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This week is all about showcasing and working with your specific hair strengths. Admit it, we all have those times when we look into the mirror and want the exact opposite of what is staring back at us. The grass is always greener, right? Some days, I imagine myself traipsing around the beach with a platinum blond Patricia Arquette-style bob. However, I know better. Chasing after a style that doesn’t suit your hair type, skin tone or face will get you nowhere in the long run.

Let’s celebrate our strengths! What say you?

Our first participant is Taylor.

The first step in my Hair Thursday process is looking long and hard at the photo(s). Lately, I’ve been envisioning a specific style right away and it becomes hard to imagine anything else.

Unfortunately, what seems to be happening is I then read the person’s questionnaire and their requests don’t match up with the kind of hairstyle I envision for them. I always end up choosing to find a hairstyle that suits their wishes, but it’s not really what I WANT for them. (Isn’t that what matters?! WHAT I WANT?!)

What’s a girl to do?

With Taylor, I am going to post two lovely options. My initial “poof-moment” hairstyle and one that would better suit her needs. And what are those needs, you ask?

Taylor’s Hair:

Naturally dark brown, colors to hide grays
Good condition, a little oily (has to wash everyday)
Very straight
Finely textured
Growing it out from chin-length because “she can’t deal with it in her face” – (DAMN YOU, TAYLOR.)

Taylor’s strengths are her fine texture and super-straight, shiny hair. She has the type of hair that looks fantastic from chin-length to shoulder-length. Anything past the shoulders might end up looking a little flat, though. My initial thought was to take her length up to the chin and add fringed, sideswept bangs like option #1. That way, she could showcase her hair’s shine and fine texture with a fun, yet sleek, style. Plus, her bangs would never look slept-on or oily since she washes every day.

THEN, I read her questionnaire with the part about hating hair in her face. WHY, Taylor, WHYYYY?

Option #2 would be very easy for her to achieve right now and takes her wishes into account. Take a look at her side profile photo. Notice the front layers in her hair? She would want to keep those front layers as long as she could, while taking the back up to create a very slight inverted bob with textured ends. That way the longest hair will be in the front, allowing her to put behind her ears or keep out of her face, but still possessing a hip style with the textured ends that elongates her neck as well. Come to think of it, I’m starting to like this idea more as I write about it.

Regardless, both would look great on Taylor. What do you think?

Our second participant is Bryanna.

Continuing with the theme of working with your strengths, look at Bryanna’s gorgeous ringlets! Whoah!

Bryanna’s Hair:

Brown with recently added golden highlights
Good condition
Curly, curly, CURLY

Bryanna wants to keep her hair long, but is “desperate for a change”.

First off, I think her recently-added golden highlights are beautiful. The way the light reflects off of the curls is really warm and pretty, plus gives the ringlets definition. Since Bryanna wants to keep her hair long, I hate to say that I don’t have any big changes in store for her. Like I said, embrace your strengths!

I think Bryanna should cut 2-3 inches off the bottom to remove a bit of the heaviness, but should consider other options for a “change”. How about changing her part? Side parts and center parts give off totally different vibes. Also, I definitely think she should break out the flat iron and do a sleek, straight look once in awhile.

All in all, I love her curls and would hate to see them hacked off, resulting from a “grass is greener” moment.

The following photos are of the same person. I like the length and how she wears her hair with the natural curl (#1), but also softens the curl for a different look (#2).

Both of these styles would look beautiful on Bryanna. Add a flat-ironed style once in awhile, and she’s got 3 styles to choose from.

Even though these photos aren’t technically an either/or situation, you all want to vote don’t you? Well, have at it.

Speaking of flat irons, this one is my very favorite. And you are NOT getting a video tutorial, thank you very much. Just be sure to apply a thermal protectant (like this one) before using the iron. Clip you hair up and starting from the bottom layers, work with 1-2 inch sections, careful not to clamp one section for too long. Keep the flat iron moving at all times, working slowly down the sections until you have completed all of the sections. Work a small amount of FF glossing cream through the hair from the middle to the ends. Voila! Straight, shiny hair.

