Lucy Liu - Hairstyle Photos And Hair Tips

Introduction

Lucy Liu is back on ABC TV with a fabulous new series. Lucy does a smashing job playing the character of Mia Mason on ABC's brillian "Cashmere Mafia".

Although Lucy is famous for her role in Charlie's Angels, to TV audiences she is best known as the unforgettable Ling Woo in the hit Fox series, "Ally McBeal", a role for which she scored a 1999 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, as well as winning a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series the same year.

Lucy was nominated for another SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series in 2000. Lucy recently guest-starred on the ABC award-winning series "Ugly Betty". She played a razor sharp attorney who had a "love history" with Daniel Meade (Eric Mabius), Betty's boss. She was fabulous in the guest spot and really made that episode enchanting and fun.

Lucy also guest-starred on HBO's "Sex & the City" and on "Joey". She has lent her voice to such animated series as "The Simpsons", Futurama,", "King of the Hill" and the DreamWorks animation filmk "Kung Fu Panda," which is set for a 2008 release.

There is no question that the lovely Lucy plays well with other girls. Not only was she a perfect addition to Ally McBeal but she was perfect in Charlie's Angels with Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz. In fact, it is well-known in some circles that Lucy, Drew and Cameron actually became fast friends while working on Charlie's Angels.

It is only fitting that Lucy is part of an ensemble of four women on Cashmere Mafia. She fits in perfectly.

What is Cashmere Mafia about? Four ambitions, sexy women who have been friends since business school - Mia, Zoe, Juliet and Caitlin, try to have it all. They aren't just powerful and intelligent as singular executive sensations in a man;s world; they've bonded into a formidable unit which is a female "boys' club". They support and counsel each other through good times and bad. How better to climb up the corporate ladder than with your buddies at your side?

Lucy's Mia is wildly ambitious. Every since she was a young girl, all she ever wanted to do was win. Now, as a sexy, competitive women in the publishing fields, her drive has intensified, even pitting her head to head with her finance for a key position. Lucy does a fabulous job of portraying a woman who is driven to succeed even though it means paying a big price in the process.

It seems very fitting that the show is set in glamorous New York City which is Lucy's place of birth and where she maintains a townhouse in a very chic part of The City. How do I know that? Her sometime celebrity hairdresser and good friend, Robert Hallowell actually talked to me on his cell phone some years back while he was staying with Lucy in New York. After all, New York City is where titans of media, finance, advertising and publishing reside.

At my urging Robert peeked into Lucy's bathroom to see what hair care products were lining her shelves. Robert and I were pleased to discover that the gorgeous star was using some of Robert's hair care products.

Lucy also has worked with another one of my friend's - celebrity hairdresser Ken Paves. When you are a busy actress like Lucy who commutes around the world, you need to have access to several hairdressers. Lucy has worked extensively with both Robert and Ken.

Last year Robert cut Lucy's hair and put a light texturizer on it to give it movement and volume. It looks incredible.

For the purposes of this piece I have tracked Lucy's hair history since 2000 when she wore her long dark tresses in a half-up/half down hairstyle at the 6th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Did Lucy, the brunette It Girl chop her hair because of her friendship with Victoria "Posh" Beckham, who is wearing a similar short style, or because she's a new mom with a gorgeous bob coiffed daughter?

Regardless of the reason, Lucy looks sophisticated and polished for her young 29 years.

Lucy's bob hairstyle elongates her neck, showcases her beautiful cheek bones and skin tone. It draws attention to her eyes, making them sparkle and pop.

On the recent Mad Money red carpet with Queen Latifah, there's no question that Lucy Holmes has found her hair niche. While not everyone approves, the majority of the media and Lucy's fans love the sizzling new hairstyle.

Who Is Lucy Liu?

Lucy Nicolle Homes was born December 18, 1978 in Toledo, Ohio. She was born two months premature and weighed in at only four pounds.

She nailed her very first audition winning a part in 1997's acclaimed Ice Storm. From there, her audition tape was sent to Dawson's Creek and she won the coveted part of Joey Potter (1998 - 2003).

Although she originally set her sights on being a model, she decided it would be boring and she abandoned those goals quickly.

Lucy's first significant leading role came in 2002 in the movie Abandon where she plays a college student named Lucy Burke. The plot revolves around the mysterious disappearance of her boyfriend who vanished two years before.

In 2004 she won a wider audience base with her appearance in First Daughter in which she plays the President's daughter who falls in love with her secret service agent.

