Spring 2012 Hair Trend: The Ponytail

For the Monique Lhuillier Spring 2012 Collection, Odile Gilbert for Kérastase, created a sleek, but teased ponytail.

“The collection includes cocktail dresses and evening gowns so we wanted
the hair pulled back to accentuate the necklines and shoulders.” 

– Odile Gilbert

Rock the Look:

• Apply NEW Kérastase Fibre Architecte dual reparative treatment to dry hair
• Straighten hair with a flat iron for a sleek, pin-straight look
• Slick hair back with Kérastase Sublimateur Jour and secure at the crown with a hook elastic
• Tease the ponytail for added volume and movement
• Smooth front and sides with a fine-tooth comb and finish with Kérastase Double Force Hair Spray

Spring 2012 Hair Trend: Pulled Back Chic

Redken Creative Consultant Guido created a unique pulled back style that was sleek and sophisticated in the front yet girly with a natural in the back, perfectly reflecting the aesthetic of Victoria's Beckham’s Spring/Summer 2012 modern, chic collection.

I needed to break the clean, sleek lines in the front to modernize the look, so I created a rough matte texture in the back. The key is to make it look effortless, which I did by using two distinct textures in one look. Some find it difficult to wear their face so exposed, but the boldness and austerity of the forehead in this look is what makes it beautiful.

–Guido, Redken Creative Consultant

Rock the Look:


- Starting with dry hair, comb back a 4-5 inch top section from the forehead to the crown and comb a generous amount of hardwear 16 super strength sculpting gel into the whole section. Clip the end of the section up out of the way.


- Apply guts 10 root targeted volume spray foam through the remainder of the hair until evenly distributed and damp with the product.


- Clip the front section at the crown back with a metal bar clip and then coat the top section with glass 01 smoothing serum for a lacquered finish.


- Let the hair air dry or rough dry with a blow dryer and then add forceful 23 super strength finishing spray for texture, concentrating on the sides so that no stray hairs are around the face.


KEEP READING FOR MORE PULLED BACK CHIC 

The Pulled Back Chic Look was also spotted at Prabal Gurung's neo feminist Spring/Summer 2012 runway show.  The style was confident and sporty with a feminine toughness as though the model Didier Malige, lead stylist for Frederic Fekkai, created a bold, sexy 90’s-inspired look to complement just splashed water on her face following a workout.

Rock the look: Start by blow-drying hair straight, use a flat iron if necessary. Mist water throughout the top half of the head. Apply Fekkai COIFF Strong Hold Volume Mousse to wet hair to provide extra hold. Use a fine comb to create a center part and comb the mousse through the hair resulting in a slicked-back look. Spray Fekkai Advanced BRILLANT GLOSSING Sheer Shine Mist over the wet hair for additional shine. Use the low setting on a hairdryer to set the look while maintaining the sleek, wet effect created in the front. Leave the bottom portion of the hair dry and natural. Secure the look with Fekkai COIFF Sheer Hold Hairspray.

Rock the Beauty Look: 

For the face, Studio Moisture Cream was applied because it hydrates and illuminates skin.  Then Matchmaster SPF 15 Foundation was lightly buffed into skin to perfect the skin.  Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder was applied through the middle of the face for a polished effect Luna Cream Colour Base was blended in a “C” shape around the temple and eye area to highlight.   M·A·C Pro Sculpt Sculpting Powder Pro Pallette was blended through lower planes and temples to contour.  


The eyes were created with Young Venus In Extra Dimension Eye Shadow (available Spring/Summer 2012) blended over the eyelids as a base and highlight.  Warm Thunder In Extra Dimension Eye Shadow (available Spring/Summer 2012) was applied through the crease and pulled outwards to elongate.  A dot of Strobe Cream was applied over the eye shadow for a subtle shine.  