Holy crap, you guys. Free ice cream for everyone!

Um, not really.

I was planning to bust out an ice cream pie chart whoorl-style, but promptly remembered it was Wednesday. As in the day before Thursday, and holy hell I need to finish Hair Thursday pronto. Another day, I suppose.

This Hair Thursday is a little different. Our first participant will not be receiving a whoorl makeover.

Meet Hala.

Have you ever heard the term “fishing”? As in fishing for compliments?

Hala is fishing. Listen honey, if your hair is shinier than mine, you ain’t getting no help from whoorl.

I kid, I kid. Hala’s a doll! (And a fellow SoCal mama!)

I totally understand where Hala was coming from when she sent her submission. She was just sick of her hair. Her beautiful, chocolate, shiny, perfect hair. She wanted something new. Hey, we all feel that way now and again. In fact, just this morning I nearly chopped my bangs to the scalp.

(Actually, I did cut my bangs clear to the scalp as a child in a overly dramatic attempt to piss my parents off. Unfortunately, their reaction was of hysterical laughter. Not really what I was striving for. I had to wear a headband right at my hairline for like, 3 months. Awesome.)

You know what I love most about Hala? A couple of weeks after her initial submission, she sent me another email stating that she decided to give the whoorl curling iron trick a spin. She even admitted to not thinking it would work before trying it out.

And look at the result.

The shine! The movement! The volume! Beautiful, right?

Do you SEE where I’m going with this? Hair Thursday Rule #2. Good hair requires effort. Say it with me, GOOD HAIR REQUIRES EFFORT.

I can honestly say that I wouldn’t want to see any other hairstyle on Hala. She looks fabulous!

*stepping down from soapbox*

Our next participant is Melanie.

Melanie’s hair:

Thick
A little bit of “wave” from cowlicks
Never colored
Perms her hair
Doesn’t use any styling tools
Uses product, including hair paste for definition
Loves short hair because of the ease

In Melanie’s email, she mentioned she might be rockin’ a little mullet. Yes, yes. I’m seeing some mullet action here.

Let me preface this entry by stating my feelings towards hairstyles with shorter sides and longer backs. I’m not a fan. I know, there are plenty of women who enjoy this hairstyle. Look at Meg Ryan! Lisa Rinna!

Even Cate Blanchett has been wearing the style. I wish I could be more open-minded about the modified mullet, but I just can’t. Like I said, I am made of asshole. Anti-mullet asshole. So what should we do?

Melanie likes short hair, right? Well, let’s chop off the back! How easy would this style be? It’s so fun and fresh, plus totally stylish. Since Melanie already uses hair paste, she wouldn’t need to deal with any new products. Plus, she could stop perming her hair. The paste would give her all the definition she needs.

I emailed Melanie yesterday to ask about her current length and she mentioned that her sides had grown to approximately chin level. If that’s the case, she could also take off the back and go for a bob. Option #2 shows a great shaggy bob where the front is still a little bit shorter than the back, but not to the point where it is harsh. The razored ends of this hairstyle make it easy to add shape to the hair and create a fun flicked-out finish that would look great on Melanie.

What do you all think?

Sorry for the delay. My laptop experienced a massive stroke this morning and is in the ICU for the next couple of days, which leaves me with my husband’s laptop for a very few hours in the evening.

Never fear! Whoorl is INVESTED in Hair Thursdays. This morning, when I unsuccessfully attempted to turn on my computer and the realization hit me that OH MY GOD, I could possibly lose everything on my hard drive (because YES, I am the asshole who doesn’t back up her computer), do you know what the very first thought that ran through my mind was? That I just lost every photo of my beautiful son from day one to the present?

No.

That all of my precious videos were gone forever?

Um, no.

My very first thought I had was, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY, if I just lost my fuckity fucking Excel spreadsheet of my YEAR’S WORTH of Hair Thursday participants, I will kill someone.

