Tickled Pink ( and other colours )

The Basics Of Choosing a Colour for your Hair.

Hello again everyone. Sorry for being a bit late this entry. Crazy craziness happens in my life sometimes and my brain cannot sort itself out. But after a few days of hot yoga my mind is clear. This one will be a continuation of my last post answering part of Amanda's question. If you have not read the previous post or are not sure of her question, you can check it out by clicking on my blog archives to the right of your screen.

Today we talk about colour and colour choices for you and your skin. There is a related article recently posted by an awesome make-up artist whom I have the pleasure of knowing. You can check that out here http://glamazonbeautyblogging.blogspot.com/2010/09/monistat-for-my-face-and-color.html. And now, onward and upward.

The Colour Wheel!!!

Let's start with a bit of basic colour theory. The first thing you need to know about is this, The Colour Wheel! The colour wheel is the foundation of all hair colour choices that we make, be it what works best with your skin or how to go about getting you to that awesome colour. The colour wheel I have here is a very basic one, just to illustrate what I am talking about. There are much more complicated ones, but lets stick to this one.

There are three Primary Colours: Blue, Yellow and Red. From these colours comes every other colour we know of (black and white are not colours, they are shades). The Secondary Colours, which are the most immediate colours the Primaries make are Purple, Orange and Green. From these colours you get the blue-greens, the purple-reds, etc. Colours opposite each other on the colour wheel are call Complimentary Colours. If we look the colours wheel, we can see that yellow and purple are opposite and so they could be Complimentary Colours.

What does that mean? There are two thinks that complimentary colours do. The first is obvious from the name, they compliment each other. In the hair world, we use these to make enhance features( mainly the eyes ) That is why green eyes on a person with red hair are so intense and are the first thing you notice. The second thing that complimentary colours do, and is the most often used when working with hair, is they cancel each other out when put together. Hairdressers use this a lot when choosing colour formulations.

Alright, we all understand out basic colour theory now. We are moving on into how this directly affects you when trying to choose a colour for your hair. Grab a white piece of paper, stand in front of the mirror and and hold the paper up to your cheek. Look at your skin and find out what the predominant undertone is. The white paper will help make the background where you are looking neutral so you can truly see you skin tone, not darkness or lightness, but tone. You may have an underlying tone of yellow as many people of Asian decent do or you may find that a pink is the colour that you notice, or even a blue. These all very much affect how a colour will look on you.

Me without make-up : D

For example, the two panels of colour above are both red. ( The one could be argued to be orange but it is considered red) The one on the left has an underlying tone of blue while the one on the right has a tone or yellow (or orange). This is what we are looking for in your skin tone, the underlying tone. I will use a photo of me as an example. I have quite pale skin but as you can see, next to the white paper, a good amount of pinkish tones seem to jump out. So, my underlying skin tone is pink/red.
Once you have found your skin tone, you are ready to figure out colour.



Choosing the right colour

To choose the right colour for you, a few things need to be taken into account. First, we'll start with skin tone, which you just figure out. You need to ask yourself this question first: Do I want to enhance my skin tone or not?


If the answer is not, then you do not want to use a complimentary colour on your hair, that is, the colour that is opposite your skin tone on the colour wheel. For myself, with a pink/red undertone, not wanting to enhance that, I would not choose anything with a green tone to it and probably not a yellow or orange tone either as they are both on the same side of the wheel as green.


Secondly, you need to ask yourself this question: Is there something on my face ( ie. Usually eyes ) that I want to enhance? If the case is yes there, then you will want to choose a colour that is opposite the colour of your eyes on the colour wheel.
                                                                     
Katie Holmes has a great colour in this picture. Not only does it make her eyes stand out but it also looks great with her skin tone, being on the same side of the colour wheel as her underlying tone but not too similiar as to make her skin show too much of that tone. ( Her skin tone has a reddish tone to it )

Katie Holmes' eyes pop.

Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz, on the other hand, does not look great in this colour. I love Cameron, but this colour is not for her. The colour of her hair does nothing for her eyes, being that it is very close to their colour on the colour wheel. ( Blue eyes, ashy toned colour ) But the biggest issue here is the skin tone/hair combo. Cameron, I believe has got a slightly yellow tone to her skin ( although it is hard to tell based on this picture because she has a lot of make-up on ). The ashy colour ( usually blue or green based ) in the colour pulls all the colour out of her skin, making her appear very pale.  The make-up here does not help either.


A few more things need to be kept in mind when choosing hair colour. The general rule is that darker, more matte hair colour, like Cameron's, makes a person look older and will define and enhance any lines or wrinkles you may have. The different between Katie's colour and Cameron's is that  Katie's has a warm glow to it and is super shiny, while Cameron's is very matte and one dimension.


If you wanting to go dark with very light skin or light with very dark skin, you need to keep in mind the general rules for colour as mentioned above. When moving drastically one way or the other from your natural colour, the more these rules need to be considered.


This has been a very basic break down of how to choose a colour for your hair. There is a lot more things I could say on the subject, but I will leave that for tonight and let this sink in. It is always best to talk to your hair stylist/colourist about the colour or colours you are thinking of going. They will let you know what will work or not for you.


Until next week, keep those questions coming and happy hair days.
 

Square, Round And All That's In Between

 

Did you know that the leaves on trees change colour because of the change in sunlight and not because of the drop in temperature??  I have known this for a while, but this time of year I always end up telling a lot of people about it. Everyone comments on the temperature  and says “ It’s gonna be a cold year because the leaves are already turning, “ That leaves me ( no pun intended ) to explain the above mentioned fact. So, now you all know why leaves change colour.

Enough about trees and leaves, I have a question to answer from a client and good friend Amanda Mullins who runs a blog entitled Frayed Threads; You can find a link to it on the right side of the page. Anyway, Amanda sent me this question, amongst a few others.

"One of the hardest things to decide when changing up my hairstyle is what colours would look good on me? I've read sites that say if your skin is "cool" or "warm" then certain colours will suit, and if you have an "oval" or "square" face, certain cuts, but how well does that really work? I usually just end up sitting in your chair and letting you do what you want, because I know it will be awesome, but if I wanted to plan it, how would I go about it?"

This is a long and intricate question to answer....and I am happy to do it as there is a lot of information floating around out there on what colour, haircuts, etc. you can and cannot wear. Here, I will hopefully make it easy to understand and easier for everyone to decide what look they would like. It is also good to understand that liking a hair style you see on celebrity does not mean that the stylist will be willing to or able to create that exact look on you. After today, though, I hope you will be able to see styles that you like and envision what they would look like on you and how the stylist may alter them to suit your body, face shape, colour and lifestyle.

I will start off with the basics of face shape.

There are roughly nine different face shapes.  (I say roughly because some people will classify them as six distinct shapes, putting a few of them into the same category. I prefer to use nine because it allows for a more wide range of ideas and solutions. )

To find your face shape, pull all your hair back off your face and look in a mirror. Trace the shape of your face (not the hair or ears) in the mirror with soap, lipstick or water (or whatever works) and look at the shape you drew. That is the shape of your face. The ideal shape, from a fashion and aesthetic standpoint, is the Oval shape and the goal is to create the illusion on an oval shape when doing hair or make-up. Keep in mind, however, that I am not saying that there is a right or wrong shape of face. Generally, oval shaped faces are the most flattering and most symmetrical.  However, if you love the way you look with a heart shaped face that’s great. But, let’s keep this basic.

Meghan Fox is a great example of an oval face shape.

Oval Face Shapes can wear any style you can think of. Cute little short crops to long waves will all work on this face shape. Because this is the ideal face shape there is no need to worry about creating the illusion of a different face shape. The only things to take into consideration here is if you have any features you would like to enhance, but that will come later.