The lips were the focus of the look.  M·A·C Pro Process Magenta Chromagraphic Pencil was slightly overdrawn with a blunted tip to achieve the look of just kissed lips.  Finally, M·A·C Pro Black, Burgundy, and Fuchsia Lipmix were all mixed together and applied through the centre of the lip for more impact.  

Spring 2012 Hair Trend: The Wet Look

Redken Creative Consultant Guido chose a natural, effortless high-shine hairstyle for Alexander Wang’s collection this Spring/Summer season to create the overall look of nonchalant yet elegant downtown girl.

This is a very natural look that a girl could very easily achieve herself. It’s got that ‘just out of the shower’ feel to it, and I think it’s very chic to have a wet hair look when fully dressed in amazing clothes, like Alexander Wang. The very trendy, fabulous clothes in this collection paired with the effortless hair makes for a very cool finished look.

–Guido, Redken Creative Consultant

Rock the Look:


- Section hair and heavily apply full frame 07 protective volumizing mousse to damp hair from roots to ends


- Create a messy center part and rough dry with a blow dryer for natural texture


- Next heavily apply All Soft Argan-6 Multi-Care Oil to hair for a super high shine look

Rock the Beauty Look: 


Select Moisturecover was blended over well-moisturized skin with fingers only where needed to perfect skin.  For the eyes, Smolder Eye Kohl was applied to the upper lashline and blended upwards from both the inner and outer corners with 239 Brush, leaving the middle of the eyelid bare. Excess product left on the brush is then diffused through the lower lashline.  Finally Studio Moisture Fix SPF 15 was applied on a cotton swab and used to remove a bit of liner through the lower lashes before re-applying Smolder Eye Kohl and blending once again.  Black Cremestick Liner was applied as a thin line through the upper lashline with 210 Brush, and then rolled onto the root of the lashes. Excess product left on the brush also accentuates the lower lashes.  M·A·C Pro Gloss Texture was applied on the centre of the eyelid to finish the eye.  The lips were hydrated, but natural.

Spring 2012 Hair Trend: Sleek & Straight

Frederic Fekkai Lead Stylist, Paul Hanlon created a Relaxed 90’s-Grunge Look for Joseph Altuzarra’s Spring-Summer 2012 Fashion Week Runway Show.


Inspiration: Paul Hanlon created a hair style with a young and personalized look to match Altuzarra’s contemporary collection. The style was casual and beautifully chic, giving each look a touch of individuality and character.


Rock the look: Apply Fekkai Advanced Full Blown Volume Styling Whip to the top two inches of wet hair, creating volume and lift. Create a strong right side part, bringing the front of the hair all the way to the left side of the head, and slightly over the left side of the face. Blow-dry the hair straight using a large round brush. Spray the hair with Fekkai Advanced Brilliant Glossing Sheer Shine Mist to create a glossy shine and secure any stray hairs. Next, brush through the hair with hands, to give the hair a more tousled look. Next, apply Fekkai Coiff Magnifique Ultra-Light Finishing Crème from the mid section of the hair all the way to the bottom of the hair. To secure the look, spray Fekkai Coiff Sheer Hold Hair Spray throughout the hair.

The Makeup Look:  Tom Pecheux created a look called Elizabeth Taylor at the gym.  For the skin, Select Cover-Up was applied to even skintone and create a flawless effect.  Select Sheer/Loose Powder was pressed into skin with 150 Brush to set and provide a clean, matte finish.  For the eyes, Smolder Eye Kohl and Carbon Eye Shadow was layered and used with 266 Brush to shape and define a very strong, yet feminine eyebrow.  Finally, M·A·C Pro Gloss Texture was lightly applied with 252 Brush over the eyelids for a dewy finish.  The lips were kept hydrated and natural.  

Hair Trend: Feathers!

It started off with two or three requests a week and before the salon staff at Sam Brocato Salon could blink, the demand for feather extensions (among both clients and staff!) reached over ten times that amount and is still growing.