Seriously. That was my first thought. Okay, maybe not a year’s worth, but Hair Thursdays are officially booked through March 2008. Hell yes.

(Also, if anyone cares, I successfully started up my computer in safe mode and backed up my hard drive. Even if my sweet little PowerBook doesn’t make it through, I’ll have my goddamn Excel spreadsheet.)

Enough talk! Let’s get moving!

Say hello to Annie.

Annie’s Hair:

Brown with natural auburn highlights
Starting to go gray at “an alarming rate”, will need color
Thick and straight, but a little wavy at the hairline
Wanting to upgrade her hair products
Wants a dramatic change (8-12 inches off)
10-20 minutes styling time
Uses blow dryer and curling iron

Let me preface this with a statement. I feel rather strongly about a color for Annie. In fact, there will be no voting today for the color. WHOORL HAS SPOKEN.

Annie NEEDS to be a redhead. End of story.

Look at her skin tone! Her eyes! The natural red highlights! I’m telling you, the above colors would look perfect on her. Screw the whoorl democracy – I am a DICTATOR and if you disagree with my color choice, I will ban you (or your IP address) from the site FOREVAH. Don’t try me, people.

Moving along! Hippity hoppity!

According to Annie, she would like to do something “dramatic” with the length. She mentioned 8-12 inches, which means roughly around her jawline. To appease Annie, I will include an option with a shorter cut, but I think a shoulder-skimming style would best suit her face shape. (Am I leading today or what? GAH.) Let’s take a look at the options.

If Annie wants to go short, I like the bob in option #1. It’s not as texturized as some of the bobs we’ve seen in recent weeks, giving it a fuller look instead of lying flat against the face, which would be very complimentary to Annie’s face shape. I also really like the fringed bangs. Annie wouldn’t need to use much product, maybe just a smoothing serum while blowdrying.

Option #2 is a little more versatile. I like the short, jagged layers throughout- once again, giving it a fullness which would complement Annie’s face structure. It would be very easy to style – a round brush and blow dryer would do the trick. Plus, it would look great on a REDHEAD.

Have I made myself clear?

Which style do you prefer for Annie the REDHEAD?

Next up: Anne.

Anne’s Hair:

Fine and extremely straight
Natural color
Healthy
Lies very flat, very fine and no volume – layers tend to disappear
Needs bangs, her hair grows forward. Very hard to pull back
Wants wash and go
Willing to spend more on the right product
Wants to know about a good hairspray

Okay, let me get this straight. (Get it? STRAIGHT! Bwahahaaa, I crack myself up.) Anne needs bangs, she has very straight hair and it lies relatively flat. I’m thinking a Page Boy bob is the way to go for a shorter hairstyle.

Option #1 could be an ideal cut for Anne. Not many hair types can pull this look off. The hair must be straight, lie flat and be accepting of bangs, which fits Anne to a tee. Anne also mentioned she has a large head, and this cut (the bangs, especially) will complement a longer face.

However, this style is one of the hardest to cut. You need a stylist who does precision work. With layers, you always have a little wiggle room, but a bob like this takes time. If you look at the back of Anne’s hair, you can see how the ends look a little choppy and uneven (from an unsuccessful run-in with an inexperienced stylist). With a precise cut, the ends will mesh together. (What I’m trying to say here is please don’t attempt this cut at the local strip mall chain for $20.)

Option #2 would be a nice longer style for Anne. The hair length is approximately shoulder level with lots of feathering layers added from the cheek bone down. I do think this particular photo shows the hair straightened to the extreme – I don’t think Anne would be forced to use the flat iron since her hair is already so straight naturally. Maybe some touch-ups here and there. Also, I think this color would warm up Anne’s complexion. Add the fringed bangs and the golden highlights and voila, a beautiful style.

Tell Anne which option you prefer.

Alright, party’s over. I’ve got to figure out how to access all of my email accounts without my lovely Entourage application. Peace out.

Polls are back up. If you didn’t get a chance to vote, please scroll down and add your vote in the boxes. (Like hell if I’m going to sort through your comments.)

