Introduction
If you were a fan of ABC's series, Women's Murder Club, you already know that actress Laura Harris played gorgeous Assistant District Attorney - Jill Barnhart - who's part of the "Club". Not only is she one of my favorite actresses from the days of Dead Like Me, but Laura Harris, who played Jill to perfection, had one of the hottest short hairstyles in that Fall TV season. Laura, who is Canadian born and bred, has appeared in several popular TV shows including playing Marie Warner on 24. She also made one appearance on Jake 2.0, which was another of my favs. From her role on 24 she joined the cast of the quirky Dead Like Me as the blonde and beautiful, but dead, Daisy Adair. She was wonderful as always. After Dead Like Me sadly ended, Laura popped up in guest roles on several TV shows and films including three appearances on The Dead Zone as Miranda Ellis, as Nola on Stargate Atlantis and in a one shot guest appearance on CSI. Although the series didn't survive past one season, Laura looked gorgeous as a white blonde with cropped tresses. She was great as a no-nonsense attorney with a very naughty behind-the-scenes side. If you Goggle Laura Harris and stop by IMDB or Wikipedia you will discover a long list of acting credits that extend back to 1990. You will also uncover very little about the gorgeous actress other than the names of the roles she played and the fact she started her own production company. Laura's personal life has not made it to the cover of any tabloids and appears to live a relatively quiet life focused on her craft. Naturally my focus has always been on her hair which looks absolutely incredible in her super short asymmetrical crop. It's a perfect hair style for her mostly oval face shape and her facial features. There's no question. Going platinum and super short was an excellent choice for the petite actress.
Laura Harris' Hair Style History
Laura's blonde tresses have gone through an extreme makeover since she appeared in a classic ponytail in 2003 at the 5th Annual Writers Guild of America with long side swept bangs (as shown below). Her strands which flowed just slightly below her shoulders appeared to be mostly one length. Laura who has been some shade of blonde in every acting venue I have witnessed, appears to have baby fine hair. In her role as Grim Reaper Daisy Adair she wore her tresses to the top of her shoulders. Steal Laura's Hair Style
Laura's super short sassy hairstyle is a precision cut combining the best of 60s geometric edginess with a 70s style shag, especially in the front and along one side. Is Laura's style a bob, a crop or a chop? The answer? A little of all of the above, but made even fresher and edgier. How? With some well chosen asymmetrical hair pieces which can easily be blended into the rest of the style, tucked behind one ear or styled for extreme exaggeration along one side. It appears Laura's haircut was created by blending the interior with various layered lengths. The perimeter of the cut has slighted beveled ends which creates a softness to the extreme cut giving is a surprising look of femininity and sleekness. Depending on the skill set of the hairdresser, this haircut can be created with a variety of straight or texturizing shears designed to build movement, volume or body. The snowy white platinum color showcased the cutting edge shape of the style. If you want to consider stealing this visually stunning short and sassy hairstyle, print out a few copies of Laura's haircut showing the sides and back for your hairdresser. Although this short textured cut works fabulously with Laura's mostly oval face shape, her features and skin tones, it may not work well for all ages, hair types or textures. Depending on your own face shape, age, facial features, hair type, texture and condition, you may want to consider a slightly altered length, shape or hair color. Let your hairdresser guide you to achieve a fantastic style which works best for you. Bleach, Bleach & More BleachAlthough Laura's hair from 2003 was a golden blonde shade, her hue for her role as Jill Barnhart is platinum blonde to the extreme. Most hairdressers would likely describe it as a Level 10+.