“Feather extensions are THE Spring/Summer hair trend of 2011,” says Sam Brocato. “They are the perfect way to tap into the super colorful extension trend right now. But they are much more low maintenance, much easier to pull off for the average woman and totally whimsical and fun.”

You can get your own feather hair extensions at Sam Brocato Salon in Soho, where extensions of all kinds are a salon specialty. Feather extensions are available for $45 for a bundle of five feathers. Or you can get the same look with Fancy Feathers by Bling Strands. You can mix and match Fancy colors & choose how many feathers you want. There are 8 color groups and 12 individual colors to choose from. Note: Fancy Feathers are best applied by salon professionals.

Spring 2011 Spring Hair Trend: Sleek 70s Hair

Clothing inspired by the 70’s popped up all over the fall 2011 Fashion Week runways, and now hair styles are following suit. Celebrities have been seen sporting the trend en mass lately with straight, center parted looks.

Celebrity Hairstylist Kevin Mancuso, who has worked with A-listers like Anne Hathaway, Natalie Portman and Kristen Bell, offers his tips for achieving this sleek style:

“The key to a gorgeous straight style is to create a slight lift at the crown so hair has movement and doesn’t just lie flat,” said Mancuso. “To avoid feeling dated, add a series of long, one length layers throughout for additional swing at the ends.”

PREP:
· Start by applying Nexxus Mousse Plus Volumizing Foam Styler directly to damp hair for fullness, body and density.
· Press mousse into hair from roots to ends for all-over volume and textured hold.


STYLE:
· Create a middle part and blow dry hair using a large round brush. By blow drying instead of ironing, you create volume and flexibility, so you can form the shape you want, and keep hair from looking limp.
· Use the blow dryer to bend ends slightly under for a flattering, face framing shape.

FINISH:
· Lightly mist hair with Nexxus Comb Thru Natural Design and Finishing Mist for flexible hold and shine that lasts.

Spring Hair Trend: Stylish Ponytails

Owner of Cutler/Redken salons, Rodney Cutler, and his talented team of stylists took to the catwalk to showcase stunning hair. For spring, many of the looks were inspired by airy texture, which complemented a lot of the designers’ style and feel for the clothes. Overall, there was a juxtaposition of beautifully polished and feminine clothes with slightly undone hairstyles. My favorites were the ponytails so I'm going to share how you can rock the look yourself!

Textured Ponytail as seen at Carlos Miele

Fitted gowns and soft fabrics flowed down the runway at the Carlos Miele show. “We always like the look to be very elegant, simple and feminine,” says Rodney Cutler, the lead stylist for the show. “This season, it’s a little more editorial with a dry, airy texture.”

Rock the Look :

1. Spray Cutler Volumizing Spray into damp hair and blow-dry for volume and texture

2. Set hair with a 1” curling iron, taking small sections and lightly spraying with Redken Forceful 23 Hairspray

3. Rake fingers through hair, starting at the roots to create a disheveled look

4. Create an imperfect center part and pull hair back into a low center ponytail

5. Use a bungee elastics and be sure to apply tension when securing the ponytail, which will accentuate the shape of the head. Lightly brush the ponytail to create an airy effect

Fun Fish Tail Braid as seen at Nicolas K

“To complement the casual-yet-chic designs, we wanted to do something that was strong and graphic, but still beautiful,” says Rodney Cutler, the lead stylist for the show. “The fishtail braid is cool, understated and worked wonderfully with the clothes and makeup. Plus, the great thing about the braid is that it’s so easy to re-create at home with minimal products and time.”

Rock the Look:

1. Spray damp hair with Cutler Volumizing Spray and blow-dry for volume

2. Gather all hair just below the ear, pull to one side, create a fishtail braid and secured with a small piece of leather

3. Leave a few fly-aways around the hairline to achieve a soft effect

4. Lightly spray with Redken Forceful 23

Rock the Look: Chic Blunt Bangs

Long, face-framing fringe is in for spring and stars like Jennifer Hudson and Sandra Bullock are embracing the trend. As perpetual style chameleons, celebrities often go for bangs as a simple way to transform their look without a drastic change to their existing haircut. This bold statement look is dramatic, impactful and easy to achieve with a few scissor snips.

