We’re Having a Mod Moment…And Loving It!

Ashley Green's modern take on Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Bardot

Every era has its icons, its look, its own zeitgeist, and the Sixties’ is instantly recognizable. And even better, every era comes back around again, allowing us to relive a defining moment in our lives, as well as improve upon it with today’s advanced technologies, whether it’s the cut and feel of the fabric, the gentleness of the chemical processes used on their hair, the finer pigments and textures of the makeup, and the array of styling tools we have to use on our hair.

Beyonce channels Raquel Welch

Raquel Welch

We loved the Sixties, and its icons, from the voluptuous, sensual, and exotic Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch, Brigitte Bardot, and Veruschka; to Barbarella-era Jane Fonda; and Youthquake icons and Warhol muses Edie Sedgwick and Baby Jane Holzer; to rock star girlfriends Marianne Faithfull, Pattie Boyd, Jane Asher; models Jean Shrimpton, Penelope Tree and Twiggy, and gamine ladies Jacqueline Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn.

Kristen Stewart's cover

Veruschka's cover

 They all have their equivalents today -- Ashley Green, Beyonce, Drew Barrymore, and Kristen Stewart are all channeling the backcombed, high-volume, sexy kitten, just-rolled-out-of bed look of Brigitte Bardot, Raquel Welch, Jane Fonda, and Veruschka from her cover of Life magazine.

Angelina Jolie

Veruschka

Angelina Jolie channels Veruschka’s long, center-parted, wild child hair, while Rachel Bilson, Mischa Barton, and Zooey Deschanel could stand in for models Jean Shrimpton, Penelope Tree, and It Girlfriends Marianne Faithfull (Mick Jagger) and Pattie Boyd (George Harrison and Eric Clapton) with their heavy fringes.

Rachel Bilson

Jean Shrimpton

How could one not draw comparisons between Emma Watson and Twiggy? 

Mischa Barton

Marianne Faithfull

Or Ginnifer Goodwin and Edie Sedgwick?  

Zooey Deschanel's mod fringe

Mod model Penelope Tree

Christine Brinkley’s tousled beehive is truly classic Bardot. And Krysten Ritter’s baby fringe recalls nothing so much as Audrey Hepburn. In a single awards season, Drew Barrymore wore an homage to the bouffant made famous by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and Bardot-esque back-combed and tousled waves tumbling down her back.   

Emma Watson

Twiggy

Ginnifer Goodwin

Edie Sedgwick

Today, the difference is their hair is healthier, their color brighter and more dimensional -- and changed more often because we are able to do so without the damage wrought by the processes of 50 years ago. 

Christie Brinkley does Bardot

Brigitte Bardot

What is the same then and now is that whether a woman is a classic beauty or one with more offbeat looks, they all know they are beautiful and charismatic, they take care of themselves, and the have complete confidence. It is this combination that draws the eye and the attention of the public.

Krysten Ritter's Hepburn bangs

Audrey Hepburn

Styles never really die; they come back reflected by a new generation. And when we run out of ideas, we revisit the past for inspiration and bring it forward with a modern twist. The thing that has undergone the most radical change is haircolor and the chemistry behind it. There is a science to coloring hair, and one can be a terrific artist with color yet not the chemist needed to reproduce that color again and again. A true colorist can do both, and can also correct as well as create.

Drew Barrymore's bouffant

Jackie O's signature bouffant

Really, I love the look from every decade, and I look back at each of them for inspiration in the style and the color trends, and I try to bring the past forward and make it even better because we have the tools and technology to do so. Women are beautiful no matter what era, and it’s how we bring out their inner beauty and match it with their outer beauty that is ultimately timeless. Look at Audrey Hepburn – that face, if you take away her gamine Sixties hairstyle and clothes, is beautiful in any era. It’s how we express her inner beauty that transcends any era.

Until next week, ciao!

Hair Today Doesn’t Have To Be Gone Tomorrow…

As a hair colorist and stylist for over 30 years, I have seen hundreds of clients -- male and female -- despair over losing their hair, believing there was nothing that could be done about it. While it is normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs per day, anything over that can indicate a problem.

