| Hair: Made-To-Order Style |
| Victoria Wurdinger |
| Date: 1/19/2005, 4/3/2005 |
Introduction
Looking for a new hairdo? Think about what
makes you and your hair unique. Then, find a salon where it’s all
about you, and ask the right questions.
Ironically, the broadest-sweeping “trend” today is individuality.
Obligatory Personal Style. On the runways, it’s seen in
mix-and-match panache; in the beauty world, it plays out in
custom-blended foundation, lipstick, fragrance and even skin care
that is supposedly matched to your DNA at
www.lab21.com.
Looking for the ideally individualized hairstyle can be harder than
you think—ask ten different stylists and you’ll get ten different
suggestions. Reasons vary: Some stylists tend to make you look like
they do, others just learned a new cut they want to try out,
less-experienced ones are either afraid to make a lot of suggestions
or lack the training to do so with confidence. Ask around to find a
salon that gives its stylists lots of advanced training, and you’ll
naturally get more personalized style suggestions.
At Troupe Salon in Chicago, IL, Darren
Anderson’s art school degree gives him an advantage, he
says, because he’s mastered shape, form and color.“I apply geometry
first because certain facial shapes look better with specific cuts,
just as certain body proportions can be enhanced or minimized with
fashions,” says Anderson.
Anderson believes opposites attract, meaning a round face doesn’t
look great with a rounded hairstyle. In his camp of thought, you
minimize and soften what’s not so great and enhance outstanding
features. Noting that too many hairdressers want to “cut it all
off,” Carmine Minardi of Minardi salon in
New York says unless you’ve got a beautiful, proportional
face, a little length lends a hand.
So, finding the perfect look for you starts with your facial shape
and aspects you want to minimize, such as a pointed chin (height on
top detracts from it) or apple cheeks (side wisps that move onto
your face minimize those through concealment.) But what else should
you consider when going for individuality?
Here’s Hairboutique’s checklist:
1. Think Fiber
Fashion designers know how every fiber from
silk to wool drapes on the body; think of hair fiber in the same
way. Fine, silky strands tend to hug your head shape and look lanky
at the ends; coarse hair will pop up and out, going its own way if
snipped too short at the sides. Check out how your hair falls when
you don’t have any styling products in it, and ask your stylist what
works best with what nature gave you. For a salon consultation, show
up with clean, styling-product-free hair.
2. Ask to See Cuts
Anderson says most photos of celebrities
actually showcase styling skills. Ask your hairdresser to show you
photos of cuts that aren’t over-styled, to see which will work best
with your facial shape and hair type.
3. Play with Products
Some women avoid styling products because they
think they weight down their hair or make it look dirty. Wrong
approach. Products can enhance what you have, if used minimally and
for support only. For short hair, try using stylants at the roots
only; if you have long hair, extend the product through your hair,
then dry quickly.
Also try “cocktailing,” in which you mix two
products that best suit your hair’s needs together. If you have
fine, frizzy hair, add a few drops of frizz reducer to a thickening
product, then rub the mixture together before using it sparingly. To
find the perfect mix for your hair type, ask your stylist for
suggestions, then try the half-head test at home, using one product
on one side and a different product “cocktail” on the opposite.
Somewhere, there’s a product or product
cocktail that’s the perfect weight for your hair.
4. Hire Help
A root perm adds volume to fine locks, while
straightening and relaxing treatments combat frizz and make unruly
hair controllable. If you don’t like the fiber you have, you can
change it—but not without sacrifice. Any chemical service weakens
hair and if you love haircolor, you’re best off avoiding a second
chemical strike.
5. Define Your Style
Don’t separate a hairstyle from your own
personal sense of style. Chances are, if you’re into wearing classic
separates you naturally avoid a pink Mohawk, but do you really have
a personal style that’s all your own? Make a list of likes and
dislikes—about fashions, make-up, hair and even music. Then check
out books on image consulting and developing, and look for new ideas
you like. See if you can define your style in a few words, then
share those words with your stylist. Ask which cuts work with your
hair and facial shape, which also suit your sense of style.
6. Get an Update
No matter how conservative or wild you are,
your personal style should still look current. If you’re stuck in
the past, chances are it’s because you’re wearing the same look you
did when you were at your happiest. Learn to let go and forge ahead.
Consider ways you can tweak the look you love. Long curls look more
modern snipped to shoulder length, separated and defined. Straight
hair gets an update with some layers; they also make styling your
hair easier. If you’re still wearing the same ‘do you did five years
ago, ask yourself if you’ve changed at all in the last half-decade.
Then adjust your hair to suit your life and lifestyle changes.
Overly bleached blonde doesn’t suit a more harried (or natural)
lifestyle, nor does it work well with skin tones as you age. If you
just started jogging, consider what’ll control that frizz that
appears when you perspire.
One final way to get a made-to-order hairstyle
is to ask your stylist to “dry cut” your hair. When hair is cut when
it’s dry, your stylist can see its natural movement perfectly and
accommodate it. If you covered our six suggestions, ask for a dry
cut and work with an experienced hairstylist you trust, you’ll soon
discover the ‘do that’s practically a personal monogram for you. |