Would like to get rid of gray
Looking for a relatively conservative cut
“Insanely” curly hair
Coarse texture
Thinning a little on top, but thick overall
Lets it dry naturally
Suzan works for the government and needs a professional look that will highlight her natural curls.
I think Suzan has nice curls, and I’d like to see her grow her hair a little longer. Hitting just below the shoulder (when dry) would be a nice length with her face shape.
I love the length of the first photo for Suzan. Although Suzan’s curls don’t look to be as tight as Bernadette Peters’ curls, I think the overall look will be very similar. Plus, with Suzan’s curls, the look will be a little less WOWZA and a little more tame for her job as an government attorney. Also, the length will allow Suzan to pull her hair off her face if necessary.
Now, the change I would like to see the most is Suzan’s hair color. I’d like to see more warmth in her color – maybe some subtle auburn tones like the above photo. It seems Andie MacDowell now uses L’Oreal Excellence Creme in 5G – Medium Golden Brown (here’s a photo of her recent color), but I think the above photo might have been when she was using the 5RB Medium Reddish Brown shade.
I don’t want Suzan to go too light, but as most of us know, at-home hair color usually comes out darker than you think it will. I would stick with the medium brown shades for a nice, subtle change.
Let me hear from my home hair color gals. Do you have any suggestions for shades for Suzan?
Our first Hair Thursday of 2009! Say hello to Victoria.
Victoria’s hair:
Naturally ashy blonde with subtle highlights – likes a natural look
Normal condition
Medium thickness
Naturally wavy, but straightens easily
Prefers medium to long length
Likes Bumble & Bumble products
Victoria wants a look that can be worn both wavy and straight. When she’s styling it straight, she uses a blow dryer and a flat iron occasionally. Otherwise, it’s air-drying all the way to emphasize her natural waves.
Now, I’m a little torn on choosing the optimal length for Victoria. From her before photos, she looks great with both lengths. I think I shall pick both lengths as options and let you all choose- how about that?
Let’s take a look at the options.
Victoria mentioned she has never had bangs. Well, I think she has the perfect type of hair and face shape for beautiful sideswept bangs alá Jennifer Garner. These type of bangs are very easy to style and a breeze to grow out.
(Hint for sideswept bangs! While blowdrying, brush your bangs in the OPPOSITE direction that you want them to lay. When they are dry, smooth them in the direction you want. It’s virtually fool proof, I promise.)
Option #1 would be a nice, subtle departure from Victoria’s relatively one-length hair without sacrificing length.
For a shorter look, Option #2 would also look lovely with Victoria’s features. She could easily wear this style straight or wavy and the length would really accent Victoria’s beautiful cheekbones.
(Hey! Product recommendation for 2nd day wavy/curly hair! Bumble and Bumble Reactivating Mist is a light spray that helps to revive curls and waves. I’m just starting to use it….I’ll get back to you with my final thoughts. Anyone else using this?)
Some of you might recognize this man. Dave is the brother of one of my very favorite people in the universe, Kristin of Better Now fame. If you don’t regularly read Kristin’s blog (which OMG, what are you waiting for?), she recently posted about the state of Dave’s hair.
No matter how much mocking he hears from his family or girlfriend, Dave will NOT cut his 1990s long hair because, among other reasons, “the chicks dig it.” Dave, Dave, Dave….what are we going to do with you?
Kristin put a call out to her readers and Dave agreed to cut his locks if she received 500 comments (which now stands at 465 as I type this). Looks like it might be time for the choppy chop, Dave. Will the handsome, grizzly, people-wary Mountain Man shed a tear over lost locks? We shall soon see.
Don’t worry, Dave. You are in good hands – I promise you, even with shorter hair, I will pick looks that the chicks will be sure to dig.
Let’s get started. First off, Dave has great hair. It’s thick and wavy and the minute I saw his photos, I immediately thought of Scott Speedman.
And look, Dave! Scott Speedman rocked the longer, straggly ‘do as well.
Eh, it’s not horrible, but it most certainly is not good. What about these two options?
