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ELLE BEAUTY
FIND A STYLE THAT SUITS YOU
EVER WONDERED HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT YOUR NEXT VISIT
TO THE HAIRSTYLIST? WE ASKED A FEW EXPERTS THEIR OPINION
Whether you have to cheat on your colourist with a hairdressing genius or arrive with hundreds of torn out pages from magazines, our experts all agree that there is only one way to walk out of a salon feeling and looking great. Do a little homework and tell your hairdresser exactly what you want.
How to choose the perfect cut for you
Think about your face shape and hair texture, says Clinton Valjeaux from Jeauval Hair Salon. Brush hair away from your face, take a mirror and trace the outline of your reflection with an old lipstick.
Round faces DO: Volume on the top, off-centre parting, length past your chin and an angular bob. DON’T: Mushroom or bowl-type hairstyles, middle partings and severe fringes. CELEB: Jennifer Hudson
Square faces DO:Softer lines that hang over the jawline with curls or opt for an asymmetrical cut. DON’T: Straight fringes, one-length styles, texture and movement. CELEB: Anne Hathaway
Heart-shaped faces DO:Side partings, fullness in the jaw area, hair that moves away from the jaw, a solid, geometric, jaw line bob. DON’T: Wispiness around the jawline and short, full styles. CELEB: Halle Berry
Oval faces
An ideal face shape well suited to all styles. CELEB: Rihanna
Long faces DO:A severe fringe shrinks, go for maximum volume around the sides, hair should also move away from face, rounded and voluminous shapes. DON’T: Height on the crown and wispy styles, middle partings CELEB: Gisele Bündchen
What kind of hair texture do you have?
"Natural hair texture is an important factor when choosing a haircut," says Valjeaux. Styling time is affected by hair texture, so be realistic about how long you have to spend on it in the morning. Keep
the effects of the climate in mind - you can get
away with straightening naturally curly hair during
Jo’burg’s winter because it’s generally dry. However, coastal summers are a nightmare. Keep fine hair short. "Avoid graduating curly hair - it expands the
shape making it look like a pyramid," says Mushtaq
Hoosen, of Imij, Cape Town. "Slice cut" wavy hair
to make it fit better and soften the ends for a lighter feel. Samuel Beck, Samuel Beck Hairdressing, says, "Thick coarse hair needs to be thinned out and
texturised, once the hair is dry, otherwise you will end up with "helmet" hair."
How to choose a colour
START WITH YOUR SKIN TONE
Do you have a warmer, or cooler skin tone?
Visit a make-up counter, like Bobbi Brown, who
specialises in a wide range of foundation shades to ask for help.
Which colours suit which tones?
“Most people can wear any colour, but the colour must have the appropriate tone," says Valjeaux. Terry
Scott, Shampoo, says, "If you are a warm tone, try honey blonde, copper browns and golds." Alwyn
van Wyk, Karo Estilista adds, "Cool skin tones should try ash browns, violet browns and icy blondes.
You can break the rules. Dima Tsobanopulos,
D&D Hair design at the Cellars Hohenhort Hotel says, "Skin tone becomes more relevant with age."
A young fresh skin is very forgiving. We all know those teenagers who have golden hair the one day and coal black or red the next. On a younger skin the colour is very strong, but with age we can lose it and the skin’s undertone becomes very important.
The wrong colour can easily make you look tired.
Take the condition of your hair into account. Van
Wyk says, "Healthy hair is the foundation of any
great cut and colour, everything else is definitely a distant second."
Before going to the salon
WORD OF MOUTH
This is the best way of finding a reputable stylist and
salon, so ask your friends, family and colleagues. A
good name will come up more than once.
TAKE BABY STEPS
Speak to the receptionist. She knows which stylist will suit your needs. Test them by having a blow-dry and a consultation. Most reputable salons offer a complimentary consultation and recommend a treatment after a relaxer. This will give you some time to talk to the stylist about your hair and see if you have a rapport. If you like a salon, but not with a particular stylist, try talking to another stylist at the salon. If they do something once that you don’t like, explain what didn’t work for you. Tsobanopulos advises you arrive 20 minutes early and use the time to have a good look at who applies the colour, whether the stylist is present, or all the work is left to the assistants - and do the women leaving look good?
FIND YOUR SOULMATE
Look at your stylist – if they care about their own
overall look and hairstyle, they will care about yours. Pick someone who has a similar look to
what you would like.
SHOW WHAT YOU WANT
References are always a good guideline. Beck says,
"clients feel embarrassed when they bring in photos
or pictures, but it’s always easier to show someone
what you want than trying to explain. Even if you
feel that the hairstyle is unrealistic, bring it in with
you - there is always a variation we can try."
At the salon
TELL THE TRUTH
"Give your stylist an accurate history of your
hair for the last year," advises Valjeaux. Your
stylist needs to be aware of hidden perms,
highlights, relaxers and non-professional colours.
Xoli Ntshingila, creative manager of Softsheen
Carson Professional, says, chat to your stylist
about maintenance, how often you’ll need to visit
the salon and how much you want to spend to
maintain your look. A relaxer may be a great idea
today, but remember that you want to look good
in between visits. So, if you only want to visit the
salon twice a year, choose something that requires
less maintenance.
BE REALISTIC
Let your stylist know how much time you have in
the mornings to style. If you choose a style that
needs to be perfectly blow-dried every day and
you don’t have time, you could look fabulous
when you walk out of the salon and then terrible
for the next six weeks. Exercise routines also have
an impact. Having the right tools and products at
home will help you ensure that a great cut looks
as good when you style it at home as it did when
you walked out the salon.
For more of ELLE Beauty see the May issue of ELLE, on shelf now.