I have a feeling y’all might know today’s participants. Let’s just call this one Attack of the Pretty Brunettes.

First off, we have the lovely Emily of Not That You Asked fame. (Now in TWO FLAVORS!)

Emily’s hair:

Natural color
Healthy – no split ends or damage
Thick
Curly
Uses a ceramic flat iron every day
Wants to go shorter

Emily and I have been email pals for quite some time, and recently had the chance to touch each other’s luscious locks in person at Blogher. (And maybe consume lots of sangria, wine, beer, cape cods, and martinis.) What I’m trying to say is, I CAN’T SCREW THIS ONE UP.

Emily had a general idea of her new cut – short, choppy bob with long sideswept bangs and a color change, and I agree wholeheartedly. (Except for the color change…it’s so warm and perfect for her skin tone! Like hot chocolate!) One of the best cuts for a heart-shaped face like Emily’s is a chin-length bob. For instance, Katie Holmes’ new bob, which is razored and choppy and super fun. However, since Emily is already proficient in using a flat iron every day (would you ever have guessed that? It’s so shiny and NON-damaged!), she could also pull off a chin-length, one-length bob. Let’s take a look.

First off, I have to apologize. I try my hardest to find hairstyles of the same color to help visualize the cut, but Jenny McCarthy’s bob was exactly what I was looking for in a one-length bob. So, just imagine it’s brunette.

(Oh, that reminds me. I really appreciate your tips regarding those online “hairstylers”, where you can try styles on your own photo, but I always find the final look in those programs to be unnatural and well, a tad hokey. I think I will stick with this for the time being, but thank you all the same!)

I equally love these two styles for Emily, and in essence, they are very similar. The only main difference is that Option #1 has the long sideswept bangs and some razored layers throughout. Here’s another photo showing her layers more clearly. This option could be great for Emily because she could use the flat iron, but also let a little of her curl come through on other days. And this look is definitely “choppier” than Option #2.

Option #2 is probably less versatile than Option #1 due to the same length all around, but this would look gorgeous on Emily. You have to rock some seriously shiny hair to pull this off. Think about it, if there are no layers to allow more of a messy look, you really have keep it straight and healthy. Obviously, Emily has the perfect hair for this and since she already uses the flat iron regularly, it wouldn’t be difficult for her to style. However, I would definitely recommend a thermal protectant before drying!

What do you all think?

The next participant is the lovely Miguelina (of the blog formerly known as Diary of a Reluctant Housewife).

Miguelina’s Hair:

Natural color
Straight and fine
Thick
Wants to keep it long (for ponytails)
Doesn’t do more than brush it twice a day (Uses a Mason Pearson! YAY!)
Loves products, but most make her hair feel heavy

Miguelina, just pipe down and brush your gorgeous hair. Sheesh.

Okay, okay. I know where you’re coming from. Although your hair is gorgeous (and your baby!), it does lack a “style”. Well, that’s easy to remedy! Feast your eyes on this!

Long layers! Long bangs! Big round brushes! CERAMIC CURLING IRONS!

Both of these options exhibit a similar style – Option #1 is just longer than Option #2. So, the question is should Miguelina add long layers only or should she add long layers and cut off 3 inches? Once she has the layers, she can blow-dry with a big round brush for Option #2’s look or use a certain person’s curling iron technique to duplicate Option #1.

(By the way, Miguelina confesses to being lazy in the hair department. I totally understand, but if you want a style, you need to STYLE it! See Hair Rule #2.)

As for the long face-framing layers, I would suggest blow-drying the top front section of the hair downwards into the face. That way, it will sweep downwards and to the side, instead of up and over, like it wants to do naturally. Just doing that will change the overall look dramatically. I think it could be exactly what Miguelina’s looking for in a style. Also, look into purchasing a light mousse for a little lift. Several hair brands have recently introduced new, lightweight mousses for natural-looking volume. They ain’t your momma’s old mousse, that’s for sure.

What do you all think?

Voting is closed.