Now, that’s what I’m talking about. Option #1 is the shorter of the two – the back of the hair is short enough to be hidden from a frontal view, but the top still has length so Dave can still show off his blond, wavy locks. And don’t even get me started on how perfectly this cut would accent Dave’s strong jaw and features.
Option #2 has the same general shape in the front as #1, but is longer all around. This might be a good way for Dave to ease into the shorter hair look.
Either way, I have a sneaking suspicion that the ladies will be swooning once Dave’s hair is short enough to show off his handsome features. (Don’t get any ideas, gals. He’s taken.)
Oh! One other thing – these haircuts look great with a little scruff.
Am I right or AM I RIGHT? While y’all vote, I’m going to stalk Scott Speedman.
Tell Dave what you think! Which option should be the winning look?
Alright, time to meet yet another Dave.
Dave’s lovely girlfriend Kate sent me an email with a desperate plea to help her man. I would have to agree that it is indeed desperado time. Dave, we need to cut that hair off.
Now, Dave’s hair has a couple of challenges – it is curly, but very prone to stringiness and frizz. Kate told me that his usual process consists of cutting his hair to ear-length, letting it grow to his shoulders and repeating the process.
I think Dave’s face is being shadowed by that crazy hair and the time has come to say goodbye. Here are the options I propose.
Option #1 is a good look for Dave’s hair type. In fact, this actor’s hair has a very similar texture and weight. This cut would put the focus back on Dave’s face, and I’m pretty sure saying sayonara to those stringy curls would not only look great, but feel great too.
Option #2 is a little longer, just in case Dave feels a little hesitant. What I do like about this cut is that the sides are hitting at the top of the ear, so the overall look is much cleaner.
What do you all think? Be sure to tell Dave #2 what to do!
Naturally a dark blond, but dyes dark brown
Normal condition (besides crazy pregnancy growth)
Thick, but fine. A little bit of wave
No preference for length…finds shorter to be easier with a baby
Uses Aveda products
Doesn’t wear ponytails often
Keely is mere weeks from delivering her second baby, so we’re not going to do anything TOO crazy. Lord knows, we don’t need a hormonal hair meltdown of disastrous proportions. Keely is “looking for ease, wanting to be stylish and maybe a little sexy (even though I’ll be getting no sleep).”
Keely has gorgeous, thick hair with a lot of volume. Take a look at these options.
Option #1 is a sexy, no-fuss look. Long enough to pull away from the face during double diaper duty, short enough to accent Keely’s features. Since Keely enjoys Aveda products, I would suggest using Be Curly, applying it while damp and allowing her natural wave to come through. Keely could also use a curling iron around the front to add texture to her waves.
Option #2 would really emphasize Keely’s cheekbones. I love the longer bangs, the flicked ends and the overall length. However, to achieve the smooth and sleek look, Keely would need to use a flat iron once in awhile.
Now, Keely and I discussed a possible color change. I love her dark hair, but I do think this golden brown shade would look gorgeous on her too. Very sassy, don’t you think?
What about the cut? Let Keely know what you prefer.
Jessica is our next participant.
Naturally a dirty blond, but highlights have made it progressively blonder
Interested in going darker
Normal condition with a bit of frizz
Thick and wavy
Prefers chin to shoulder length
Spends virtually no time styling
Owns a supermarket brush that “is over 8 years old and craptastic”, would like suggestions for a new one
Looking for a “sassier cut”
Uses Bumble & Bumble products
Jessica definitely can go darker, but too dark could be rather frightening with her fair complexion.
The color in option #1 is what I would recommend. This shade would work very well on Jessica – the golden highlights would warm up her complexion, but the overall darker base would give her hair much more dimension.
Beyond the color, let’s talk about cuts. Option #1 would leave the length, but the addition of long layers around her face would help give the illusion of a shorter face length. Option #2 would look great if Jessica wants to go shorter. (Hi Holly! Thanks for letting me use your photo again!)
