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In this popular series of blogs, we look at the common mistakes hairdressers make, and how to get the best out of your hair.
Short Hair? Not so much of it around these days. The haircut icons of yesteryear seem very distant - Mia Farrow, Audrey Hepburn, Purdy, Princess Diana, Meg Ryan. What started in the 90s as a journey along the fashion-wave for longer hair, became a trap, as the doors of competence slammed shut behind it. No one bothered learning how to layer any more (my salon team excluded). The truth is, most hairdressers would rather reach for some clip-on extensions or a set of flat irons, so they just cut one-length Bobs, and rely heavily on tongs to style.
Dealing with lazy one-length haircuts is the most common corrective-cutting we do for new clients. Whether they’d gone cheap or expensive, they usually ended up with the same ten minute one-length haircuts. Just Bobs at varying lengths - short, medium, and long. Bobs - the word makes my eyes glaze over. Bob and boring usually go hand in hand. But they don’t have to be dull.
Only the lazy one-length variety are so supremely dreary. But inject some shaping and layers and a Bob is resuscitated. Here we show my short Bob that has enough energy infused into it with layers that it becomes lively and exhilarating.
This is what we did…
Before – A Lazy haircut, essentially one-length. This pyramid shape - flat around face, too wide at the bottom, stunts movement in the hair, and demands constant styling to smooth out the puffiness and inject some life. The flat haircut shape also flattens the colour and amplifies frizziness. Read… The Lazy A-Line
1. Cut - The haircut hung heavy around Maria’s face and we wanted something versatile and simple to manage. A style that could easily look funky, or groomed and professional. Using our signature Diamond Dry Cut™ method we shaped precisely. We took an A-Line to deliberately keep the front longer. Then we layered that through just enough to put interest and energy into the look, but not too much to make blow drying complicated. This gave lift and shape.
Read… What’s the Diamond Dry Cut™
2. Condition - The original haircut had heavy dry ends which made it all look frizzier. When hair becomes this dry and decayed it's more difficult to manage and colour fades quickly. We gave Maria the LifeSaver Prewash Treatment. Nothing injects moisture, elasticity and shine quite like this.
‘LifeSaver is Fantastic’ - The Times
Read… The Reviews
Read… The Facts of LifeSaver
3. Colour – We removed a lot of the faded hair so the colour instantly had more depth and contrast, aided by the layering.
After – This cut can be worn lots of different ways; dried smooth and under for prim and proper or just finger dried for suggestively unpredictable. Who’d have thought a haircut could make you look more dangerous and exciting!
It’s easily blown out straight and under for a more respectable look.
“I love my new hair. It makes me feel more beautiful inside and out. And it’s so easy to manage in the morning, I can just shake it dry after showering, and it all falls into place.” – Maria
For Maria’s hair we used our hero product - LifeSaver Prewash Treatment to rehydrate, then Cashmere Protein UV Protective Shampoo and Conditioner. A little Thicker Quicker helped give texture and lift to the soft hair for groomed styling. We used the Large Round Brush to style into the smoother look. Then finally a little Ten Second Transformation to give shine, texture and hold.
Preparation
Smooth Styling
Michael Van Clarke
Where were you standing when you decided to adjust your hair colour? Do you stand there often?
At the first salon I worked as a junior, back in the last century, the colourists at the salon had an interesting technique for showing clients their finished results; escorting them to the ladies toilet where a single electric wall light seemed to cast a favourable glow.