In 2005 she filmed the love interest in Batman for the Batman Begins movie. She was targeted by critics who attacked her acting. As a result, she was unwilling to make the sequel Batman movie which went instead to Maggie Gyllenhaal.

In 2005 she filmed Thank You For Smoking which was less well received by audiences. Lucy's like changed in a major way in 2005 when she met Tom Cruise and they quickly fell in love.

For 2008 she is in three films including Mad Money, Tropic Thunder (with her husband Tom Cruise) and The Other Side with Jason Lee and Woody Harrelson.

One other major accomplishment for Lucy in 2007 was her participation in the running of a marathon. It took many by surprise but won admiration from fans and the media alike.

The Hair History Of Lucy Liu

In People magazine, Lucy Holmes' stylist confessed that Lucy preferred to wear her hair long.

2000 - 2001

Lucy Liu created a signature hairstyle for her character or Joey on Dawson's Creek. Her hair was always worn long below her shoulders. She mixed up the styles alternating between loose waves, curls and stick straight strands.

Although her hair was a rich chestnut brown, she went through periods where her hair appeared to have an array of highlights. For the most part, Lucy wore her hair without bangs in a series of parted styles.

In early 2000 Lucy appeared at The Wonder Boy premiere with her hair cut into a sleek blunt cut ending near her collarbone. The hair style extended on either side from a center part. She had the sides tucked behind one ear providing a picture of a classic Girl Next Door.

Eight months later in October of 2000 Lucy appeared at the Tigerland Premiere.

Her blunt cut had obviously grown out and her look was still Girl Next Door, but a bit shaggier. Lucy wore her dark chocolate tresses brushed over to one side and casually tucked behind her ears.

Remnant strands from a former forehead fringe appeared to break free and cluster along one tucked side.

2002 - 2003

During 2002 and into 2003 Lucy continued to wear her hair below the shoulder and almost always extending from a center part with one of both sides tucked behind her ears.

Lucy Liu Miramax Films' "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" Film Premiere 04-08-04

Dawson's Creek ended in 2003 which gave Lucy options to change her Joey hairstyle and experiment more with her total image. She appeared to move away from the Girl Next Door into a little edgier look.

She appeared to experiment with very subtle highlights especially around her face and along the back of her crown.

In 2002 she appeared at the Golden Globes After-Party in a rare angle where you can get a better view of her face shape from the side. Lucy has a pronounced chin with beautiful high cheek bones which gives her a type of heart shaped face.

If you look closely at the end of her part along her forehead you will notice a small tuft of fine hair that grows right along the top of her hairline.

That small tuft of hair is not always visible from photos but if you look closely at her photo take at The Louis Vuitton United Cancer Gala you can see if extending to either side of her center part.

2004

During 2004 Lucy appeared to go a bit darker and she abandoned her center part for a right side part with portions of her hair directed up and over the crown to one side. The front section of tuft hair along her hairline is more visible with this style.

When she appeared at the Los Angeles Premiere of Ocean's Twelve her hair was curled in loose barrel curls which splayed randomly around her shoulders. Little did the Dawson's Creek cutie know but her life was about to change in dramatic and unforseen ways.

The year 2005 brought many changes. She met Tom Cruise, one of the biggest movie stars on the planet and they began a very public love affair with Tom Cruise causing major controversy when he appeared on Oprah and jumped up and down on her sofa expressing his love for Lucy.

The media literally thought Tom had lost his mind. Even worse, others thought it was a huge publicity stunt.

Lucy also had two movies come out - Batman Begins and Thank You For Smoking. Neither movie was as popular as expected and Lucy's performances were panned by critics. Was it because of her very public relationship with Tom?

During this period Lucy made no major changes to her hair color or style. She was often spotted with Tom and his kids at soccer games and she wore her long hair down in soft waves or curls or pulled up into a saucy ponytail.

Shortly after they met in June of 2005 Tom proposed to Lucy at the top of the Eiffel Tower and she announced she was pregnant with his child out of wedlock. Although a wedding was promised, it was postponed until after the birth of their baby, who was scheduled to arrive in early 2006.

At the June Premiere of Batman Begins, Lucy appeared with her dark brunette hair pulled up and off her face into somewhat rare- for-her messy twist.

The hairstyle was based on a center part with each side swept back toward the back of the head where all the strands were pulled up and allowed to cascade into a very soft twist with lots of wavy texture. Loose strands fluttered free along her hairline in the front and along the nape of the neck.