As for a brush, I couldn’t live without my Mason Pearson. (They are a pretty penny, I KNOW.) However, I recently found a great round brush for a great price at Ulta. Made by Brushlab, this brush is made from natural bristles and most importantly, does not create static in my hair. Ladies, that is pretty hard to find, especially in the wintertime. These round brushes come in several different sizes for all different hair lengths, and they are under 20 bucks.
Back to the task at hand. What cut do you suggest for Jessica? Keep it long or go short?
Kat is one of Hair Thursday’s biggest supporters – she leaves positive, insightful comments all of the time and I just love having her around in general.
Now, as you can see from the above photos, Kat has beautiful hair. For God’s sake, look at that perfect ponytail.
Oh, and don’t forget the shine.
Sickening, really.
Kat’s hair grows super fast and is super straight and she is SUPER BORED. She even put up a poll at her own blog to help her make a decision. Long or short? Natural or highlights? Bangs or no bangs?
Here are my two cents. I’m willing to put money on the fact that people would kill for Kat’s shiny, straight thickness. However, I know she is bored and wants a change. My suggestion to Kat would be to keep her hair color as natural as possible – no matter what kind of color she uses, nothing is shinier than virgin hair. Amen to that. If Kat continues to highlight, I would not suggest going any lighter than the highlights in the above photos. I DO think they look very pretty, so if that’s what Kat needs to feel like she’s making a change, by all means, go for it.
As for a style, I don’t think Kat should discount the idea of bangs. Looking at the above photo, it seems her bangs are cut a little too wispy for her hair type. If she tries bangs again, I would suggest heavier ones. (By “heavier”, I mean I don’t want to see the forehead through the bangs. Also, do I detect a cowlick? If so, the heavier bangs will help with that.)
Here are some examples of heavier bangs.
Some of these bangs are cut on an angle, some are straight across, but they all are heavier than Kat’s previous bangs. I definitely think that is the key.
(Kat, since your hair grows super fast, I would recommend going with a blunt, straight-across bang first and as they grow, have your stylist shape them into an angled, sideswept look. That way, you get the best of both worlds.)
Take a look at these options.
If Kat decides against the bangs, I like Option #1 for her hairstyle. The layers around the face add some movement and texture, which could help add some dimension to Kat’s straight hair. Kat would definitely need a pomade or wax to help separate and “flick” the ends. (Maybe even use a flat iron to create some loose waves? By the way, I’m working on that video tutorial and it should be up next week, if I can stop vomiting over the sound of my voice.)
Option #2 has the same kind of beachy, separated look but with bangs.
Of course, both of these styles will look great in Kat’s natural straight state, but I thought the addition of some waves would be a nice departure.
So what do you all think? Should Kat cut bangs to change it up?
No time for chit chat – just lots of awesome hairstyles and of course, your votes.
Courtenay:
Courtenay’s hair:
Auburn brown
Extremely thick, very straight
Prefers hair out of eyes
Always has hair in ponytail or messy bun
Courtney, I love your natural auburn color. However, with hair this thick, I think you need to grow it longer to give it more weight. If you keep the length where it grazes your shoulders, it will always flip up and/or gravitate towards your face. Here are some options for you.
Alyce:
Alyce’s hair:
Dyed platinum blond several months ago and slowly repairing color
Very thick, tendency to frizz
Wants something “cute and short”
Alyce, I definitely gravitate towards a darker blond or strawberry blond for you. I think a shorter style would look great with your features. These would be super cute on you, but FYI, you are going to have to texturize the hell out of your hair.
Susie:
Susie’s hair:
Light brown with golden highlights
Normal to oily condition
Very thick and wavy hair
No preference for length
Uses flat iron occasionally
Loves the messy bun look
Tons of layers in hair
Susie, I like your hair with a little more length. Right now, the shorter cut combined with all of your layers is creating a little bit of a helmet-type shape. Keep growing and blending the layers – once it’s a tad bit longer, you will be able to pull it back into messy buns all the time.
Kristi:
Kristi’s hair:
Light medium brown, considering a color change
Oily at the scalp
Very fine, naturally curly
No preference for length
Cut her own layers
Kristi, I think you should go with a blond shade with a hint of red (like #1) or even blonder. (You know, to match your darling baby!)