The most common cause of hair loss is male or female pattern baldness, a hereditary condition; but hair loss can also be caused by a number of other conditions including physical or emotional stress, medication, anesthesia, hormonal imbalance, pregnancy, autoimmune disease, poor nutrition, chemo or radiation, diabetes, lupus, or traction (pulling the hair too tight). 

What most people don’t know is that, in most cases, hair loss can be stopped and healthy hair can be re-grown by taking a multi-therapeutic approach which includes nutritional supplementation, topical products that block DHT (the byproduct of testosterone which is the cause of pattern baldness), and low-level laser therapy.

After researching advances in the treatment of hair loss, I became a Certified Hair Loss Consultant with the Hair Loss Control Clinics International, which has been successfully using low-level laser therapy for over 17 years. As an Affiliate, I carry their “Scripts” line of physician-formulated products which stop hair loss by blocking DHT and delivering nutrients that contribute to faster growth of healthier, thicker, stronger hair. Prescription-strength minoxidil is also included in this line. I also offer and recommend Viviscal Professional, a 100% natural supplement made of a marine complex blended with organic silica and vitamin C, which nourishes and strengthens thinning hair and promotes faster growth. (This is a more potent formulation than the Viviscal sold in stores or through catalogs.) 

The supplements and topical products stop hair loss, but it is laser therapy that re-grows hair, as long as the follicle is still active. Someone who has been bald for 15 years or more will not benefit from treatment, as the follicles are no longer capable of producing hair.

Laser hair therapy is FDA-approved and effective in re-growing healthy hair and improving the quality of existing hair. In a clinical trial, subjects received a total of 36 separate 20-minute treatments over a period of 18 weeks. After 36 treatments, 97% demonstrated an increased hair count of over 20; 89% demonstrated an increased hair count of over 30; and 57% demonstrated an increased hair count of over 50%. Laser hair therapy is safe, and has no side effects.

The laser promotes healthy hair re-growth in three ways: 1. It increases blood flow by

54%; blood brings more oxygen and nutrients to the follicles.  2. It increases ATP production (ATP is the energy source in every cell of the human body). 3. It promotes protein synthesis (hair is made of protein). The laser gives off no heat. It’s the light that promotes hair growth (called photo biostimulation). Low-level lasers are used by physicians and by hair-loss control clinics. The protocol typically calls for two 30-minute treatments per week. 

For those who find it inconvenient to make two visits a week, there are also laser combs, laser brushes, hooded lasers on stands, and laser caps or helmets for home use.  My favorite is the igrow Hair Rejuvenation System, a lightweight helmet made by the same company which makes professional lasers and which has the same high-quality medical laser diodes. Unlike laser combs or brushes, the igrow is completely hands-free. You can watch TV, read, or listen to music (it’s ipod and MP3 compatible) during your treatment. 

To receive brochures on the Scripts products and the igrow laser, contact me at laudati@salonbuilder.com or call (561)833-7611. If you are in the Palm Beach area, please mention this blog to receive a complimentary hair loss consultation.

Until next week, ciao!

More Cinderella Moments: Sometimes ‘Before’ is Better…

Ashley Tisdale

Last month, we posted about celebrities making some drastic cut and color changes. The trend continues, but not always with a “Cinderella success.” As we noted before, everyone loves a good transformation, the big “reveal” when a women is shown with her new look, and the audience all gasps in surprise at how a haircut, new haircolor, professional makeup, and a new outfit turns the a woman who may have been sitting next to them into Cinderella, ready for the ball.

But Ashley Tisdale’s transformation from a rich brunette to a bright blonde doesn’t offer that moment of awe. We think the blonde washes her out, and she’s already showing roots. Upkeep on this color is going to be very heavy, since she’s very obviously a natural brunette, which is why in her “before” picture she has that glow that is missing in the “after.” 

Calista Flockhart

Calista Flockhart makes the same error, although she’s gone in the opposite direction. The deep chestnut color makes her skin look sallow and ages her, where the honeyed tones of her “before” picture flatter her skin and bring light to her face. She looks more youthful and alive with lighter hair.

 

Chloe Sevigny

Chloe Sevigny made a very drastic change for a movie role, but she really got it right. Known for being very offbeat in her fashion choices, she makes a very striking brunette, and wisely changed her makeup to match her new haircolor. Note that she wears her trademark bright red lipstick in both shots, but it is a very different shade in each picture. That is one of the most important rules when you change your haircolor – you MUST change your makeup to go along with the new tone. You will not be able to just wear the same makeup colors as a cool brunette as you did as a golden blonde, and vice versa. 

