Prom Hair Style Advice From A Pro

So you're graduating. Congratulations! As a stylist, I know your prom hair style ranks right up there with your dress for importance. This article will help you decide how to style your hair for prom. There are a few considerations to ensure that your prom hair style is flattering and compliments your features and your dress.
Consider the following elements when choosing your prom hair style:
Face Shape - Just like your day to day hair style, your prom hairstyle should compliment your face shape. Here are a few "rules of thumb." If you have a long face, opt for a style with a sweeping bang and more volume on the sides than on top. If you have a short face, try a swept back style with some height on top. A wide face should have some hair left down at the sides to create length. It's all about proportion.
Dress Style and Neckline - Proportion is key here too. If you're wearing a slender dress, choose a hair style in keeping with that silhouette. If your dress is wide on the bottom, make sure you've got a bit of volume to your hairstyle to balance the entire look.
The neckline of your dress is critical to consider when choosing your prom hair style. If your dress has an open neckline in the front and back, wearing the bulk of your hair down would look great. However, if the back is covered or the front and back are both closed in, consider wearing most or all of your hair up off the neck. An elegant updo would suit that type of dress very well.
Accessories - Use accessories sparingly in your prom hair style. A few rhinestone hair pins, small flowers, a string of pearls, even a tiara can add character to your style and compliment your dress. Overuse of accessories can look a bit garish, so keep it minimal; just enough for impact.
Hair Texture - Curls are a prom hair style staple and can be done in several shapes and sizes. But they're not the only way to texturize your style. Small braids woven throughout the hair add a unique element. Bone straight hair can look great in an updo, so long as there's a bit of height to it and heaps of shine. Finger waves add a glamorous feel and are great for dressing up shorter hair styles.
Updo or Not - Just because it's a prom hair style doesn't mean it has to be an updo. Hair left down and styled in voluptuous waves can be every bit as glamorous as an updo hair style. Especially with a few select accessories; a flower behind the ear or a rhinestone tiara. The larger consideration is if a style suits your dress and your overall theme.
Theme - Your dress will have a certain "feel" to it. Glamorous, funky, classic, etc...Make sure your prom hair style is in keeping with the feel of your dress. You're creating a head to toe look and if an element is off, the look becomes awkward. So put some thought into how you'd describe your look and design a hair style around that theme. Or relate your theme to your stylist if you're having your hair professionally done. (Which I highly recommend)
Consultation and Trial - If you're having your hair done at a salon it's a good idea to visit the stylist beforehand for a consultation and/or a trial. Consultations are generally free; the stylist will sit with you, look at photos, discuss your ideas, and share their thoughts on what would look good and be workable on your hair type and face shape. A trial is an appointment where the stylist actually does your hair to see if your plans are what you actually want. The trial appointment is not free, but well worth it to avoid any potential prom day hair disasters.
A final word of advice; avoid anything too trendy for your prom hair style. Trendy is great for every day wear, but your prom is a memorable event that you'll be looking at photos of forever. If you go too trendy, you could be looking back in 5 years saying "What was I thinking?!" Besides, this is a rare opportunity to explore your glamorous side and feel positively stunning in your ensemble. Have a geat prom!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/165398

Want to Try on That New Hair Style Before You Get It?

