Bedazzle your hair

The fastest way to Ritz-up a basic hairstyle is to bedazzle with accessories! Whether you opt for hair up or down, you can transform your hairdos from plain Jane to just plain fabulous by adorning your locks with a few embellishments.

Accessories of various shapes and sizes are being clipped, slipped and pinned into place as headbands and hair clips are taking centre stage in the Autumn/Winter fashion trends.

If you fancy dressing up your tresses, here are a few decorative pieces to try-out…

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Crowning Glory Adorn your crown with a jewelled or flower-filled headband for a lavishly feminine style. For a sweet and preppy look, wrap a thin black band over a bouncy blowout (think Adele) or slicked-back high ponytail.
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Chunky Barrette Clips Give your up-do a mini makeover by simply adding an embellished barrette clip to the mix. Super classy and practical too, barrette clips can give your up-do an air of sophistication while fixing your style in place.
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Decorated Combs Effortlessly enhance a simple chignon or messy bun by slipping in an embellished hair comb – be sure to give your tresses a little bit of backcombing to help hold the clip in place.
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Pretty Pins Add a subtle but sweet touch to any hairstyle with the humble bobby pin. Sweep your hair to one side and secure with a group of bold, colourful pins for a modern twist on the twenties. Or, try a statement hairpin complete with a giant rose or sparkling ensemble for a chic and sassy display piece.

Get the Look: Kate Beckinsale’s Dishevelled Do

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Kate Beckinsale has been traveling the world promoting her new film Total Recall, donning beautiful gowns and glamorous hairstyles. This stunning actress is forever the picture of feminine elegance.

One of her latest red carpet looks is the perfect “do” to take you from daytime dates to evening soirees. Ms. Bekinsale’s locks were swept up in a relaxed and textured chignon with wispy strands framing her face – effortless style.

Replicate Kate’s hairstyle by following these simple steps…

1. Begin by running a volume-enhancing mousse through towel-dried hair to create texture and minimize frizz.


2. Throw your head upside down and give your hair a quick blow-wave so that your hair is about eighty percent dry.


3. To create a natural looking wave, take small sections on your hair and twist them around your finger into a coil, securing with hairpins.


4. Once your hair is dry (you can speed up the process by using a hair dryer), unravel the twists and run your hands through you hair to loosen the curls.


5. Lightly tease the roots of your hair focusing on the crown of your head for additional volume.


6. Loosely pull your hair back to just above the nap of your neck, and fashion a simple English braid (leave a few strands free to frame your face and create a softness to the look).


7. Roll the ends of the braid under at the nape of the neck and secure with hairpins.


8. Complete the look by spraying hairspray on your fingers, and gently running them through your loose locks and up-do to add texture and lift the look.


9. Set the style with a spritz of hairspray.

Voila! Dishevelled beauty! 

 

The best hair colours for your skin tone

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Ready for a colour revamp? Treating your locks to a professional “paint job” can truly transform your look, but it’s not quite as simple as picking out a pretty colour.

Just as wearing certain colours can flatter or fade out your complexion – so too does your hair colour. To establish what shades to embrace and which to avoid, you need to consider your skin tone.

Your skin tone – and its most complementary colours - is determined by melanin. This natural substance is responsible for your skin, hair and eye colour (based on the amount and type of melanin present).

Opting for hues that suit your skin tone will enhance your natural beauty, brightening your complexion and making your eyes pop. Colours that don’t work as well for you will tend to give your complexion a yellowy-sickly tinge or a washed out look.

So! First things first! You need to determine whether you have a cool or warm based skin tone (it’s best to opt for a colour that is the same base as your skin colour - be it cool or warm).

The tell-tail signs of a cool-based skin tone:

• Your eyes are most likely blue, grey, deep brown or greeny-blue with hints of grey


• You look healthier in pure white than you do cream or off-white


• You suit silver jewellery best


• The veins in your wrist have a blue tinge to them

The tell-tail signs of a warm-based skin tone

• Your eyes are most likely green, hazel, earthy or warm brown


• You look healthier in cream or off-white than you do white


• You suit gold jewellery best


• The veins in your wrist have a green tinge to them

The next step in choosing the most complementary shades for you is considering whether your skin tone is fair, medium to olive or dark.

Tips for the fair-skinned
If you have a warm-based skin tone, you’ll look positively glowing with strawberry blonde, honey blonde or butterscotch shades. Cool-based skin tones should opt for blue-based shades such as platinum or champagne blonde for a super stunning look. Fair-skinned maidens want to sidestep deep browns and black as they are too harsh. Likewise, avoid going too light as it can washout your complexion.