 

Dianna Agron

Dianna Agron’s new cut is a misfire – we think it was supposed to be a shag, but the bangs are too long to accentuate her beautiful eyes, and it’s too choppy, with no flow to the layers, and no wispiness around the face to bring out her cheekbones. If you look at her “before” picture and see her classical bone structure, you realize the “after” picture just doesn’t do her any justice. We’d commented last time when she’d gone from that “before” cut to a bob, and thought it a mistake; she’s compounded the error here.

Leighton Meester

Now, look at what the right bangs can do! Leighton Meester’s bangs are perfect, they’re very youthful, they accentuate her eyes and draw attention to them while camouflaging a high forehead with just the right amount of wispiness and beveling.

 

Emma Watson

Emma Watson is doing a marvelous job of keeping her pixie well-shaped and flexible, constantly changing the way she wears it to keep it exciting and new. The darker hue is richer and quite flattering, especially so because she changed her makeup and darkened her brows to go with the new color. She looks more sophisticated, and has totally left behind any notion that she is still that teenager from the “Harry Potter” films.

Halle Berry

Halle Berry, who we believe has hit on the perfect combination of cut and color with her signature pixie in the “before” picture, has gone even shorter and a few shades lighter. Unfortunately, the new color is so close to her skin tone that they blend together, and we’re not crazy about it. We loved her look before, and she needs that richer, darker color for the contrast.

Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba, who will be a new mother any moment now, added some extensions for length. Since many pregnant women avoid haircolor, extensions are a great way to add highlights, lowlights, or more color. For women who want a temporary change or are growing out their hair, they can give you length and thickness as well. 

 

Katy Perry

Over the last two months, Katy Perry has gone from her trademark black hair to red (which even she termed an “epic misfire”), then from red to a strawberry blonde (we understand she is a natural blonde). The blonde was quite beautiful on her, and her colorist did a great job bringing her brows up to the right shade, and her makeup matched the new tones perfectly. But she apparently couldn’t leave well enough alone, and she colored her hair pink. Talk about an epic misfire. What a shame. 

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian made news when she cut her trademark waist-length locks to just below shoulder length, as seen on the left. She made bigger news when she traded her black color for a deep mocha shade with some lighter brown highlights – but she also went back to extensions and the original length. We think the lighter shade is much more youthful and flattering. The dark hair was so severe and made her look more mature, aging her beyond her years. We hope she’ll keep this brighter, lighter color -- she’ll need less makeup to accentuate her eyes and face, and to create that glow this color brings out naturally.

Selita Ebanks

Victoria’s Secret model Selita Ebanks appeared in the last “transformation” post when she cut her long flowing hair into this two-tone pixie, and we’re guessing that her employers may have had a hand in her going back to long extensions and this rich, almost-black brunette shade. We’re sure it was fun while it lasted, and she’s beautiful enough to carry off almost any style she wants, but she looks just lovely in her “after” picture. And notice that she adjusted her makeup accordingly, which she did the first time around as well. 

Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa Hudgens made national headlines by allowing her hair to be cut for a movie role. It’s hard to tell the shape of the cut from how she’s styled it here, which is not very flattering. She’s a pretty girl and can definitely pull off short hair, but she should move it around a bit and see what she can do with it, pull some wisps down around her face. Right now, it seems to lack any style at all. 

All of these major celebrity changes and transformations teach that when you’re considering a new cut, color, or both, a thorough consultation is an absolute MUST. You may even want to try on wigs if the change you’re considering is drastic. Change is a good thing, but being too impulsive can result in disaster.

Rely on an expert – your trained stylist and/or colorist – to advise you on whether what you see on a celebrity is going to work on you, with your hair’s texture, condition, and color, with your skin tone, and with your lifestyle. 

Be honest about how much time and money you’re willing to spend maintaining your hair. Some changes cost a lot more to keep up than others, and some require a lot more time in the salon, or a lot more time at home to reproduce the style. And always remember that a major change in cut and color means changes in your makeup and wardrobe as well, and calculate those investments, too.

Until next week, ciao!