To Rock the Look, go for brow-grazing bangs that are slightly tapered at the corners. This way you can wear them down or sweep them to the side to quickly change up the style.

Celebrity hairstylist and Nexxus Creative Director Kevin Mancuso, who has worked with A-listers like Anne Hathaway, Abbie Cornish and Kristen Bell, offers his tips on how to style your bang look:

“Bangs are a great way to update your look without sacrificing length off your ends,” said Mancuso. “The addition of thick, blunt fringe immediately draws focus to your eyes and emphasizes your bone structure.”

PREP:
· Start by applying Nexxus Thermal Volume Volumizing Heat Protection Mousse directly to damp hair to create body and protect strands from the damaging effects of heat styling.
· Press mousse into hair from roots to ends for all-over volume and textured hold making sure to include the bang area.

STYLE:
· Pin bangs to the side and create a middle part. Then use a large round brush to blow dry the rest of your hair.
· Make sure bangs are still damp before styling. If they have dried a bit, mist them with water prior to blow drying. This will ensure there are no unwanted kinks in the bangs and also help set the style.
· Curl bangs over the round brush and blow dry on low, bending ends slightly under for a flattering, face-framing shape.
· Release the rest of hair from the hair tie.

FINISH:
· Place the round brush under the bangs and lightly mist hair with Nexxus Comb Thru Natural Design and Finishing Mist for flexible hold and glossy shine.
· Roll the brush slightly under as you remove it from the bangs to smooth hair.

Waves + Bangs

I love this picture of Tyra Banks sporting heavy bangs and waves. It is such a Spring 2011 Hair Trend! In order to recreate this look you can do it a few different ways, separate the bangs from the rest of your hair and blow dry it straight out. For the rest you can choose to use heat or do it without.

With Heat:

Use a curling iron or a round heat barrel, take small pieces of your hair and wrap it around the curling iron. The key is to take different sized pieces of hair and wrap them different ways around the curling iron barrel. Doing it like this will ensure that your waves look natural.

Without Heat:

Personally, bantu knot outs do not work on wet hair so I would have to start with dry hair and use a leave in spray to dampen the hair. Once the hair is damp I create little buns all over and once it's dry I remove the buns and waves are in place. Just like when I use use heat, I create different sized buns to create more natural looking waves.

Spring 2011 Hair Protective Style

Celebrated stylist and Kérastase Paris Spokesperson, Ashley Javier led his team backstage at the Behnaz Sarafpour Spring 2011 show and unveiled a beautiful, new take on the traditional French braid. Relying on his coveted source of professional treatment and styling products, Ashley Javier plucked from his arsenal of Kérastase, including a new secret weapon coined Elixir Ultime, to perfect each model’s hair and complement the stunning collection debuted by the designer.

The Inspiration: “The collection was very delicate and feminine so I wanted to create a look with innocence and sweetness, but with a bit of an edge. We created a designer French braid that snaked neatly behind the head and was very intricate, not “do it yourself” looking. The great thing about a neat and skillful French braid is that it can last for days…even longer than a blow dry.” — Ashley Javier

To Create the Look:
§ Ashley began by applying NEW Elixir Ultime beautifying hair oil to the lengths of the hair to prepare it for braiding, by softening, adding body and solidity
§ Next, he started the braiding at the top left and worked hair into a French braid, following a crisscross pattern across the back of the head
§ Once complete, a non-visible elastic secured the braid, and the ends were pinned up under the hair
§ He finished the look with Double Force Controle Ultime to set the style in place with a firm, yet workable hold
§ Finally, he smoothed the edges around the hair line, once again using Elixir Ultime, and with a fine toothbrush perfected the hairline