Oblong Face Shapes are quite common and may appear to be oval at first glance, however, Oblong faces tend to be longer then ovals, with high foreheads and long chins. Generally, these faces are much thinner then they are long. Think of Sarah Jessica-Parker and Liv Tyler as stars who have oblong face shapes.

Live Tyler

To create the oval illusion with an oblong face, you want to add width to the cheek area or take away length from the forehead. I will use pictures of Liv Tyler as an example because I love that woman.

Full Bangs also bring out the eyes

Bangs help cover the forehead, bringing your eye to her eyes and below. By taking away the higher forehead, we have created a more oval shape. Bangs are also a great way to highlight and add intensity to eyes.

If bangs are not for you, another way to create an oval shape is to add more width to the cheek area like the picture on the right. This will add width or volume in the cheek area to even out an oblong face shape.

Faces look rounded when hair is pulled back.

Another common face shape is the Round Face Shape. This is a shape that is generally the same width as it is long, but it may vary slightly. If people have always been squeezing your cheeks then you probably have a round face.

 Oh, how I love Kate Winslet and it was very hard for me to find a photo of her that really showed off her face shape as she is always impeccably styled. One big think to avoid with round face shapes is heavy straight bangs and pulling your hair tightly off your face. A round shape needs height at the top to create length and a more smooth, less voluminous style around the cheeks to slim them down. 

Center parts slim round faces

A side part is your best bet with either a side sweeping bang or soft layering around the face. Keep layers and the all over length of the hair below your chin to help your face look longer. Centre parts are possible, just make sure to keep your hair soft and the part loose. Super straight and super curls are not a good match for round face shapes.

 Many times a Rectangular Face Shape will be put into the Oblong category, but I disagree with that. A rectangular face has a square chin and forehead whereas an Oblong shape is much softer and more rounded.

Avoid pulling hair off the face.

Do wear your hair soft.

I am not a huge fan of Angelina Jolie for multiple reasons, but she does have a very rectangular face and is a great example of what not to do and what to do. With rectangular faces, you want to avoid too much height on top and any harsh, straight, rigid hairstyles. To soften the angles, make sure you are getting lots of layering, especially around the face, and soft bangs. Anything solid, straight and heavy will accentuate these areas. If you do want the heavy and straight look, avoid have the straight lines of the hair cut fall at your chin. With bangs, keep them more rounded on the face.

Volume on top lengthens a square face

Square face shapes are very similar to rectangular face shapes with one exception. A square face benefits from height on top and long lengths falling below the chin. Short hair is possible with both rectangular and square face shapes but need to be kept quite soft and feminine.

Classic Triangle Shaped Face

 The Triangle and Inverted Triangle Face Shapes have the same styling needs just in opposite areas. A triangle shape is wider at the chin and narrower at the forehead where as an inverted triangle is wider at the forehead and narrow at the chin. Victoria Beckham has a classic inverted triangle shaped face. 

With the inverted triangle, adding volume to the forehead areas will create a wider looking forehead, emphasizing the triangle shape. With Victoria’s cut, it mostly works because the front layer or bangs are heavy enough and hang across the forehead to narrow it, however, it does emphasize the triangular shape of her face. Generally speaking, a side swept bang and volume or heaviness created at the chin will create a more even, oval face. Short hair also works with this shape, as long as the movement is kept on the top of the head.

Short hair can be great

Volume at the bottom evens out a diamond face.

Diamond Shapes are characterized by a narrow forehead and chin and wider cheeks. Creating width at the forehead and the chin or narrowing the cheeks helps create an oval shape. You want to avoid styles that widen at just the bottom or the top or that are voluminous at the cheeks.

  The last face shape I will talk about is the Heart Shape Face. The defining features of a heart shaped face is, usually ( but not always )  a widows peak on the hairline and a quite narrow jaw. Unlike the inverted triangle, heart shaped faces have wide cheeks and the narrowing starts below them.

Side sweeping bangs narrow a wide forehead

A bare forehead emphasizes the width

A side swept bang will help create height and narrowness through the top area where it is widest and volume at the chin helps even out the face shape.

