November 18, 1998
Question
Dear Karen
I love Natalie Imbruglia's funky edgy hairstyle. I want to get my hair cut
this way and would like some suggestions on what I need to do to pull it off. I have
a small face and my face is a cross between oval and square in shape.
My hair is medium in thickness and basically straight and currently to the top of
my collarbone. Right now my hair appears to be shapeless and blah.
Do you think my face shape and hair type would work in a "Natalie" do?
Any suggestions on products to use to get the look?
Beth
Answer
Hi Beth,
You are right. Natalie has a great funky do. You are also in luck with your face shape
and hair type. Natalie's look is ideally suited to someone with a smaller face and
fairly square features.
This is a young and very trendy look but it has the advantage of being very versatile.
It can easily be adapted to suit all ages.
Natalie wears her hair fairly short with long fringey bangs in the front and heavy
overall layers to give the look more weight and volume.
At the salon ask for a medium/short cut. It would be best to take a couple of
good pictures of Natalie with you to show the hairstylist exactly the type of hairstyle
you are looking for. Be sure and tell the stylist that you want heavy layers to give
you lots of volume.
Depending on your face you can either go with Natalie's long fringely bangs that she
wears in her eyes, or you can modify the look to suit you needs.
To give your hair lots of volume and thickness try ARTec's Volume Shampoo &
Conditioner. For added defintion and shine, after blowdrying on the
lowest, coolest setting, finish up with a little hairwax or gloss spray.
This style would also look great with mega trendy block colors. You could do a
temporary hair mascara thing and paint some trendy block colors along the temples, at the
crown or on the bangs.
This is not a great hairstyle for anyone with a long or rounded face, very curly
hair, or hair that is ultra thick or baby fine.
Enjoy!
Karen
Question
Dear Karen
I turned 40 on my last birthday. The problem is that I have very long hair
down to my tush. My sister has been bugging me to get a "more modern" look
and have my hair cut to mid-back or shorter. At first I was angry because my sister
has short hair and I assumed that she was just jealous of my long hair. Now I am not
so sure whether she is right or not.
Recently two of my friends at work commented that "older women" should
wear their hair shorter. I think my hair is in good shape. I work hard at
keeping the ends trimmed and the hair conditioned. I use salon quality products from
Paul Mitchell and I do a hot oil treatment about 2 a month. Am I being unreasonable?
Is it true that "older women" should wear their hair shorter? Please give
me some advice so that I can get another opinion.
Melanie
Answer
Hi Melanie
I left 40 behind a few years ago. My hair is a couple inches below my waist and
still growing. I don't plan to ever cut it again during this lifetime. I do
have it religiously trimmed every 8-10 weeks and take very good care of my hair like you
do.
For some reason one of the "hair fallacies" that people still hold is
that women over 40 should wear their hair shorter. This idea has been around for a
long time and it not based on anything other than opinion.
I personally believe that people show wear their hair to please themselves. So if
you enjoy your hair long and are willing to take care of it, then I strongly encourage you
to do so. It doesn't matter what your sister or your work friends think. It is your
hair and you should wear it the way that you feel best about.
I have people constantly giving me suggestions on how I should wear my hair. They
tell me I should wear it up or without bangs or with thicker bangs or even blonder.
I think that people use long hair as a conversation topic and may not mean any harm.
The bottom line is to listen to your own heart and follow your own instincts.
Best wishes,
Karen
November 6, 1998
Question
Dear Karen
For my whole like I have worn bangs that hang to my eyebrows because stylists have
always told me that I have a "high forehead" and that I should cover it with the
most flattering look. I would like to try something different , even with short
pixie bangs, but I am afraid that the results will look hideous. What styles should
I try with my medium length dark blonde hair- I am willing to cut and style differently.
Liz
Answer
Hi Liz,
The key to a high forehead is to try not to make it appear to be any higher than it
already is. The good news is that when it comes to bangs and a high forehead, you do
not have to limit yourself to just straight bangs that hang to your eyebrows.
You can still "break up" your forehead with a variety of different types of
bangs. You would probably do well with wispy bangs, textured or layered bangs or
bangs that are parted to the side, feathered, curled or angled. I can understand
your concern with looking hideous, but you do have many options to select from that I
think would look great with your face shape.
While I would not necessarily recommend "short pixie bangs" I think you could
consider a modified version of them as long as the final look does not focus on
your forehead. Why don't you start slow and approach a new bang look by
having your stylist try a shorter bang that is either texturized or layered or parted to
one side.
Best wishes,
Karen
Karen has graciously agreed to answer your hair care questions. Although Karen
would like to answer all of your questions personally, due to the large volume of e-mail
that she receives, she may not be able to do so. Please check this page first to see if
she has already answered your question. Please don't ask a question if it has already been
answered here. Remember, this is a free service - please be polite.
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