Below are reviews of very popular hair style image programs, Hair Styles Cuts And Dos, Stellure and The Hair Style Editor. To see demonstrations of these programs visit the links located at the bottom of this article.
Hair imaging is a great way to try on a hair style before you get it cut. For example, if you are trying to find a wedding hair style or a prom hair style, you can try a style on to see if you like the way you look.
Hair Styles Cuts And Dos Review: Description: Hair Style Editor, Photo Uploading, Hair Style Gallery with 3,950 photos of short, medium, long, and updo photos for women.
Subscription Price: $9.99
Subscription Term: Annual
Payments Accepted: Visa, Mastercard, Secure connection
Current Number of Members: 25,291
User-Friendly: Yes
Guarantees: Satisfaction guaranteed! If you don't like it, you get a refund! If for any reason within 30 days, you are not satisfied with your membership we will refund your money, no questions asked ! There's no risk involved, don't like it then just ask for your money back. It's that simple!
Strengths Extensive Hair Styles Galleries, Ebook on hair advice, 1 year membership, Satisfaction Guaranteed, Very quick- find a new hair style in 5 minutes
Introduction
Advertising and promotional material for this website focuses on uploading a photo and trying on various hair styles. When I first logged in to the members area, the first thing that got my attention was the incredible amounts of hair style photos for very short, short, medium, long and updo hair styles. An immediate sense of relaxation came over me. If I couldn't find a good hair style among the thousands, well then there there just wasn't any hope.
There is also an extra E-book included in the membership that is barely mentioned on the web site. This E-book is great! It is a list of hair care tips and advice from a top hair designer in England. It covers all sorts of topics, such as how to select a hair designer, how to select a new hair style, various styling tips and tricks and what to do when your home hair color didn't turn out so great. This E-book has valuable information that everyone can use. I read every page of it--almost 100 pages total.
Hair Style Galleries
I quickly browsed through all the galleries, looking at all the different hair styles with different hair colors, textures, volume and even highlights. There are no photos of men's hair styles, ethnic or african-american women hair styles. The photos are all optimized to load quickly, so there is no time wasted waiting for photos to load. If you find a photo that you like you can click on it to enlarge it and even print a copy to take to your hair stylist. Printing the updo photos are especially helpful if you are looking for prom, bridal or formal hair styles. There is also the option to save the hair style photos that you really like in your favorites so you can play a slide show of them later.
Hair Style Editor
After browsing all the hair style photos, I move on to the hair style editor part of the website where I am told I can upload a photo of myself and try on some hair styles. The instructions to upload are very straightforward and I upload a photo of myself within minutes (it might have even been seconds). The photo that you upload should be taken against a plain white background and you should probably pull back most of your hair so it doesn't hang in your face.
Once you have uploaded your photo, you enter the hair style editor where there are four tools at your disposal.
Color Palette - allows you to change the color of your chosen style
Mask Pad - allows you to mask the undesired details on your photo prior to trying on different hair styles. For example, you may want to remove long hair that appears in a photo or the background of the photo
Size Tool - allows you to modify the size and proportions of the hair style you select
Trash Tool - allows you to remove the modifications that you just made without having to start over
First, I masked my photo so that only my face shape was showing. By the way, this is a great way to figure out your face shape! The masking takes a little bit of expertise with the mouse. If you are switching categories, for example, going from medium hair styles to long hair styles, you must re-mask your face again. You can change the width of the mask tool to make it a little easier closer to the face. After masking, I went to the category selector which allows you to browse through and try on hair styles in the five categories, very short, short, medium, long and updo hair styles.
Once you find a hair style you want to try on, you just click on it and drag it to your photo. It automatically loads. Then you can move it around a bit to make it fit right on your head. After you are done adjusting the size and color of the hair style, you can print it or save it as one of your favorites to view later. The photo that you get with the selected hair style is obviously computer-generated, but it does give you a glimpse of what the hair style would look like on you. For example, I have been wanting to add some bangs to my current hair style. When I tried on the hair style with bangs, it didn't look very good at all. I think I have decided to skip the full bangs for now and maybe go with just a few long whispy looking bangs.
Conclusion
Hair Styles Cuts and Dos is an immediate relief for anyone desperately looking for examples of any type of hair style. You can literally find a new hair style in 5 minutes!! The hair style editor is also a great tool to try on various hair styles and get an idea of how they will look on you. The extra E-book is full of tips and advice for hair, tons more than you would find in any magazine.
