[Two different hair looks at the Banana Republic spring 2016 presentation]
It may sound odd, but for me, the hardest of the trio to master, among hair, makeup, or nails, is…hair. With nails and your face, the surface that you need to work with is pretty straightforward and universal, yet with hair, there are so many variables that can come into play that it can get downright tricky. Thankfully, there are step by step guides and tricks from the pros to help along the way, and practice does make perfect, but oftentimes I run out of patience (and time) to master a great hair look.
This season, however, can truly instill confidence in the most hair styling challenged (like me), thanks to the simplistic looks, easily recreated to be identical to those popular on the runway. See below for the top trends, and of course, some of the trade secrets on how to easily achieve them on your own.
Simple, Down, & Polished
[Image courtesy of Red Door Spa]
Leon Gorman for Red Door Spa created a variation of texture and movement at Vivienne Tam; hard on top, soft and with movement on the bottom, with the help of a few key products. Start with a primer or smoothing lotion, followed by a mousse (he used Kérastase Mousse), applied to the front and back of the hair from the middle down to the very ends, combed through to mold to the head. Next he used a hair wrap to contain the hair, spun around the top section of the hair and used a diffuser to rough dry the hair for the mousse to set in. Removing the wrap once dry, apply a hairspray to finish and hold the look.
TRESemmé Stylist Jeanie Syfu created two cool looks at Banana Republic, one of which is featured here. The “deep side part down-do” is as effortless as it sounds, and starts with the TRESemmé Extra Firm Control Mousse, spread throughout the lengths of hair, blown dry with a round brush, and then a deep side part is sectioned, while creating loose waves, sans ends, with a 1.5 inch curling iron. TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Frizz-Free Hold Hair Spray finished off the look, that is at once so easy and natural.
[Image courtesy of Aveda]
The Single or Double Knot
Antoinette Beenders for Aveda at the Osklen went with a tribal inspiration for the knotted twist, which possessed a sense of utility yet ease of sophistication. The ends sticking out are important for volume and added flair. Start with the Aveda Thickening Tonic, blow drying the hair completely straight. Next make the hair into a low ponytail at the nape of the neck, and then make a loop with the hair over the base of the initial elastic, and secure it with a second elastic. Move the hair around so that the ends spray upward, secure with an elastic (or elastic bungee), and conclude with some dry shampoo for a matte finish.
With koi cranes and calligraphy as a gorgeous inspiration for this season’s collection at Carmen Marc Valvo, Linzee Katzman, education director for Ted Gibson, took a zen approach to crafting the hair, which resulted in a gorgeous chignon. Secure a ponytail with a bungee or elastic, and apply L’Oreal Professionnel’s Wet Domination for extra shine. Next, use L’Oreal Professionnel’s Architexture Pomade to make the ponytail strands all one unit. Roll the hair up toward itself, and secure with pins, leaving the ends out, and use L’Oreal Professionnel’s Infinium 3 Hairspray to top it off
[Image courtesy of Redken]
The Easiest Ponytail Ever
Redken Global Creative Director Guido kept the look chic yet completely paired down at Hugo Boss, with an ever so slight ’90s reference. Starting with Redken’s Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer for heat protection, and the new Redken Glow Dry provide an ultra slick composition, while the hair is gathered into a low ponytail and secured with an elastic, with an few added drops of Glow Dry to the top of the head and lengths.
For Jeanie’s second hair style at Banana Republic, the most cavalier high ponytail was the look, with some wispy texture framing the face for casual, understated appeal. Again starting with TRESemmé Extra Firm Control Mousse (mousse is clearly very important for the 2016 hair looks), work it into the lengths of hair and rough dry with hands, followed with a with a brush along the hairline, lifting up toward the crown of the head. Curl hair with a 1.5 inch iron again, excluding the ends and spritz TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Frizz-Free Hold Hair Spray all over, while pulling hair as close to the crown and securing with an elastic, then wrapping and securing some hair around to conceal the elastic. Last, lightly back brush around the surface and face frame, finishing with the frizz-free spray to set.