Also in June of 2005 Lucy and Tom met her parents at the famed Hotel Carlyle after Tom's New York movie premiere for War of the Worlds.

Tom and Lucy were again spotted at the Hotel Carlyle on December 16, 2005 when Lucy was well into her pregnancy. Lucy wore big dark sunglasses and her long tresses were allowed to cascade out and over her shoulders in soft curls.

2006

During her much publicized pregnancy Lucy kept her trademark long hair often pulling it up into a series of loose ponytails.

In April of 2006 Lucy Holmes gave birth to Suri Cruise. She and Tom were not legally married at the time. Tom told the media that Suri was born exactly one day to the year anniversary of him meeting Lucy for the first time.

When Baby Suri's birth was announced it was noted that she was born with lots of thick dark hair, presumably like her mother.

Hordes of paparazzi were camped out in front of the couple's Beverly Hills, California mansion hoping to score the first photo of the dark haired baby, which was estimated to sell for $2 million.

On November 18 of 2006 Lucy and Tom Cruise married in an extravaganza wedding held in Bracciano which is right outside of Rome, Italy.

Her wedding hairstyle was controversial at the time. Although it was beautiful and worn in a sleek bridal updo, the controversy swirled around who actually did her hair.

It was called The Event Of The Century by OK Magazine and reportedly cost $3 Million dollars for three days of festivities.

OK Magazine paid a huge sum for the exclusive rights to cover the wedding and surrounding events.

Before her wedding there was tremendous speculation about whether her longtime celebrity hairdresser, Oscar Blandi, would do the honors.

When the actual event took place, the famous New York hairdresser was nowhere to be seen. In fact, he has not really been heard from since with regards to Lucy Holmes. Did they have a falling out? No one will probably ever know for sure.

The media went into a frenzy when another celebrity hairdresser, Ken Paves fly into Rome. Was he there to do Lucy's hair? Afterall, Paves has done a string of famous celebrities for their wedding including Christina Applegate, Jessica Simpson, Carmen Electra and Eva Longeria.

No, according to Ken himself, he was not invited to do Lucy's hair for her wedding. Instead, he was invited to Rome as the celebrity hairdresser for Jennifer Lopez who was in attendance at the gala.

So what hairdresser actually did the wedding hair for Lucy? That answer has never been made clear. Some reports said that Lucy used a local hairdresser in Rome. Still others believe that Ken Paves might have had some hand in the final bridal coiffure even though he has remained mum on the topic.

One thing is certain, Tom Cruise has always demanded absolute silence regarding himself, his family or anyone in his camp. As a result, Non Disclosure Agreements (NDA) were required from every wedding attendee, including Ken Paves. Even if Ken did Lucy's hair, he can never ever talk about it. No one can.

2007

In February of 2007 Tom and Lucy attended SuperBowl in Miami and Lucy worn a gorgeous scarf style headband in a metallic gold color. It was a departure for the beautiful brunette who is rarely photographed wearing any type of hair accessories.

When Lucy appeared with Tom at the 2007 Vanity Fair Party she had her hair slicked back into a traditional French Twist style updo. The twist was decorated with a stunning large hairclip that appeared to be a type of mother of pearl design. It was gorgeous.

Her hair was pulled back in a loose pony/twist at the back with the headband worn back towards her crown so that her side hair was pushed slightly forward. It was a very chic look.

In June of 2007 Lucy made her first move towards her current 2008 angled bob. She shocked the media by shearing off her trademark long tresses and appeared with Tom Cruise.

On September 01, 2007 Lucy ran in her first New York Marathon. She entered the race under an alias to avoid attracting too much media attention.

During her run Lucy had her hair pulled up and off her face. It was covered by a baseball cap.

The actress managed to fly low under the wire and finished the daunting race in 5 hours, 29 minutes and 58 seconds. She was met at the finish line by her husband and baby daughter who she has been quoted as saying "She's a beautiful little girl."

When she appeared at the Lions For Lambs presentation in November of 2007 her hair was worn in her favorite position, tucked behind her ears. Her hair was precision parted to one side with a large section of hair directed over to the other side of her forehead and tucked behind the other ear.

The entire hairstyle shimmered. Her signature hairline tuft was missing. Was it also tucked underneath that sweep of forehead hair or has it been permanently removed?

At the end of the month on November 29th Lucy arrived at The Bambi Awards in Germany with her sizzling new style complete with eyebrow skimming bangs. She launched yet another Lucy Hair Watch and the media was thrilled.