Typically a lot of women go and buy a bunch of magazines when they want to find a new hair style. If you consider the price of a magazine alone- between 3-5$-- and the fact that you don't always find the style you want in just one magazine, the price for admission at Hair Styles Cuts and Dos - currently $9.99 for a whole year ---is well worth it
The Hair Styler Review Description: Online virtual hairstyling with over 2000 hairstyles and 53 color choices to try, online hair consultation, face shape info
Subscription Price: $14.99
Subscription Term 6 months
Payments Accepted: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Bankcard, Diners, Secure transactions
User-Friendly Yes
Guarantees:TheHairStyler.com guarantees* that upon the fee being paid to us, a member will be able to use TheHairStyler.com website for a total period of 6 months to view all available hairstyles using their own uploaded image or a Model image supplied by TheHairStyler.com. Strengths: Celebrity hair styles, men hair styles, description and maintenance routine of hair styles, hairstyle articles, face shape information
Introduction
There is a demo version of the software on the site for you to try out. The demo shows a selection of hair styles and how you can try them on. Also available to visitors for free is the hairstyles consultation. You answer some basic questions about your face, age, height, skin color, hair density, generer, eye color, etc. and then the hairstyle consultation comes back with some recommendations for you to try out. It also has several styles to avoid. Several hairstyle articles are also free for visitors to the site. Some of them cover celebrity hair styles, recent trends and other hair related articles. The freebies on the site are very useful.
Membership
Once you become a member, you have access to the entire selection of hair styles and you can load your own photo into the hair styler software. Be sure to upload a good photo with your hair pulled back off your face and a white background. If you are unable to upload photos on your computer, you can send your photo to The Hair Styler and they will do it for you. Uploading a photo takes about 10 seconds and you are allowed to upload as many photos as you want in the six-month membership. Once your photo is there you can go and try on hair styles in the 7 different categories Celebrity, Everyday, Formal/Bridal, Classic, Mens, Alternative and Dreadlocks.
After you upload your photo you go to a section where you determine your face shape. The face shapes are Oval, Round, Oblong, Heart, Square, Diamond and Triangular. The example face shapes are very easy to place on your photo. Determining your face shape is a breeze!! After your face shape is determined you have to line up the eyes in the diagram to your own eyes and adjust the color of the photo as needed. Next you move on to try on different hair styles
The Celebrity category is broken down further into various female, black female, classic female, various male, black male, classic male and celebrity search. There is a large list of celebrity hair styles to choose from and if this is what you are after, The Hair Styler is your place!! Descriptions for the different hair styles are very useful. They include info on how long it will take to style that particular hair style, what hair care products you will need and what face shape and hair texture the style is suited for.
Everyday hairstyles are broken down into texture- with straight, wavy and curly as choices, and length- short, medium and long are choices. Formal/Bridal categories include UpCurls, UpSmooth, DownCurls, and DownSmooth. If you are looking for prom or bridal hair styles, this section will give you quite a few ideas for your special event. The descriptions for the hair styles are very helpful, giving you suggestions on styling, hair care products to use and how long the style will last.
The Classic and Dreadlock categories are not broken down any further and the Mens hairstyles choices are short, long and conservative. The face model for the mens hairstyles is still the women model, but if you upload a mans photo you will get a good idea of how the hair style will look.
In every category there is the option to save or print the hairstyle photo that you like. When you print the hairstyle it prints not only the hair style you like, but also the directions, hair care products to use, what face shape the style is recommended for and the time required to style that particular hair style. This is all very useful info that you can bring to your hair stylist.
Conclusion
The Hair Styler has many features that are helpful for selecting a new hair style. The hairstyles are realistic looking when they are loaded on your photo and the site is constantly updated with new hair fashions. The system is easy to use and no complicated software is needed, only an internet connection. Since The Hair Styler goes into face shapes and has many different categories, it may take you a little time to find what you are looking for. But the time is well invested with lots of useful hair style information that will help you with your hair style now and in the future.
Stellure Review Description: 3D Hair Style Studio, Photo Uploading, Face Shape Info, 3D Model of Your Face
Subscription Price: 3 Levels
Sampler: Free Trial
Figure: $19.95 6 months
Reflect: $34.95 12 months
Lifetime:$49.95 Never pay again!
Payments Accepted: Visa, Mastercard, Delta with Secure connection
User-Friendly: Yes
Guarantees: Satisfaction guaranteed! If you don't like it, you get a refund! If for any reason within 30 days, you are not satisfied with your membership we will refund your money, no questions asked ! There's no risk involved, don't like it then just ask for your money back. It's that simple!
