hair

Win a Haircut with Jennifer Aniston’s Stylist (& Meet Jen!)

May 9, 2013 at 1:16 pm , by Bethany Porter

We sat down with hair icon Jennifer Aniston this week to talk all things hair—especially about why women battle with their locks (we’ve all done it!) and what she’s doing to change that. Aniston recently became part owner of the Living Proof hair care line and produced a mini documentary with the Living Proof team and her long-time stylist, Chris McMillan (he’s the man responsible for the famous Rachel cut) to explore our collective obsession with hair, and the lengths we all go to get our dream styles.

“I had great hair as a kid. My mom actually said you’re not allowed to touch your hair until you’re thirteen and she was right, I should not have,” Aniston says. “The first thing I did was cut it all off…I actually learned what my hair really was (which was not long and sort of cute) it was wide and unmanageable and a pain in the butt. I learned all my lessons in my younger years about what not to do.”

Aniston understands the desire for the latest gorgeous hairstyle but you won’t find her making any drastic cuts these days. “I usually just get a trim. I’ve always thought of going back to brunette but I think it’s more fun to play with it in movies.” (She admits her favorite movie look was the beachy, natural, long blonde look from Along Came Polly). “I think because of all the disasters I had as a kid. I don’t go to the ‘let’s cut it off or color it or shag it’ place. I’ve learned those lessons,” she says.

Now that she and McMillan have cracked the secret to those perfect, smooth locks we love so much on the red carpet, they’re sharing it with the rest of us (yes!). Aniston says Living Proof’s Nourishing Style Cream and Restore Mask have totally turned her hair around. She also says drinking water, getting enough sleep, and getting omega fatty acids in her diet help her iconic locks stay healthy from the inside out.

We also love that Aniston used the Living Proof products for several months before signing on to be a part of the company. She wanted see if the promised results would come through. “I gave it to my girlfriends, they love it. I gave it to Chris and he used it on his salon clients and they love it. So that was like, OK I will stand behind [this],” she says.

Next on Aniston’s beauty agenda is working with the company’s scientists to produce her fantasy products. “I can’t talk about it just yet!” she says. “It’s so exciting, being able to get in there and solve all the problems that girls have with their hair.”

To get a little of Aniston’s hair magic for yourself, enter by May 24^th to win the chance to have your hair cut by her stylist, Chris McMillan. You’ll even get to meet Aniston herself! You can check out the first video in Aniston and McMillian’s Good Hair Day series today—and check back May 13^th and 15^th for more of the documentary.

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How To: Find Your Curl Cure

September 24, 2012 at 11:53 am , by Nykia Spradley

No two curls are the same. And nobody knows this better than Shelley Davis, founder of all natural curly haircare company Kinky-Curly. Read on for her Fall styling/product tips broken down by twirl pattern.

If your hair is Wavy & Thick…

Combat frizz with a serum or oil that coats the hair and blocks humidity. Rub a little into palms and then distribute through soaking wet strands, suggests Davis.

If your hair is Curly & Thick…

Rake a bit of deep conditioner through wet or dry strands before bedtime. In the morning massage a few drops of warm water into your hair, working it into a gentle lather. Rinse and style as usual. Your curls will be beautifully defined!

If your hair is Wavy & Fine…

“Spritz a lightweight curl spray on slightly damp hair, then lightly scrunch or twist it,” says Davis. Pat down flyaways with a touch more of the curl spray. Try not to overdo it though, as it will weigh down the hair.

If your hair is Curly & Fine…

Embrace moisture! Hydrate your strands with a light leave-in conditioner. You can use  the leave-in on wet hair or to reactivate dry curls on day two, notes Davis.

If your hair is Tight…

Remember this: M.W.C.; moisture, weight and control. To achieve M.W.C., first apply a generous amount of leave-in conditioner to wet hair. Then top it off with a hydrating gel.

Do you have curly locks? What’s your styling secret?

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How To Avoid Warm Weather Hairstyle Meltdown

August 13, 2012 at 5:26 pm , by Nykia Spradley

Whoever said that Mother Nature isn’t a powerful force was just crazy. Summer rain leads to major humidity…which leads to seriously sweaty roots…which leads to frequent shampoo sessions…which leads to dry, frizzy ends. It’s a vicious, never-ending cycle. Enter dry shampoo. The hair washing stand-in has the power to lift oil from the scalp, absorb dirt and product build-up, and leave hair looking and feeling fresh. Take that, Mother Nature.

Here’s the best way to dry-shampoo, courtesy of Ammon Carver, Artistic Director for Matrix:

1.  Comb or brush through your hair to distribute oils evenly.

2.  Start at the top of your head, create a center part and spray lightly along the part, holding the dry shampoo an inch or two from your head.

3.   Make another part about a few inches away and repeat.

4.  Continue creating parts and spraying on each side of the original part until you reach your ears on each side.

5.  In the back, start at the crown of your head, create a horizontal part and spray.  Continue parting and spraying to the bottom of your head.