Tips for the medium-olive skinned
This skin-tone group has a wide range of colour options and benefit from golden, contrasting highlights. Warm-based skin tones are perfectly complemented by rich golden browns and earthy, copper shades. Cool-based ladies will shine with ashy, sandy blondes or warm browns such as cinnamon, walnut or auburn hues. Stay clear of red hues, as they can make your complexion look sickly.

Tips for the dark skinned
Creating contrast is the key for dark skin. Rich browns like caramel, maple and mahogany are winning hues for warm-based beauties. For the cool-toned ladies deep, dark shades such as an espresso brown or ink black are simply striking. Try to avoid shades that are more than a few tones lighter than your natural hair colour. Going too pale can lead to a brassy-looking colour that flattens your complexion.

For superb results, it’s best to select a colour that is no more than two shades lighter or darker than your natural colour. If you’re not sure of your natural colour, your eyebrows are a good guide - they match your skin tone perfectly. Feel free to talk with us about the best colour options for you – we’re more than happy to help!

 

Hairstyles to complement your face shape

The shape of your face is a key factor in determining the hairstyles that best frame and complement your good-looking face. Just as certain colours suit particular skin tones, haircuts and styles also work best for certain face shapes. Whether you have a round, square or long face-shape, there are cuts and styles that will enhance your gorgeousness, and likewise, some that will not be so flattering.

The fundamental idea with a hairstyle is to bring geometric balance by highlighting your best features, and minimising your not-so-favourite ones. We’ve put together a basic summary of the main face shapes so that you can define what you should be looking for in a haircut. If you’re not sure, our team are happy to advise you on the styles that will suit you best!

[caption id="attachment_774" align="aligncenter" width="204" caption="Image courtesy of Zimbio"][/caption]	Oval Characteristics: Curved and evenly proportioned shape, the length of your face is equal to approximately one and a half times the width; your forehead and jaw are about the same width. Styles that work best: As the most versatile face shape, an oval face can pull off just about any style - from a pixie cut to long layers and everything in between. Opt for a cut that highlights your best feature – a cute fringe will draw attention to your eyes, an angled bob will show off your jawline. Styles to avoid: Be wary of cuts that elongate your face too much – layers that are too short will add height to the top of your head, layers that are too long will drag the face down.
[caption id="attachment_775" align="aligncenter" width="203" caption="Image courtesy of Zimbio"][/caption]	Round Characteristics: Soft, rounded rather than angular features, and a similar width between your forehead, cheekbones and jaw. Styles that work best: Add length to your face by opting for soft, gradual and long layers. Create height at the crown of your head and minimise width-wise volume, with an edgy crop that’s short on the sides, with feathered layers on top. A side-swept fringe or a deep side parting can be super slimming! Styles to avoid: Cuts that add volume to the sides of your face such as short, blunt bobs and layers. Also, stay away from thick, blunt fringes as they shorten and widen your face.
[caption id="attachment_778" align="aligncenter" width="204" caption="Image courtesy of Allure"][/caption]	Square Characteristics: A similar width between your forehead, cheekbones and jaw (like the round face shape) with strong, angular features. Square faces are apparently the best face shape to photograph and tend to age well! Styles that work best: The aim is to soften the angles. Any length will work, but be sure to add texture and layers that frame the face and soften the jawline. A textured, choppy bob is a great option. Styles to avoid: Blunt bobs and heavy fringes will only emphasise the strong, broad angles of a square face, as will slicked back hairstyles – stick to soft, face-framing styles.
[caption id="attachment_776" align="aligncenter" width="203" caption="Image courtesy of Zimbio"][/caption]	Heart Characteristics: Wider at the forehead and narrow at the jawline, with defined cheekbones. Styles that work best: Create volume around the jawline and draw attention to your cheekbones with chin-length layers or a simple bob. Highlight your eyes with a brow-grazing or side-swept fringe. Styles to avoid: Stay clear of styles that emphasise your forehead or add width to the upper face, such as short choppy layers or an exposed forehead - you want to stick to styles that are soft and sleek on top, with minimal volume on the sides.
[caption id="attachment_777" align="aligncenter" width="204" caption="Image courtesy of Zimbio"][/caption]	Long Characteristics: High forehead, narrow jawline and your face in longer than it is wide. Styles that work best: Look for styles that add width to your face. Full fringes and bob cuts are great options. If you’d prefer longer locks, be sure to add graduated layers to add volume to the sides. Styles to avoid: Long, straight styles will tend to elongate your face, so ideally opt for short to medium length cuts. Likewise, avoid super-short “top heavy” pixie cuts for the same reason.