Kristen Bell: Classic Golden Chignon

Introduction

Blonde, bubbly actress Kristen Bell is sizzling hot.  Not only did she recently announced her engagement to long time love Dax Shepard, she made the rounds of the recent New York fashion week.

On TMZ.com a poll was posted which asked a Who'd You Rather? question about Kristen Bell, Michelle Tractenberg or Mena Suvari.  The question refers to a couple of meanings but taken at face value it means who would you rather be.  Of the 100,000+ respondents, 53% picked Kristen, 31% picked Michelle and only 16% picked Mena Suvari.

I guess that just goes to show you how popular Kristen Bell is right now.

Costume Designrs Guild Awards At Beverly Hilton Hotel

The 29 year old newly engaged actress recently presented the award for Excellence in Contemporary Film to Doug Hall for his amazing work on Crazy Heart! at the Costume Designers Guild Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

The buttery blonde actress wore her tresses pulled loosely back off a center part into a sleek chignon which rested near the nape of her neck in back.

Soft wisps of free flowing hair were allowed to softly frame her beautiful face on either side of the part.  Her blonde tresses worked perfectly with the gorgeous sequined golden Stella McCartney gown and "Elazer" sandals by Jimmy Choo.   The center part drew attention to her flawless honey complexion and her stunning eyes.

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Beautiful blonde Kristen Bell's hair worked perfectly with the gorgeous sequined golden Stella McCartney glown and "Elazer" sandals by Jimmy Choo. she wore to the Costume Designers Guild Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

To draw attention to her breathtaking gown she worn her buttery blonde tresses pulled back off a center part into a classic sleek chignon which rested near the nape of her neck in back. Soft wisps of free flowing hair were allowed to softly frame her beautiful face on either side of the part.

The center part and side floating strands due attention to her glowing honey complexion but not to the point of detracting from the shimming gown.

Kristin Bell Hair 411

During the initial shooting of the pilot for "Veronica Mars" I had the great fortune to meet the on-set hairdresser who was doing Kristen's hair.  At the time she was virtually and unknown but her hairdresser told me she was going to be a big star. 

She also told me Kristen was a real sweetheart and that even though they had to struggled with her hairstyle being shot on the beach and requiring constant diligence to achieve a consistent look, Kristen was great to work back.

Hair Flashbacks: Kristen Bell & Veronica Mars

When Kristen first appeared on "Veronica Mars" her hair was short and enhanced by extensions.  Since the very beginning of that beloved series, her hair has grown and evolved into a polished look.  Kristen alternates between wearing her buttery blonde hair down around her shoulders or up in a series of sultry twists, buns, chignons and top knots.

Kristen Bell Premiere "When in Rome" El Capitan Theatre Los Angeles, CA USA 01-27-2010 03-10-2002

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Hairstyle:  Classic Golden Chignon Hairstyle

Kristen is famous for being edgy and creative with her hairstyles and often alternates between wearing her long hair down in curls and waves around her shoulders or up in a myriad of twists, chignons and buns.

Kristen gets an A+ for selecting hairstyles which show off her golden skin tone and her beautiful eyes and lips.

Hairstyle Color:  Warm Golden Blonde Base

Hairstyle Highlights/Lowlights:  If you look closely you will see what appears to be ribbons of slightly lighter platinum blonde highlights with deeper caramel lowlights which gives Kristen's hair warmth, depth and volume.

The lighter caramel highlights interwoven around her hairline and strategically placed against the golden blonde base also helps to bring out a beautiful shine.

Texture:  Kristen's original on-set "Veronica Mars" hairdresser told me the actress has soft, fine hair but lots of it.  Since her turn on the detective TV show Kristen's hair has appeared to get much healthier.  Her hair appears to be in excellent shape with a very slight hint of wave.  Her long lengths consist of skillfully placed layers throughout the interior and around the perimeters of her hairstyle.

Wearing her hair in a nape neck chignon works well with her naturally fine hair.

Fringe:  Kristen recently has been wearing her tresses without a fringe.  In the past she has worn a wide range of bangs from blunt and fully extended across her forehead to a series of side-swept veils.

Face Shape:  The 29 year old newly engaged actress has a beautifully chiseled face with a classic square shaped face.

By allowing her hair to flow softly along the perimeter of her face, she enhances the beauty of her eyes and lips without drawing attention to her prominent chin or away from her breathtaking gown.

Hairstyle Works Best:  Kristen's hairstyle works best for tresses which are shoulder length or longer and all one length or with sublte layers. 

The best texture for recreating this hairstyle is straighter hair with some bend or natural waves just like Kristen has.  

Of course tight curls might not work with this hairstyle, but any curls which can be temporarily straightened could be an option. 

The hairstyle can be copied with or without a fringe.  However, a fringe would be problematic for those with naturally curly tresses.

Hair Tools Required:  This style is best achieved on freshly cleansed hair which has been blow dried straight with a paddle or round brush and properly prepped with styling products to give the hair appropriate workability.

