and adding long layers in the front (cheekbone-length) will be key. I think the face-framing layers will be a nice change to the all one-length look.

Since these photos are more of a “Now and Later” look, how about we vote on Mary Beth’s length. Do you think she should grow it out or keep it short?

Our next participant is Pam.

Pam’s Hair:

Naturally brown, with blondish-to-light brown highlights; doesn’t want to deal with upkeep
Normal condition
Naturally wavy/curly
Preference is shoulder-length or longer
Uses a large-tooth comb and hairdryer with diffuser attachment
Uses Ouidad products (GREAT for curly hair, BTW)
No layers in hair

All Pam has to do to change the overall look of her hair is to cut layers all over. Option #1 is what she should show her stylist. I would describe Pam’s hair as wavy, and when wavy hair is shoulder-length without layers, it has the tendency to just layyyyyyyy theeerrrre. It’s too heavy – the curls can’t show their full bouncy potential! Think of an old school phone cord, pull it taut and it’s straight, release it and it’s a spiral.

The greatest thing about layering wavy hair is that the layers will be virtually invisible. All she will notice is the vitality of her new curls, I promise.

(Wow. Vitality and old school phones. Where’s my Centrum Silver?)

So, get to it!

Option #1 is the cut. Pam can leave it a little longer than the photo, but the overall shape is what we’re going for here. Option #2 is the color – Pam should go with her natural light/medium color as the base and add highlights sparingly, nothing with too much upkeep. From the looks of her natural growth at the roots, a quick romp in a sunny locale might give her the natural highlights she’s looking for OR she could buy a semi-permanent rinse with a golden-toned color to add a little oomph.

It’s time to tell Pam what you think. Should she cut layers?

December 31st – under the wire! I don’t have much time to wax poetic, as I’m flying back to California today.

(DVD battery IS charged this time, thankyouverymuch.)

Lovely Caroline.

Caroline’s hair is baby fine and she has beautiful eyes. What about these options? Both would look great with her hair color, as well as her face shape.

Vote!

Next up: Stephanie.

Stephanie’s fine hair has a gorgeous natural color (DON’T CHANGE IT!), and she prefers to keep it above her shoulders. Sounds like a perfect candidate for a Pob (Posh bob), as shown in Option #1. (Not blond, of course. And how hard is it to find a decent photo of that bob? Sheesh.) Although, Option #2 would look lovely if she wants to add a little length and keep the bangs.

Vote!

This concludes the 2007 volumes of Hair Thursday. THANK SWEET JEBUS.

Happy New Year!