If going for short hair it is good to keep longer pieces in the front to slim the sides of the face as well as keep all the movement and volume on top.

Besides face shape, there are whole bunch of other factors involved in choosing the right cut for you. Body shape, profile, the position and size of features on your face, all factor in.

Add a textured, heavy fringe to highlight eyes

To bring out eyes, as mentioned before, aim for bangs that frame the eyes. They should be quite heavy and full, but adding some texture in can be a good idea.

If you feel you have a large nose, wear a style that comes forward on the face to blend it in. In this case, you want to stay away from any cut that is cut back, away from the face. Also, cuts that have volume in the back help balance out the look.

Always keep in mind that strong, straight lines will draw the eye to that focal point. If you have a great jaw line you want to highlight, a sharp angled bob at the jaw lengths can enhance that.

One last key thing to remember: If you are a large person, you want to make sure you hair is in proportion to your body. Flat, very short hair styles will make your body appear bigger. On the flip side, if you are quite petite, very big, curly or voluminous hair will over power and make you look smaller.

These are some of the basic things to keep in mind when planning a hair cut. Since this is such a large topic, I will go into the colour side of this either later this week or at my regular blog time next week.

Until then, stay warm and happy hair days!

Trend Watch

However much we hate to admit it, fall is here. The season of orange, red and yellow is upon us as well as the chilly but not too  chilly air. The smell of winter is in the air but until it is actually here, lets enjoy the nice weather we do get.

In the world of hair, this is a time of transtition. Moving from the very bright,  and usually blonde, summer colours into slightly darker and more natural hues. This does not mean you need to give up your sunkissed ( or artificially sun-kissed ) locks, this just means that adding a few darker colours to the mix to create a more natural look is in order. For darker haired vixens creating a rich, warm tone with multiple tone or tone hues is the way to go. And for the highlight girls, toning your highlights downs a shade or two is on trend.

For Blondes:  There is a lot of "roots" being seen. Drew Barrymore is a prime example of this trend.

However tempting it may be to just allow your hair to grow out to get this look, I would advise against it. Drew's "roots" transition very softly into the lighter end. There is no harsh regrowth line which we so often see when it is time for a colour. Very fine blonde highlights are either painted in with a technique call Balyage or using foils to maintain this really soft, feminine and natural look. The upkeep on a look like this would be slightly less then your regular highlights and colour, but still requires some stylist/client bonding time.

Another option for blondes is to move away from a bright, sunny colour into a beige tone speckled with slightly darker pieces in an opposite tonal family.

 And for those blondes who just have to have super light hair, add a few pieces of a very light violet to your hair to add dimension and interest.

For Brunnettes

Warmth, warmth and more warthm is the mantra for darker haired babes. Think of the autimn leaved when searching for your hair colour this season. Warm browns to burn coppers are the mist haves this season. Brunnettes really get to have the most fun in the fall as everything revolves around beauitiful, rich brown tones.

For lighter brunnettes, really bring out the warmth and shine this season. Adding a few warm, soft copper highlights throughout adds dimension while still keeping that rich feeling. You don't want anything more then two shades lighter the your all over colour. Be sure to keep this look soft and feminine.

If you have ( naturally or not ) quite dark hair, create a similiar look by having some pieces a few shades lighter put in just along the edges of your hair. This should be almost like an outline of your hair cut. This keeps the depth and beauty on dark hair while adding that punch and dimension that is on trend for fall.

For Redheads: Aim for natural, bright, firey reds this season. Those three words tend to confuse people as each seems to be mutually exclusive but in fact, these three words describe this seasons red trend to a tee.

For lighter red heads move into the copper reds and be sure to add dimension by tossing in a few different shades, all within one level of each other.. Don't be afraid to go for a all over natural look with red. 

For the girls who like things a little more dramatic, we are seeing brighter copper pieces mingling with darker reds. 

Keeps both red tones on the warm side, staying away from the blue reds if you skin and look can do that. The trend is warmth, so keep the colours of fire in your mind when heading this direction. You can amp up or turn down the heat, so to speak, of your fire reds to suit your complexion and comfort level.

