Prom Up-Dos – and Don’ts!

Emmy Rossum's touchable updo

Kim Kardashian's tousled up-do

We have had so many young ladies in the salon recently for consults on their prom hairstyle that it seemed a natural to talk about it with everyone. Of course, hairstyle, haircolor, and makeup are dictated by that perfect prom dress you so diligently hunted down – some of my clients bought their prom dresses in January to grab up the best gowns from the holiday and social seasons. 

Emma Roberts artfully messy up-do

Dianna Agron's casually artful up-do

Whether you have chosen something sleek and sophisticated, something embellished and statement-y, a bold color, or something in a more demure shade, there is one thing that is universally guaranteed to make you look fabulous: a messy, touchable, sensuous up-do.

Emma Stone's boho up-do

Jennifer Lawrence's tousled chignon

An up-do frames your face, lifts your hair above your dress, and is so versatile that it works with hair of any length, texture, and color. 

And a great stylist can achieve this artfully disheveled look while giving it the foundation to last all night with the use of the right products and plenty of hairpins. 
 

Blake Lively's beachy up-do

Anna Paquin rocks the half up-do

Look at these celebrity up-dos – the range of face shape, hair color, hair length, hair texture – that compliment their outfit, and create a perfect frame for statement makeup.

I like to see the dress on my client when I design her up-do, because I think that on the one hand, contrast can be playful and beautiful; on the other hand, an up-do can match the “vibe” of the dress and achieve a total look. 

Katie Cassidy -- an "up-don't"

No matter whether your gown looks vintage or is literally “right of the runway,” there are up-dos that are too severe to look appropriate at your age. 

Sienna Miller's too-tight up-do

Look at these three up-dos.

They make these otherwise beautiful women look like their mothers – or grandmothers! 

Even Kim Kardashian has fallen victim to an "up-don't"

They just won’t do for the most memorable night of your young life. Your prom is “The Oscars” of your high school career, and we want to treat it that way!

Until next week…  

The Shape of Your Face Shapes Your Hair

The shape of your face shapes your hair/InStyle.com

The same hairstyle – whether it’s a bob, a long bob (the “Lob”), a shag, layers, short hair, or bangs – is going to be differently shaped and cut depending on the shape of the face under that hair. 

Being an expert on recognizing your face shape, a good stylist can  tailor the perfect haircut or color for you that makes a whole world of difference. They can accentuate and bring out your best features with the right cut and color for your face; if a stylist does not to this, they can actually distort and make you look awkward by exaggerating rather than camouflaging. You can get the best cut ever, but on the wrong face shape, or the best cut ever that is perfectly right for your face shape.  

Kate Beckinsale, oval shape/InStyle.com

Please know that there is no “right” or “wrong” facial shape; the knowledge of facial shapes gives savvy stylists the ability to select better cuts and colors that will make the most of your natural contours. You can’t fight what you were born with – but we can create a look that brings out the best and minimizes areas that need softening, contouring, or re-shaping.

Zoe Saldana, oval shape/InStyle.com

There are four basic facial shapes, with some overlap:

1. Round/Oval
2. Rectangular/Long
3. Square
4. Triangular/Heart-Shaped

Christina Ricci, round shape/InStyle.com

The classic oval face shape (Kate Beckinsale and Zoe Saldana, for example)  offers the widest array of opportunities because it has equal dimensions (the brow, cheekbones and jaw are the same width) and therefore the hair can be worn in almost any variation on or off the face. To best enhance an oval-to-round face is to add volume on top, and if you like fringes, comb them to one side or the other. 

Ginnifer Goodwin, round shape/InStyle.com

The rounder face (like Christina Ricci and Ginnifer Goodwin) has nearly the same proportions, but is as wide as it is long, and the forehead and jaw curve at the corners. 

Claudia Schiffer, rectangular shape/InStyle.com

The rectangular/long face is the rarest facial shape (like Claudia Schiffer or Selma Blair), and it is best accented by long hair with layers, and a fringe or bang to help break the length and frame the face. 

Selma Blair, rectangular shape/InStyle.com

If you want shorter hair, the pixie bob is the perfect shape, making the face appear rounder and softer. Your stylist can also achieve the same effect with haircolor by creating darker shadows at the four “corners” of the face with a deeper haircolor.  

Salma Hayek, square shape/InStyle.com

A woman with a square face (like Salma Hayek-Pinault and Cameron Diaz) has some of the same issues as those with a rectangular face. 

Cameron Diaz, square shape/InStyle.com

The best options with a square face are hair with a lot of movement, soft waves, softened angles, soft curls, and the hair should move to cover the sides of the face, again minimizing the “corners.” The goal is adding softness around the fringe and along the jawline. 

Reese Witherspoon,heart-shaped/InStyle.com

The triangular or heart-shaped face has a wide brow and a narrow chin (think Reese Witherspoon and Victoria Beckham). The best styles for this face shape include a fringe on the forehead to even up the proportions, with either a full bang or a fringe combed to the side. 

Victoria Beckham, heart-shaped/InStyle.com

We want to emphasize a heavier bang on this face and then add volume at the jaw to create more even proportions. Again, a good stylist can achieve this effect using haircolor, this time adding light at the four “corners” of the face and in the fringe. This face shape also looks wonderful with a thick headband above the fringe; the proportions are perfect!