6.  Gently massage the powder into your scalp, as if you were lathering up your shampoo.

7. Wait a few minutes to allow the powder to absorb the excess oil and dirt.

8. Brush through to remove all of the powder.  Flip your hair upside down and brush through once more.

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Keratin Upkeep: Maintaining Fresh Salon Smoothness

June 18, 2012 at 1:06 pm , by Nykia Spradley

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How To: Create a Fishtail Braid (Without Actually Creating a Fishtail Braid)

June 4, 2012 at 3:57 pm , by Nykia Spradley

 

The unofficial start of summer was Memorial Day (yay!), and with that comes a season full of ponytails and plaits–anything to keep cool. But if you’re like us, the basic pony and regular braid can get boring after, ohhhhhhh, the 27th straight day of wearing them. Enter this fancy fishtail number. It’s cute, right? We thought that since we have two left uncoordinated thumbs that we’d never-in-this-lifetime be able to pull this style off. As it turns out it isn’t a REAL fishtail braid. In fact, it isn’t a braid at all.

According to Nick Penna Jr., owner and stylist at SalonCapri in Boston, the natural, carefree, and minimalist ‘do looks WAY more difficult than it actually is. Here’s how to fake a fishtail…

STEP 1: Begin with unwashed, un-brushed hair, and use the end of a rattail comb to create a part down the middle of your head.

STEP 2: Separate hair into two sections and begin twisting the ends toward the center of your head.

STEP 3: Secure the end of the twists together with a clear elastic.

STEP 4: Use a few bobby pins to “seal” the twists together. Insert one vertically at the top of the twists and one in the middle.

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How-To: The Half-Updo That Everyone Will Be Wearing This Spring

May 14, 2012 at 10:48 am , by Nykia Spradley

 

When Nicholas Penna Jr., owner of SalonCapri in the Boston-area, sent us the photo of this fancy-schmancy updo we flipped over his handy work, and then preceded to find out when he would be in our neck of the woods next so that he could give us the ‘do. Turns out, according to Penna, the style (he calls it “The Crown”) is simple enough for  any updo novice (US!) to do on themselves. Here’s how he told us to get the look…

STEP 1 If your hair is naturally straight, follow STEP 2 and STEP 3 below to curl the hair. If your hair already has a curl to it, skip to STEP 4.

STEP 2 Separate hair into top and bottom sections. Clip the top section up, leaving the bottom section to hang.

STEP 3 Using a 1 1/2 inch curling iron, curl all of the hair that is down. Alternate the curling direction between counterclockwise and clockwise. Repeat this step with the top section of hair.  Separate curls with your fingers to achieve a piece-y look.

STEP 4 Take a 1/2 inch to 2 inch piece of hair slightly above one ear and pull it across the head to the other side and let the section drape slightly so there will be enough room to pull hair pieces around it. Combine the draped section with a small piece of hair right behind the other ear and pin the joined hair pieces with a bobby pin.

STEP 5 Starting at the side of the head where the first hair section was taken from, select another piece of your hair from under the draped section. Lift it upwards, over, and then under the draped section, leaving it to fall underneath.

STEP 6 Next, grab another piece of hair from under the draped section a 1/2 inch to an inch over and follow the same step. Continue across the head by choosing random pieces and pulling them over and under the draped section until you reach the other side of the head.

STEP 7 For the last pinned piece, lift it over and under but let it wrap over the first bobby pin used to secure the draped hair section (to make the bobby pin less visible). Take a second bobby pin and secure the final wrapped piece where the draped section was first secured above one ear.

STEP 8  Finish with a light spray of medium hold hairspray, like Shu Uemura Sheer Lacquer.

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Guilty As Charged: Hair Faux Pas too Commonly Committed

March 19, 2012 at 10:30 am , by Nykia Spradley

We’ve all been there: You can’t get your curls right, you hair is super dry, or you unconsciously OD on product and are left with a slicked mess. We asked KMS California Artistic Lead, Simon Miller to share 5 of the biggest hair faux pas he’s encountered, and how to fix them.

1.      Not shaking out curls- After you use a curling iron on your hair, don’t be afraid to run your fingers through the curls and shake them out a bit. It will make them look way more natural and effortless.

2.       Towel Turban- Instead of tying your hair up in a towel when you get out of the shower, spray in some leave in conditioner and use a big clip to keep your hair up. This will make your color’s vibrancy last a lot longer!

3.       Too much product in bangs- When you’re putting product in your hair, really rub the product into your hands and apply to the ends and mid shaft of your hair. Your roots and bangs will pick up oil form your scalp and face, so keeping finishing products out of these areas will keep your hair looking cleaner longer.

4.       Know your color maintenance- Make sure to work with your stylist to come up with hair color that works with your schedule. If you don’t have time to be in the salon every 4-6 weeks, get color that grows out well and that looks good as it fades. And take advantage of bang trims! When the front of your hair is on point, if the back is messy, it looks on purpose.

5.       Towel dry techniques- When you’re towel drying your hair, make sure to  blot and squeeze the water out of your hair instead of scrunching and being ruff with the towel. This will keep your hairs cuticle closed which will result in shiny, frizz-free hair.

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