The rules of engagement for hair should be simple. It's hard enough to always have really nice looking hair. And let's face it: if your hair looks good, the rest is easy enough.
Hair Color – The Eternal Question
Your "natural" haircolor is usually always the best. I mean, why else would you have that hair color? Although, enhancements are allowed of course. And fair enough, many go through phases of trying every color available. There are the "I want drama" colors: usually black. Sometimes bleached blond. Or cherry red. And it's certainly quite dramatic when you see Edward Munch's "The Scream" staring back at you. And scream you will, if you choose a color totally not suited to your complexion.
Nature is pretty perfect – as a general rule of thumb. So use that as your guide. Enhancing by highlighting medium brown to light brown hair is perfectly fine, but try to avoid the skunk look. Not so good.
The lighter you want to go, please let professionals do it unless you want the cotton wool look. Bleaching your own hair will, more likely than not, end in absolute unabashed hair disaster. Speaking from personal experience, I ended up having to cut it real short, had to talk myself into the "nouvelle vague" Jean Seberg look. Difference being she had a cute small nose to go with the gamine look – I didn’t. Or rather don’t. And it wasn’t a pretty sight.
If you can't afford a professional to bleach your hair, don't do it. Any sort of hair treatment involving chemicals is best left to those who know what they're doing.
The Cut
Finding a style that suits you can also be a lengthy process. As far as hair style goes, yours truly tried pretty much every length around – from long to ultra short, from permed to a Chinese straightening job, from bob, to fringe, shag cut.....my hair and I have been through all sorts of torturous procedures.
The same motto of "less is more" ultimately was best. The "less is more" being a minimum shoulder length feathered cut, which is long enough to pull back into a pony tail, middle part or side part. That's it. At least as far as the cut/length goes.
When deciding what length suits you best, a good rule of thumb is having the hair in proportion to face and body. A small face, small nose can get away with pretty much anything. And while Audrey Tautou looks ravishing with short short hair, she also looks good with longer hair. Not everyone is that fortunate (including me). My advice: avoid spontaneous walk-ins to the hair salon. Take your time and have a think before you take any drastic measures. Try on wigs. Use virtual hair makeover. There are several ways to "try" different styles without ever picking up a pair of scissors.
Since most of us have budgets to consider, what can help in deciding if a style suits you or not: choose a favorite celebrity or other random fame seeker, someone who has similarities to your hair type and also shape of face and body: let them do the testing. See if it works for them.
Understanding Hair Product Commercials
Please remember, when watching all the ads for all the hair products out there, extolling upon the awesomeness of the latest anti-frizz "your hair will look like this if you use our product" showcases, and you see the most magnificent hair: it's called advertising i.e. they fake it.
No matter how expensive or cheap the product, if you don't have a professional blow-drying your hair, the result of washing and conditioning it with the latest "revolutionary" product will not make the slightest difference. This is based on my extensive two decade-long adventure of trying every product available in the quest to achieve straight silky hair for my frizz ball locks.
And all the commercials that show lovely super shiny hair, curly or straight, ostensibly after using the product being advertised, have an army of professionals on set, during the shoot and in post production, to make it look like that.
Curly, Frizzy, Straight
Unless you are born with straight heavy hair and are lucky enough to have retained it through puberty, you are going to need a hair dresser to straighten the locks, no matter how much you spend on product. So, it has been a necessity for the past years to get a professional blow out job. (My secret wish is to be re-born as a Japanese, with lovely straight heavy black hair.)
If you can afford it, taking a regular trip for a professional to blow dry your hair is a good investment. Styled hair can last up to a week. Even pulled back hair looks better if it has been blow-dried first. If you find a hairdresser, who does a good glossy straight blow-dry, then be loyal and ask for a discount. I always do that. It's worth finding someone who makes your hair look glossy and sleek. Or wavy and shiny.
Save on the products, as less expensive hair care is usually just as good, and treat yourself to more regular visits to your fav and fab salon.
Hair Color – The Eternal Question
Your "natural" haircolor is usually always the best. I mean, why else would you have that hair color? Although, enhancements are allowed of course. And fair enough, many go through phases of trying every color available. There are the "I want drama" colors: usually black. Sometimes bleached blond. Or cherry red. And it's certainly quite dramatic when you see Edward Munch's "The Scream" staring back at you. And scream you will, if you choose a color totally not suited to your complexion.
Nature is pretty perfect – as a general rule of thumb. So use that as your guide. Enhancing by highlighting medium brown to light brown hair is perfectly fine, but try to avoid the skunk look. Not so good.
The lighter you want to go, please let professionals do it unless you want the cotton wool look. Bleaching your own hair will, more likely than not, end in absolute unabashed hair disaster. Speaking from personal experience, I ended up having to cut it real short, had to talk myself into the "nouvelle vague" Jean Seberg look. Difference being she had a cute small nose to go with the gamine look – I didn’t. Or rather don’t. And it wasn’t a pretty sight.
If you can't afford a professional to bleach your hair, don't do it. Any sort of hair treatment involving chemicals is best left to those who know what they're doing.
The Cut
Finding a style that suits you can also be a lengthy process. As far as hair style goes, yours truly tried pretty much every length around – from long to ultra short, from permed to a Chinese straightening job, from bob, to fringe, shag cut.....my hair and I have been through all sorts of torturous procedures.
The same motto of "less is more" ultimately was best. The "less is more" being a minimum shoulder length feathered cut, which is long enough to pull back into a pony tail, middle part or side part. That's it. At least as far as the cut/length goes.
When deciding what length suits you best, a good rule of thumb is having the hair in proportion to face and body. A small face, small nose can get away with pretty much anything. And while Audrey Tautou looks ravishing with short short hair, she also looks good with longer hair. Not everyone is that fortunate (including me). My advice: avoid spontaneous walk-ins to the hair salon. Take your time and have a think before you take any drastic measures. Try on wigs. Use virtual hair makeover. There are several ways to "try" different styles without ever picking up a pair of scissors.
Since most of us have budgets to consider, what can help in deciding if a style suits you or not: choose a favorite celebrity or other random fame seeker, someone who has similarities to your hair type and also shape of face and body: let them do the testing. See if it works for them.
Understanding Hair Product Commercials
Please remember, when watching all the ads for all the hair products out there, extolling upon the awesomeness of the latest anti-frizz "your hair will look like this if you use our product" showcases, and you see the most magnificent hair: it's called advertising i.e. they fake it.
No matter how expensive or cheap the product, if you don't have a professional blow-drying your hair, the result of washing and conditioning it with the latest "revolutionary" product will not make the slightest difference. This is based on my extensive two decade-long adventure of trying every product available in the quest to achieve straight silky hair for my frizz ball locks.
And all the commercials that show lovely super shiny hair, curly or straight, ostensibly after using the product being advertised, have an army of professionals on set, during the shoot and in post production, to make it look like that.
Curly, Frizzy, Straight
Unless you are born with straight heavy hair and are lucky enough to have retained it through puberty, you are going to need a hair dresser to straighten the locks, no matter how much you spend on product. So, it has been a necessity for the past years to get a professional blow out job. (My secret wish is to be re-born as a Japanese, with lovely straight heavy black hair.)
If you can afford it, taking a regular trip for a professional to blow dry your hair is a good investment. Styled hair can last up to a week. Even pulled back hair looks better if it has been blow-dried first. If you find a hairdresser, who does a good glossy straight blow-dry, then be loyal and ask for a discount. I always do that. It's worth finding someone who makes your hair look glossy and sleek. Or wavy and shiny.
Save on the products, as less expensive hair care is usually just as good, and treat yourself to more regular visits to your fav and fab salon.
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