Ciao until next week!

There IS One Way You Can Look Like a Celebrity…Hair Extensions!

Katie Holmes at the "grow out" stage.

Katie Holmes' shiny, sexy  long extensions.

At least once a day, someone walks into my salon with a picture of a celebrity in hand, asking if I can help her have “HER” hair. And more than half of the time, what I am shown is a picture of a celebrity with hair extensions. That actually makes for a happy answer, because with hair extensions, I really CAN make a client look like a celebrity! A few hours in my chair, and anyone will leave with longer, thicker, glamorous sexy hair.

Look at the lovely Katie Holmes, who bobbed her hair for a movie role and kept it short for quite some time, and was sporting a bit of a "mullet" during the grow-out stage. But she and other celebrities have the option of skipping the “awkward stages” of growing out a short cut with human hair extensions – and you can, too. Not only is Katie’s hair longer, it’s thicker and shinier.  

Eva Longoria's extension also look healthy and shiny.

At D Laudati Salon, I and my experienced stylists are certified in the three newest advancements in human hair extensions: hot fusion (keratin bond), cold fusion (metal beads), and multiple-strand applications. We also offer clip in hair extensions, which is what Eva Longoria has been using while she grows out her chin-length bob. This can be fun option, since growing out a bob has fewer – if any -- awkward stages, and you can play hairstyle chameleon.

No matter what your hair texture or color, we will provide you with the perfect match in the highest-quality human hair. 

Ashley Greene treats her extensions just like her own hair

Since Ashley Greene went from “bob” to “big, beautiful hair,” she’s changed her hair color more than once, added highlights, and treated those extensions just as if they were her own hair. 

Forget the horror stories about losing your hair and the paparazzi shots of celebs with their exposed extensions growing out badly. Our techniques will not damage your own hair, and styles last for several months with proper home maintenance and salon follow-up. That’s key to keeping your extensions beautiful.
 

Selena Gomez, from ingenue cool to movie-star hot

Selena Gomez went from cool to hot with her long extensions and deep, espresso tones and lowlights. Her hair looks like chocolaty silk. You can achieve in one afternoon what would take YEARS to accomplish before the advent of hair extensions. We also carry a complete line of shampoos, conditioners, styling products, and hair brushes made especially for extensions and their maintenance. 

If you want to know more about the hair extensions we use, you can check out our website at www.hairextensionswestpalmbeach.com. 

 
Until next week…

HELP US HELP THE PEOPLE OF JAPAN: Brazilian Blowout/Operation Japan

Help us help the survivors of Japan's
earthquakes and tsunami on April 11

Like millions of other Americans and other people around the world, I sat in front of the television watching with horror as Japan was struck by a devastating earthquake and then the tsunami it caused.  Feeling helpless, I thought “What could I do to help?”  I wondered, turning to my wife and telling her that we must do SOMETHING for the innocent victims. The usual “cut-a-thon” that those of us in this profession initiate whenever we feel moved to help in times of such dire need just did not feel like enough. 

I went to my salon the next day, and told my staff my idea: We will dedicate the entire business day of Monday, April 11, to providing area residents with the hottest trend in the beauty industry right now, the “Brazilian Blowout.” And then we would give 100% of the entire day’s proceeds to the American Red Cross to be used solely for relief efforts in Japan. I would personally donate the products required to perform this service, so all money generated will go to the cause. I immediately received the full support and enthusiasm of my entire salon team.  

I truly believe that my dedicated staff and I will be able to generate over $12,000 in that one day, if each stylist is fully booked. I am also looking for corporate sponsors to match our salon’s donation.

Not only that, but I asked the company that makes “Brazilian Blowout” to promote this fundraising event to every salon in America that buys their product. The funds that could be raised in the State of Florida alone, with 335 salons providing the “Brazilian Blowout,” would exceed $4 million; with a nation-wide event the number could easily exceed $100 million.

The “Brazilian Blowout” is a professional smoothing treatment that leaves hair smooth and frizz-free without harmful chemicals. It is the only smoothing treatment that actually improves the health of the hair. The entire treatment is completed in 90 minutes, and the results last up to 12 weeks. The cost of the “Brazilian Blowout” is $350 to $400, depending on the length and thickness of the hair. 

If you have ever had the Brazilian Blowout, there has never been a better time for you to not only try this amazing service, but to do it for such a worthy cause. If you have ever had a Brazilian keratin treatment before, this formaldehyde-free treatment blows away any results you may have had using that toxic method of hair straightening, and again, the entire cost of your treatment will be donated to help those who cannot help themselves. 

Together, we can come to the rescue of the brave people of Japan; and we hope that you will feel moved to have a “Brazilian Blowout” at our salon at Two City Plaza in Downtown West Palm Beach on April 11. For an appointment, please call the salon at (561) 833-7611. Space is limited, so call today. 

For more information, please search for our Facebook Cause page, “Brazilian Blowout-Operation Japan”  or our "Help Us Help the People of Japan" page. If you don’t need this treatment, please consider making a donation and please share this with your friends who may be able to participate in this effort to make a change in the lives of the people in this devastated land.