Spring Hair Trend: Stylish Ponytails

Owner of Cutler/Redken salons, Rodney Cutler, and his talented team of stylists took to the catwalk to showcase stunning hair. For spring, many of the looks were inspired by airy texture, which complemented a lot of the designers’ style and feel for the clothes. Overall, there was a juxtaposition of beautifully polished and feminine clothes with slightly undone hairstyles. My favorites were the ponytails so I'm going to share how you can rock the look yourself!

Textured Ponytail as seen at Carlos Miele

Fitted gowns and soft fabrics flowed down the runway at the Carlos Miele show. “We always like the look to be very elegant, simple and feminine,” says Rodney Cutler, the lead stylist for the show. “This season, it’s a little more editorial with a dry, airy texture.”

Rock the Look :

1. Spray Cutler Volumizing Spray into damp hair and blow-dry for volume and texture

2. Set hair with a 1” curling iron, taking small sections and lightly spraying with Redken Forceful 23 Hairspray

3. Rake fingers through hair, starting at the roots to create a disheveled look

4. Create an imperfect center part and pull hair back into a low center ponytail

5. Use a bungee elastics and be sure to apply tension when securing the ponytail, which will accentuate the shape of the head. Lightly brush the ponytail to create an airy effect

Fun Fish Tail Braid as seen at Nicolas K

“To complement the casual-yet-chic designs, we wanted to do something that was strong and graphic, but still beautiful,” says Rodney Cutler, the lead stylist for the show. “The fishtail braid is cool, understated and worked wonderfully with the clothes and makeup. Plus, the great thing about the braid is that it’s so easy to re-create at home with minimal products and time.”

Rock the Look:

1. Spray damp hair with Cutler Volumizing Spray and blow-dry for volume

2. Gather all hair just below the ear, pull to one side, create a fishtail braid and secured with a small piece of leather

3. Leave a few fly-aways around the hairline to achieve a soft effect

4. Lightly spray with Redken Forceful 23

Spring 2011 Hair Protective Style

Celebrated stylist and Kérastase Paris Spokesperson, Ashley Javier led his team backstage at the Behnaz Sarafpour Spring 2011 show and unveiled a beautiful, new take on the traditional French braid. Relying on his coveted source of professional treatment and styling products, Ashley Javier plucked from his arsenal of Kérastase, including a new secret weapon coined Elixir Ultime, to perfect each model’s hair and complement the stunning collection debuted by the designer.

The Inspiration: “The collection was very delicate and feminine so I wanted to create a look with innocence and sweetness, but with a bit of an edge. We created a designer French braid that snaked neatly behind the head and was very intricate, not “do it yourself” looking. The great thing about a neat and skillful French braid is that it can last for days…even longer than a blow dry.” — Ashley Javier

To Create the Look:
§ Ashley began by applying NEW Elixir Ultime beautifying hair oil to the lengths of the hair to prepare it for braiding, by softening, adding body and solidity
§ Next, he started the braiding at the top left and worked hair into a French braid, following a crisscross pattern across the back of the head
§ Once complete, a non-visible elastic secured the braid, and the ends were pinned up under the hair
§ He finished the look with Double Force Controle Ultime to set the style in place with a firm, yet workable hold
§ Finally, he smoothed the edges around the hair line, once again using Elixir Ultime, and with a fine toothbrush perfected the hairline

Beauty Break: Spring 2011 Makeup Looks

I'm such a fan of Marc by Marc Jacobs, if I could buy every single item in the collection I would be super happy. For the Spring 2011 runway show, Dick Page (for Shiseido) completed the makeup looks. The bright makeup look was inspired by the fun, bold Spring 2011 Marc by Marc Jacobs Collection.

Face Description: Smooth, matte skin using a light wash of New! Shiseido Makeup Perfect Refining Foundation (available February 2011) to even the skin tone and to cover up redness or blemishes.

Eye Description: A dewy, melting color was the look they were going for. To create a dewy effect, Dick applied Shiseido Benefiance Full Correction Lip Treatment on the eyelids, and a trace under the lower lash line. Next, Dick sketched right into the upper and lower lash lines with the Shiseido Makeup Smoothing Eyeliner Pencil in Black (BK901); application was sketched and looked “scrubby.” Dick then applied a second light application of the Shiseido Benefiance Full Correction Lip Treatment over the eyeliner to give a “melting” effect.

Lip Description: “Matte, intense lips.” To create a smooth surface, Dick prepped the lips with Shiseido Benefiance Full Correction Lip Treatment; lips were thoroughly blotted with a tissue to remove excess product. Next, Dick applied Shiseido Makeup Perfect Rouge Lipstick in Day Lily (OR418) and again blotted the lips with a tissue to remove excess product. Dick then applied a thin layer of Shiseido Makeup Translucent Loose Powder under the lower lip line to catch excess product. Then with a clean fluffy brush, Dick applied an orange high-pigment powder (a working lab prototype for a potential new Shiseido product!) over the lipstick to intensify the color.

Will you be sporting Orange Lips this Spring?