If you prefer a more finished or textured look you can utilize, along with the blow dryer a small barrel curling iron or flat iron.  It is best to use a 100% boar bristle round or paddle brush as well as a long tail comb.

Depending on the type, texture and current condition of the hair it may or may not be appropriate to utilize a leave-in conditioner, defrisant, styling spray and/or cream, sculpting hairspray, shine spray and/or serum drops.    Utilize the products which work best for your hair type, texture and history.

Hair wax is also optional for creating different textures.  If you want lots of volume you may want to consider using a volumizing program with shampoo and root spray.

To add strategically placed volume, fullness and/or length you may wish, if your base hair is long enough, to play with clip-in hair extensions, clip in fringes or a clip-in pony for a completely different look.

Steal Kristin's Hair Style

This style is idea for shoulder length or longer tresses which are medium in thickness.  Follow the steps below to re-create Kristin's sleek chignon hair style:

Start with a polished hair cut which is all one length or with very slight layers throughout.

1.  Start by washing your hair in lukewarm water with a product designed to add back moisture and to treat colored or highlighted hair with tender loving care. 

Optionally you may prefer to create this style on aged hair or you may wish to do a Condition Only (CO), Diluted Shampoo (DS) or Water Only (WO).  Select the best option for your hair type, texture, condition and history.

2.  Rinse hair well and then apply a moisturizing rinse-out conditioner focusing the products on the areas of the hair that are most dry or damaged.  If your hair is fine or thin you may wish to skip this option or only apply to the ends of the hair.

3.  For extra conditioning, if appropriate for your hair type and texture, substitute the rinse-out conditioner with a deep conditioner that is allowed to soak down into the hair's shaft.

4.  Finish with a cool/cold rinse to lock in moisture and add additional shine.

5.  Towel blot to remove excess moisture. 

Apply a conditioning detangling spray or leave-in conditioner or apply a hair product cocktail (depending on your hair type, texture and condition) consisting of leave-in conditioner mixed with anti-frizz product.  If your hair is naturally curly or wavy you may also wish to use a straightening balm for the last step.

Note:  If your hair is prone to frizzing apply a defrisant product or mix with your other styling products.  Many celebrities are big fans of Phytodefrisant.

6.  Detangle strands with a wide tooth comb working from the ends to the roots.  Create either a center or side part, depending on how you wish to style your hair.

Pull a few strands out along the perimeter.  Use fingers to gently tousle dry to give an undone natural finish.  Or blow the side strands with a round brush to create curves.

7.  For fullness, lift and volume throughout the crown, apply a volume enhancing product to the roots.  Distribute a straightening balm to the rest of the strands distributing from below the roots to the ends.

8.  Separate strands into 1" to 2 1/2" sections and blow dry with a boar's bristle round brush.  If you prefer, you can use a paddle brush instead. For added volume you may wish to consider a vent brush. Blow dry the top sections of hair using fingers to lift individual top strands and direct the air flow from ends to roots. 

Note:  If hair is naturally curly, do not use fingers to blow dry since this can add to frizz.  Use a boar's bristle brush instead.

9.  When hair is completely dry you may opt to touch up the strands with a straightening iron to achieve sleeker panels of hair. 

Or you may prefer to use a curling iron (or hot rollers) to turn under the ends or add more volume and lift to the crown area.

10. Once hair is 100% dry, backcomb the crown area to create lots of height.  Gently smooth down the teased area. 

Apply a shine serum, shine spray or hair cream to seal in moisture and add a soft shine similar to Kristen's.   Work the product into the palms of your hands and then rake with your fingers from the ears down to the ends (avoid the roots to eliminate danger of any type of oil buildup).

11.  Using your fingers or a brush, smooth all of the side and back hair towards the nape of the neck.  Gather the hair into a ponytail without securing the base.  Take the tail of the hair and twisting around the middle into a soft cinnamon bun shape. 

Optionally you can make the chignon as tight or as loose as you desire. 

12.  Pin well with bobby pins which match your hair color.  Be sure the pins are well hidden near the scalp.

13.  When the chignon is finished you may apply optional hairspray for hold and finish.

14.  Adorn with a small jeweled clip or flower hair accessory if desired. 

With the advantage of the revolutionary clip-on hair pieces from Jessica Simpson and Ken Paves' HairDo line, short haired people can instantly morph to much longer lengths and copy Kristen's easy chignon.  It's truly a hair miracle.

Summary

Kristen Bell recently flashed a brand new dark hued engagement ring from her new finance actor Dax Sheperd.  Kristen has been outspoken about the fact she will do everything in her power to keep her nuptials private.  She has said she will not sell her wedding photos to the tabloids.

The bubbly actress whose breakthrough occurred with her iconic role as Veronica Mars has several movie roles lined up over the next few years.

Her role is 2010's Burlesque with Cher and Christina Aquilerra is generating the most buzz although she is in talks to do a Queen of Babble Project according to IMDB.

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Original Publication Date:  03/03/10 - Revised Publication Date:  04/17/10

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