Strengths Realistic 3D Models, Can get customized 3D face model, Satisfaction Guaranteed, Monthly Newsletter, Value pricing, Articles on hair styles, Oscar fashion, prom hair fashions
Introduction
Stellure is a relatively new site that offers hair imaging in three dimensions. It differentiates itself from other imaging programs because of the very realistic 3D aspect. Currently they have the first batch of 151 hair styles loaded in the system. They are adding a lifelike color tinting system soon and they have just negotiated a deal that will give them access to large volumes of top quality fashion and classic hairstyles. As more and more hairstyles are added, the membership prices will be going up. The best value at this time is the lifetime membership as it gives you the benefits of the increased catalogue at a much lower price. And, let's face it, examining your hair style and trying to find new ones is a lifelong activity.
The Hair Style Studio
Joining Stellure is quick, easy and secure. Depending on what type of membership you have selected, you can view hair styles on a stand in model or upload photos of yourself for Stellure to create your own 3D model to view hair styles. For the purposes of this review, we went with the customized 3D model. There are detailed instructions on the site for taking the photographs. You will need a front view and a side view. If you have scanner it is very easy to take a regular photo and scan it in for uploading. If you don't own a scanner, you could probably go to your local photo processing center and have it done for you.
Before you get started with the hairstyles, you are directed to the face shape wizard to help you determine which one your face fits into. The wizard loads very quickly and asks you several questions about the dimensions of your face. After you have answered everything, the wizard tells you your face shape. This is important information since all of the hairstyles come with descriptions that detail which face shape they are suited for. There is also a link to style advice in the members area to specific style advice for your face shape.
We opted for the Reflect membership where we would get our own customized 3D face model. We had two photographs taken of one of our staff members, one front view and one side view. Once we uploaded the two photos in the Stellure member area, we received an Email in less than 24 hours that the 3D model was ready. (They do state on the website that the 3D models will be finished in 48 hours or less). Once your 3D model is finished, you will get a list of recommended hair styles for your face shape and then you can go to the hair style studio to try them on.
To try on a hair style you simply click on the style and it will show up on your face model. You can set the face model to spin clockwise, counterclockwise or you can click on any of 12 different angles to view the hair style. The hair styles and face models are very realistic looking and the 3D view gives you a very good idea of what the selected hair style will look like from the back. The back view of a hair style is probably the most often ignored view of any hair style and the 3D spinning face model allows you to see the back from a very different perspective.
As you try on different hair styles, you can get styling information by selecting the small i on the menu, you can print the hair style and you can save it in your favourites to view later. When you print a hair style, you will get a front view, back view and a view from each side. The detailed description is included in the printout. Information such as suitable lengths, length descriptions, suitable densities, face shapes, trim period, texture description, styling instructions, maintenance level and styling time. These are all very important factors to consider when considering a new hair style. If a hair style you like requires 30 minutes to style every morning and you do not have that kind of time, then you will probably not be very happy with your results.
There is a search function that will allow you to search by category, face shape, hair density and hair length. Categories include: Latest, Classic, Glamour/Evening, Formal/Bridal, Easy Care and Updo. Face Shapes include Oval, Rectangle, Square, Round, Heart, Pear and Diamond. Hair Density includes Thin, Medium, Thick and Hair Length selections are Short, Medium and Long.
In addition to the hair style studio, you will receive a monthly newsletter that discusses the most current hair style fashion and how to get it. This is great info if you want your hair to be in fashion. And, if you can't find the hair style you are looking for, you can actually request it.
Conclusion
The fact that the technology used to develop the 3D Hair Style Studio at Stellure is patent pending says a lot about the high quality of the program. Most hair imaging programs offer just the front view of the hair style and Stellure offers a 3D look at selected hair styles with either a stand in model or your very own face model. It factors in your face shape information and offers suggestions for selecting a new hair style The results are very realistic and as more and more hair styles are added to the Hair Style Studio, this subscription based program will be the place to go if you want to find a new hair style and see how it will look on you.
For links to these wonderful programs and demos, visit our complete Hair Style Imaging Reviews at Hair Resources. Also, follow step by step demonstration of our model using hair imaging software at http://hairstyles.hairresources.net