Styles this fall are loose, playing with natural texture and fall of the hair. As we saw in summer, the messy, loose, understyled hair is in, but for fall, we are adding a little more control and polish to the looks. This doesn't mean you need to get out your hard hold hair spray and flat iron. I encourage you to put them away ( or at least use them sparingly ) and go with the flow of how your hair naturally is.

If you have curls, use them. Get a great curl cream or styler. I recommend the Bumble and Bumble Curl Conscious Foam or the Defining Creme. Wrap pieces of your hair around your finger to create a more chunky curl and diffuse with a diffuses, scrunch blowdry or let dry naturally. ( With the tempurature falling, I recommend blowdrying it some what ) If you like, you can use your hands or a flat brush to pull your roots straighter. This is especially great for those of us who have that wave or "kink" in our hair which never really curls but doesn't go straight either. Embrace that kink and work it.

For a more polished look use a round brush or big barrel curling iron to create alternating waves around the front. You can also use a finger wave technique if you know how. A few large curls throughout the back and you're done. For this look, keep the front curls moer solid and the back curls a little more broken up.

And for those with straight hair go for the messy rockstar style. Scrunching spray are not just for curly haired girls. On your straight dry, or slightly damp, hair, spritz in a scrunching spray, ( Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray is great! ) and scrunch up handfuls of your hair. The idea is a messy, slept in, " I am too awesome to really do my hair " kind of look.

And finally, for those who need to wear their hair up and away from the face, braids are back with a vengeance. A messy, large braid ( or fishtail braid ) either pulled to the side or around the face as a headband keeps the hair away without looking too plain.

 And last, but not lease, for all my boys out there the trends this season are classics with a modern twist. The days of the short, faux hawk hair are moving out as trends move towards men's grooming and style. Longer hair can be seen as messy but pulled together, with lots of texture.

While short hair takes on a " Mad Men " feel. ( If you don't watch Mad Men, you should. Go watch it )

H

However, if you still need a little punk in your hair diet, you can always customize this kind of cut in to something uniquely yours.

And there you have it. The trends to watch for and ask for this season. The key things to ask for are texture, dimension and warm colours.

Welcome to my blog!!!

Welcome       

It is finally here, my uber anticipated ( at least by me ) and vastly improved ( over the last one ) hair blog. I would first like to thank everyone who takes  the time to read this. If you are clients, potential clients, friends, family or complete strangers, welcome. I look forward to giving you answers to your long wondered questions as well as keeping you updated on the wonderful world of fashion and hair.

A little about me:

After five years of doing hair behind the chair in the salon environement I have decided to branch out into session styling ( hair for photo shoots ), fashion shows, and competition work. Part of my branching out is this blog which encourages me to keep on the cutting edge ( pun intended ) of style and hair as well as to give anyone who wants to know information about the industry that I am so passionate about. My inspirations run the gamut from anime to 1920's Hollywood to Star Trek and everything in between. What I intend with this blog is to not only keep you all up to date on what is happening trend wise and answering questions, but to have a forum to post my work and receive feedback.

Now that you know a little of me, I want to set the tone for this blog. If you find that I am wrong about something, please let me know. If there are spelling, grammatical mistakes, again, please let me know. I do my best to make sure there are none, but sometimes they creep in. Feel very free to comment on any post ( keep comments polite and clean or bad things will happen to you ), ask questions ( perferably hair related ) by contacting me here or catching me on my facebook fan page @ http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=25683920885&ref=ts . I will do my best to get to your question but it may take me sometime depending on how many questions I get. Just be patient, it will come.

Sincerely,

Victoria
Metropolitan Hair Design

Coming soon to a screen near you...........

She's stylish.........

She's witty...........

She'll keep you up to date in the world of hair...........

She's ............... Victoria.

Stay tuned to Metropolitan Rock-a-billy Hair Design's blog on Sept. 5/2010 for all the comings and goings.