Friday, April 20, 2012

Jennifer Lawrence / Star Hair Style

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Drawing inspiration from the hair style trends of our favorite stars and celebrities has become a national pass time. One such star style that has everyone taking notice is Hollywood’s newest starlet Jennifer Lawrence.Jennifer was discovered at the age of 14 while auditioning for talent and model agencies. She landed a commercial-shoot for H&M and MTV where she was spotted by a talent agent. This led to her current roll as the heroine Katniss Everdeen in the much talked about film the “Hunger Games”.
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Being a Hollywood film star isn't all cocktail parties and award ceremonies. Too get into character Jennifer had to change her hair color. Transforming Jennifer Lawrence from a blonde bombshell into a rich brunette for The Hunger Games cost filmmakers $30,000 making it the world's most expensive "dye job". To search for her character's perfect hair color and avoid damaging Jennifer’s hair, Linda Flowers, Head Hair Designer for The Hunger Games rented five $6,000 custom lace wigs in different shades, from light brown to dark brown with a little bit of red. The final color selection __a rich deep level five Mahogany Brown.
Achieving these type of color transformations is tricky and as a Hollywood Colorist we encounter these situations often. Dying your hair multiple times can damage anyone’s locks said Flowers. If the color is too dark or too red you're looking at a much harsher process to take out some of that color. On the other hand 'if you know what the target color is, it's possible to just use a color filler with a semi-permanent color which is much quicker and easier when it comes time to returning back to your natural color.

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Celebrity stylist Mark Townsend is the man behind Jennifer current look and color, which employee's lots of "second-day texture." For a dressy red carpet look he began by applying Gel Mousse to Jennifer's damp hair, then blow-dried with a large round brush. Next he separated out three-inch sections of hair and curled it around a one-inch curling iron. After a Pom Mist Styling Wax is applied to create the second-day texture effect. For the chignon itself, Jennifer's hair is braided and swept up with what looks like a vintage necklace (or two) wound through her braids creating an oval as it encircles the base of the chignon. “Her new color is actually a better look then her pale blond color Mark says. I love her gold highlights with a touch of Carmel undertones in between giving her a Spring/Summer look.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Whiskers / Man's Best Friend

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Nothing can reshape a face or add a dramatic look like whiskers. All facial hair styles, “Sideburns, Mustaches, Goatees and Full Beards" are determined by the natural growth pattern and density of the facial hair. Whiskers can be shaped and styled to cover a ruddy complexion, shorten a wide upper lip, add width to a narrow face, balance a large nose, soften or accent sharp features, cover a scare, strengthen a weak chin or cover a double chin, make receding hairlines less noticeable and add a mature look to a young face. Wearing facial hair can give you a mature, stylish, artsy, rugged, dashing, sexy, intelligent, friendly, decisive, bold, aristocratic and distinguished look. What more can I say about man's best friend___ whiskers?

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If your up for a totally new look, before you start “sprouting whiskers” take a look at how many notable Hollywood actors use facial hair styles for the rolls they play and to enhance their personal appearance.Throughout his career Errol Fynn used a thin "mustache" to complement his angular features and a stylist small goatee for rolls as a dashing buccaneer. The handsome Clark Gable sported a shapely “chevron style” mustache to shorten his wide upper lip and full sideburns to frame his large ears.

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A Goatee is a “stylish way” to cover a double chin or widen a narrow or weak chin and add a mature or artistic look. To give his boyish good looks a mature look Leonardo DiCaprio sometimes wears a mustache and goatee. When Johnny Depp grew out his thin mustache and goatee for his roll as the swashbuckling pirate of the Caribbean young men begin sporting his “style pirate look”.
 
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Wearing facial hair is a quick way to add a mature look and balance facial features. To accent his angular chin Sean Penn often wears a stylish thin mustache and small goatee. Ashton Kutcher's baby face gets a mature rugged look with a close clipped beard. To keep it up use a clipper on the closest setting twice a week and shave around the edge to accent the shape.
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For a classic Wild West look Sam Elliott let his thick whiskers grow out for a long full handlebar mustache. For his roll as a gun swinger Viggo Mortenson wear a full mustache with wide lip goatee. Both of these styles were considered stylish for the time. If you’re the urban cowboy type or the real deal either of these stylish looks would be an excellent choice.
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The Mustache in all sizes and shapes has always been a popular facial style. When the Beatles showed up sporting mustache's in the 70's the mustache was introduced to the next generation. Most would agree that Tom Selleck’s trade mark mustache is widely considered the gold standard among mustached celebrities.  Jack Black puts on a happy face and gives his round features a slimmer and stylish look with a mustache. Sporting a Stache’ can be a "stylish way” to cover a wide or narrow upper lip and also balance both large and small facial features.

For those with thick breads and large and angular facial features wearing a Mustache and Goatee can add interest and make it less note worthy. To balance his large nose and add an artistic look Adrian Brody often sports a stylish Anchor shaped Mustache and Goatee. 


For those receding hairlines and thick beards shaving or clipping hair super short with a (close clipped beard) is a stylish masculine look and helps make hair loss less note worthy. Action hero’s Bruce Willis and Jason Statham keep their hair and whiskers clipped close for their rugged tough-guy image. Because the beard grows quickly you’ll need to use a styling clipper weekly for this ruff and tumbled look.

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Wearing a shapely (full or close clipped) beard can be a handsome look for both young and older men. When a movie roll calls for a distinguished look Anthony Hopkins wears a full brushed beard. George Clooney’s close clipped beard (5 day growth) adds a rugged look and plays up his strong chin and jaw line.

 
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If you’re one of those dudes with a thick dark beard that looks like a 5 o’clock shadow by noon you may want to consider using those whiskers. Because facial hair styles are limited by the natural growth pattern and density, men with thick beards can wear any style (shape) imaginable. Blessed with movie star good looks and a thick beard to boot Mel Gibson often uses his whiskers for many characters he portrays. 

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Vote the sexiest man alive the handsome Sean Connery is well known for his stylish whiskers. To define the shape Sean has always colored his mustache and eye brows and wears full sideburns to mask his large ears. This secret agent is loaded with panache'.

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If this is your first time growing whiskers you may be surprised to see it has grayed in spots. For some this can add a distinguished look. If you don't like the look you can use a eye brow pencil (use the same shade as your natural color) with a make-up brush to temporally cover over the gray spots or darken the edge to accent the shape. Because facial hair is course and resistant to hair dye its best to visit a salon colorist if you chose to use a permanent hair color. They can guide you through the process and select the best shade to match you natural color.
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Are Whiskers Sexy___ When asked, women for the most part say they like the look of men with facial hair as long as it was clean and well groomed. To keep those whisker's clean and soft to the touch avoid bar soap. Instead use a "shampoo and conditioner after to soften and moisturize the skin under it. If whisker's look or feel a bit dry or frizzy a dab of moisturizing styling cream or lotion will tame it. 

Because whiskers grow quickly it only takes 7-10 days of growth to get started. Shaving around the edge will keep looking clean while growing out. If you like the look of a close beard use a clipper on the closest setting twice a week for a 5 o'clock shadow look. At this point you can begin experimenting by removing the sides and keep a  mustache or include the chin whiskers for an artsy goatee. If you’re up for totally new look grow your beard out for week or so and visit a salon hair stylist to find the best style for your unique face shape, facial features and personality.