Perriann Rodriguez is the author of the recently published 2005's Most Popular Hair Extensions, available at http://www.hairresources.net She is also the founder of http://www.hairresources.com, the center for World Class Hair Styles + Beauty Salons. Perriann is listed in the 2004 Who's Who of Executives and Professionals and the U.S. Register of American Writers.

Hairstyles For Oblong Faces

When you look at the mirror, you want to believe that you have the perfect oval face. But when you copy the hairstyles that look good on oval faces, you end up with something that is far from perfect. Perhaps you do not have an oval face. You may in fact have an oblong face.

What is an Oblong Face Shape?

The oblong face looks almost like an oval face but it is characterized by a face length that is longer than ideal. The ideal face length, which is the distance from the hairline to the tip of the chin, should be one and one-half times longer than the length across the widest part of the face. This ideal face length can be found in the oval face shapes. If the face length is longer, then the face shape is already considered oblong.

The oblong face is not ideal for many hairstyles, but it does not sentence your hair to a lifetime of unflattering hairstyles. In fact, it is very possible to look gorgeous and stunning with your oblong face. Think of Liv Tyler, Gwyneth Paltrow, Demi Moore, Sarah Jessica Parker, Niki Taylor, Stephanie Seymour, and Gabrielle Reece. All that you need to do to accentuate an oblong face is get an appropriate and flattering hairstyle. A hairstyle, of course, is a personal choice and should reflect a woman's unique personality. But there are some rules to follow for the oblong face.

Rules for the Oblong Face

Bobs and layers will look great on the oblong face. But the first thing to remember is that the hairstyle should never add length to the oblong face. This means that extra long hairstyles, such as those that end beyond the shoulders, should be avoided. Short bobs are preferable to long bobs. But then you probably saw Gwyneth Paltrow wearing hair that goes beyond the shoulder. She looked adorable. The truth is that Gwyneth has one or more hairstylists who fuss with her hair at every instance. They keep her hair at an ideal volume so Gwyneth's hair stays stunning. For women like us who can't hire a hairstylist on a retainer, the key to an attractive hairstyle is to keep the hair shorter.

Unfortunately, not all short hairstyles will look good on the oblong face. Short hairstyles that add height to the head, such as the pixie crop and the spiky hair, will only make the oblong face look longer. The recommended short hairstyles are those that add volume to the sides of the face, to restore a more desirable balance. These short hairstyles should have layers and may end in sassy flicks. The chin-length bob that caress the jaw line will also look gorgeous.

And lastly, the best hairstyles for the oblong face are those that come with bangs. Bangs that are soft and wispy will give the illusion of shorter face lengths. And if the jaw is strong, the bangs will make the face look more feminine. For a daring look, the brow-skimming bangs will be great on the oblong face. Most styles of bangs are recommended for the oblong shape, as long as they do not add vertical lines to the face. Lastly, if you have the time to spend a couple of hours at the salon, you may want to try having wavy curls.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2170907

Hairstyles for Women Over 40

There does not have to be a big difference when it comes to hairstyles for mature women and the trendy hairstyles that are constantly sweeping the fashion and celebrity world. Although it can be easy to assume that once you reach a certain age, your days of keeping up with the trends are over, this does not have to be true. No matter what age you are you can continue to pull off the trends of the year in a more elegant and graceful way perhaps. There are certain hairstyles which can flatter your age a bit more than others and we are here to describe these for you.

One of the most elegant hairstyles of the fashion world today is the long hair with the waves and curls at the bottom of the hair. This allows your hair to gather at the bottom with elegant curling or lose waves and creates an elegant look for any occasion. This look is simple to obtain, all it takes is a large barrelled curling iron and some textured hairspray to make this look work and stay for the entire day or night. You will see that many actresses over the age of 40 are wearing this look and they look nothing less than stunning!

The short and layered hairstyle is another look that can be incredibly flattering for a woman over the age of 40. By having your hair about a bob's length, with many layers you can achieve the ever so popular straight and elegant look often worn by Katie Holmes as well as the textured look that can create volume as well as definition. The stylish side swept bangs look great with this hairstyle and are easy to maintain. What can take a little bit of time is the texturizing of your hair, whether you are looking for a subtle amount of definition or looking to create the cute and sexy flipped out look. The line of Pantene Pro V Texturizing products is perfect for this hairstyle. The shampoos and styling products make it incredibly simple to texturize your layers appropriately.

There are many misconceptions regarding older women and longer hairstyles, there is nothing wrong with an older woman wearing a longer style as long as it does have style. Growing your hair long just to wear it long and lifeless does literally nothing for you except make you look older than you actually are. By choosing the appropriate hairstyle for yourself you will find that you not only look much younger but you feel younger as well. There is no reason to cut your hair short and wear that traditional perm that older women are constantly resorting to when there are so many different and great styles available today!Hair care can become very important when you reach the age of 40years old or older. Many women hate to admit it but many often experience a little bit of hair loss or thinning and some hairstyles do not compliment this type of hair problem. For thinning hair, layers may not be a great option as it may only make your hair look thinner instead of thicker. No matter what your hair length is, there are a few simple tips you can use in order to make your hair appear thicker so this never becomes a problem you can't handle. All it takes is a simple clip to keep your hair back behind your ears and you have an instantly thick looking head of hair. You no longer have to worry about your age, your thinning hair or the hairstyles of today, there are more tips and techniques available to help you not only cope with these aging experiences but move past them as well.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/968004