2002

Life & Style Magazine gave Lucy a "Hot Hair" Award for her new bob back in August of 2007 before she even added the spectacular new bangs.

They bestowed the award for the bob which they said "showed off her cheekbones". Lucy beat out actress Gwyneth Paltrow, Posh Spice, Kate Walsh and Nicole Richie for the Hot Hair honor.

Although it has been a subtle transformation, Lucy Holmes has slowly changed her image since her marriage to Tom. She has traded in her long wavy tresses for a more mature look that started with a chin length bob which then morphed into an angled bob with bangs.

There is no denying the fact that Mrs. Cruise looks incredible and very sophisticated. She has become a true class act. Whether she's creating her own look or being guided by one of Hollywood's top notch stylists, Lucy is finding her own new look which includes hair, make-up, clothing and accessories. She is also showing independence in the selection of her movies having shunned the sure Batman thing for Mad Money with Diane Keaton and Queen Latifah.

"The bob really comes back every couple of years, and it really is just a way of kind of cleaning house - like starting new but still (having) a great, feminine haircut," said hairstylist Ken Paves when asked about the new bob hairstyle. "And all the girls that are wearing it right now are wearing it to perfection, I believe. I think Rihanna's hair is genius. I love Lucy's."

Steal Lucy's Sleek Straight Hair Style

Whether she's wearing her strands straightened or wavy, Lucy has had a long history of preferring long hair that she wears off-the-face. Which is they the long forehead hugging bangs were quite a departure for Mrs. Cruise.

The bangs do serve a special purpose. They cover her little tuff of hair along her hairline. They also make her eyes look simply amazing. It is a perfect style for her heart shaped face.

If you look closely at the perimeter of Lucy's hairstyle you will notice that is actually has a very slight flip to it.

Also, it appears that her hair has been darkened from its previous chestnut to a dark espresso hue that shimmers and shines.

Complete the following steps:

If you'd like to re-create the sleek hairstyles Lucy is wearing on the current 2008 version of The Apprentice follow the steps below:

Ask your favorite hairdresser to create a slightly forward angled bob with eyebrow skimming bangs brushed to one side from a side part.

Step 1: Shampoo and condition your hair with hair care products designed for your current hair type, texture and condition. If your hair is chemically highlighted, colored or texturized, remember to use products that honor the special needs of chemically processed strands.

Shampoo & Conditioner To Try: Phytocitrus Vital Radience Shampoo, Phytocitrus Vital Radience Mask.

Step 2: Gently towel blot your hair with a thick towel designed to help absorb moisture. Avoid rubbing hair vigorously to avoid frizz. Continue to gently blot hair until all excess moisture is removed.

Step 3: Mix a cocktail of leave-in conditioner and frizz buster in the palms of your hands. Apply to damp strands to help keep hair soft and frizz free.

Frizz Fighters to try for naturally curly strands: Phytodefrisant - Relaxing Baum - 3.3 fl oz (100ml) and John Frieda - Frizz Ease - Original Formula Hair Serum Dropper

Step 4: Apply a tennis ball size of mousse to the palms of your hands. Distribute well through damps strands in order to provide just the right balance of moisture and sheen.

Note: Avoid using gels or similar styling products which will make hair stick and tacky. For a softer, more natural look, stick with mousse or very light cream.

Step 5: Use a wide toothed comb to detangle gently and make sure that the applied styling products are well distributed.

Step 6: Use a blow dryer along with a medium sized round brush and separate strands into 2" sections in order to achieve uniform blow drying.

Blow-dry hair, flipping the ends forward slightly so that they will angle towards the chin. Blow-dry the front section forward by pulling the brush over the face. Make a part and sweep the hair to the side, allowing it to fall over the forehead.

Note: If you have straight hair, blow-dry it most of the way without a brush and finish with a large round brush. Blow-dry curly and wavy hair with a brush the entire time.

Step 7: When hair is 100% dry, use a brush to finish. If you want a straighter look, you can use a flat iron to touch up the hairstyle and make sure all the side panels are stick straight.

Step 8: Apply a shine serum and carefully brush over the top of the bun.

Step 9: Spray well with soft hold hairspray.

Summary

There's no denying the fact that Lucy Liu has come a long way in her hair transformation since 2000 when she wore her naturally wavy tresses long and loose around her shoulders.

Since her marriage to Tom Cruise she has honed her look to her current Mad Money Banged Bob look. Whether she is creating her own look or being guided by one of Hollywood's top notch stylists, Lucy is finding her own new look which includes hair, make-up, clothing and accessories.

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