How did the lovely actress go from golden blonde to snow white platinum? The simple answer is all over bleach. Going snowy white is not for the faint of heart and is should never ever be done at home without the assistance of a professional hair colorist with lots of bleaching knowledge. Not only does bleach need to be carefully watched as it is processing, toner may need to be added at the shampoo bowl to remove any hints of yellow or orange color. Sometimes it is necessary to do multiple bleach applications in order for all of the pre-existing hair color to be removed from the hair. This requires special hair color skills to prevent major hair damage or resulting breakage. Although I don't have the precise details, it appears that Laura's hair was bleached using a powder lightening bleach mixed with a developer somewhere between a 20 or 50. Once the bleach was painted all over her hair, Laura most likely was placed under a salon color processor. These processors look like a circle of lights that spins to add heat while speeding up the processing time. Hair Care & Styling Tips
What many people don't realize is that white platinum blonde hair like Laura's is very dry and fragile. It requires lots of special hair care to remain soft and shiny. Deep conditioning treatments are an absolute necessity for heavily bleached strands. Deep conditioners to try include: 1. Rene Furterer Carthame Gentle-Hydro Nutritive Mask This classic deep conditioner protects colored, dry, chemically treated and bleached hair giving it new life and softness. 2. Phytokarite Intensive Treatment - Deep Conditioner Ultra nourishing. Rich in fatty acids, Shea butter repairs hair deep down. Vitamin E & EFAs contained in Cashew oil moisturize & soften hair & scalp. Pastel oil replenishes hair, restores vitality & shine. Pro-Vit B5 & hydrolyzed Keratin mend hair shaft. 3. Leonor Greyl - Creme Regeneratrice - Conditioner For Very Dry Hair 100 ml - Regenerating cream for beauty and protection of dry, bleached, permed hair. Highly recommended in cases of extremely dry, difficult-to-style, damaged, bleached or fragile hair. This conditioner restores beauty & regenerates hair. 4. J. F. Lazartigue Vita-cream w/Milk Proteins Ultra nourishing restorative mask. Recognized for repairing and nourishing properties. Contains Vitamin E (0.5%). This product can be used as a deep repair mask which restores hair's outstanding shine and resilience. 5. got2B Blonde Aid Intensive Hair Repair Deep penetrating formula nourishes and moisturizes dry, damaged hair. Use anytime you need a little doctoring up. Breakthrough wheat and soy protein complex penetrates and strengthens from within the hair shaft. 6. Frizz Ease - Curl Around ™ Style Starting Deep Conditioner Developed for wavy, curly, frizz-prone hair, this style-starting daily conditioner re-awakens and energizes your natural curl patterns for soft, smooth curls with lasting curl definition. Incorporate comprehensive conditioning treatments into your hair care regime making sure to schedule bi-weekly or weekly deep treatments. Step By Step TipsTo recreate Laura's style complete the following steps:
1. Shampoo hair with lukewarm water with a super moisture enhancing shampoo product. Keep in mind that bleached hair will be very dry and needs moisture enhancements. If possible, consider washing hair less often to let natural oils build up or wash with a diluted mixture of shampoo and water. 2. Apply a rinse out conditioner. Allow conditioner to remain on hair for at least 5 minutes for maximum benefit. Remember to schedule deep conditioning treatments. Pre-shampoo conditioning treatments can also help. 3. Finish with a cool/cold water rinse to close cuticle and add natural shine. 4. Towel blot (never rub) and apply a good leave-in conditioning product to soften dry strands. If desired, cocktail the leave-in conditioner with a good frizz fighting product. 5. Blow dry hair using a round brush to build in volume and movement and a paddle brush to straighten the long asymmetrically cut strands on the side. 6. When hair is completely dry touch up the longer strands with a flat iron for a perfectly straight finish. 7. Use a shine serum or shine spray to help lock in moisture, add shine and block humidity. 8. If desired finish with a firm hold hair spray. Note: If you wish to add volume to this style, apply a root-lift product directly to the roots before blow drying. Disadvantages & Advantages To This Cut?
Are there disadvantages to this short sassy hairstyle? Yes. It won't work for all face shapes, hair types and textures. Naturally curly or wavy strands will need to be chemically or temporarily straightened to get the same sleek straight tresses. Bleaching always brings risks including some level of hair damage, extreme dryness, loss of shine and split ends. However, if you're going to bleach, going super short is the best way to show case bleached blonde hair. Finally, a style this short will require very frequent trims to keep the shape looking sharp and edgy. Of course with the disadvantages are several advantages including ease of care, minimal use of styling products and quick styling options. You can simply shampoo, rinse and air dry with a few finger tousles for a bed head look in a matter of five minutes. If you get tired of your short look, you can easily change your length with clip-in extensions or a trip to your hairdresser for a more permanent solution. Also, the short your tresses, the better fun wigs will fit. SummarySadly ABC's Women's Murder Club did not survive even with a strong audience showing. However, during it's short run it was great to see Laura Harris in her spectacular short sassy hairstyle. Social Media Network InformationPlease follow me on Twitter at: http://Twitter.com/HairBoutique. I look forward to meeting new people from all walks of Twitter and learning from their Tweets. Visit us at Hairboutique.com located at: http://www.HairBoutique.com, on Facebook, MySpace and YouTube. Please favorite us on Facebook. We would be honored. Thank you for visiting us at The HairBoutique Blog and for leaving your comments. They are very much appreciated. We apologize in advance but must remove any direct advertisements or solicitations. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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