Let's Get Light! It's almost Summer time !
- hairbymarkbooth
- May 31, 2016
- 4 min read
Summer is upon us and we are hot & ready for the beach! What's not to love? the sunshine, the fresh salty breeze, barbecues and friends. There are two ways in which you can lighten up for summer...you can literally lighten the color of your hair with the new go-to highlights, or you can chop your hair and lighten the length and weight of it so that its looser, fresher, and more airy. Here are some of my suggestions on how you can take the beach wherever you go!
1) THE NEW GO-TO HIGHLIGHTS
BABYLIGHTS
For subtly brightened hair, babylights are a great way to go. Babylights are very thinly sliced highlights; less hair inside foils gives a more blended and progressive hair color than the traditional weave. Concentrating more babylights around the front hairline brightens up your face and gives a more naturally sun-kissed look.
BALAYAGE
Balayage is a fancy word for taking a hair color brush and painting directly onto the hair using a light, sweeping motion. Painting a few lighter pieces gives the illusion of a naturally grown highlight.
BABYLIGHTS & BALAYAGE
Combining some babylights with balayage gives an overall blended and brightened-up California blonde feel.
SHADOW ROOTS
Keeping a deeper base allows for a natural, grown-in feel. Think of a shadow root as a more sophisticated, less juvenile, ombre. Sometimes we apply it to the root and process it fully like a tint retouch, sometimes its as easy as doing it at the shampoo bowl when your hair is wet (sort of like a toner for the roots). All of the pics above have a shadow root-y feel.
These techniques keep your hair looking more natural than a flat overall color. Give your hair more dimension with an added benefit of an easier grow-out!
2) CHOP CHOP!
COLLAR BONE LENGTH
With this length you'll be able to get longer lasting curls; less hair, less weight to drag them down. It's short enough to cool down but long enough to still style it. Incorporating layers into this length creates a "modern shag" 70's vibe, which we are seeing a lot of in the fashion and hair world. Layers create movement, lift, and a "swinginess" to the hair.
CHIN LENGTH
The shorter the hair, the faster you're going to be able to wash, blowdry, and style. Since you wont be able to throw your hair up in a bun or cute pony anymore, texturizing is key. Soft undercutting at the nape (shorter pieces underneath the top layer) takes out a lot of the bulk but keeps your overall length. What I love about this length is that it can be suitable for any face shape by adjusting the amount of layers and/or weight that is taken out.
PIXIE CUT
Really want to feel the breeze? Pixie cuts are an awesome choice. They are short cuts that can be left soft and feminine around the hairline while really bringing attention to your cheekbones and eyes. They can be as short as Mia Farrow in 'Rosemary's Baby', or a little longer like my go-to pixie muse Michelle Williams.
3) HOW-TO: "IT-GIRL" BEACH WAVES ON SHORT HAIR
We've seen soft waves on long and mid-length hair, but how do girls with shorter hair pull it off without looking like Shirley Temple? Check the video below to find out.
BEFORE YOU CURL
1) Prep the hair with a structure product to give hold like Bumble & Bumble Thickening Spray at the root. This allows you to mold and keep the base shape of your hair before you curl. Then add a smoothing serum or cream like Bumble & Bumble Repair Blowdry throughout your ends and spread it evenly. Using a moisturizing heat protectant helps keep your hair from drying out!
2) Rough dry to get most of the moisture out of your hair. Focus on your roots and blow dry in different directions to give a looser texture and to neutralize any growth patterns or cowlicks.
3) Take a round brush and smooth out your hair by pointing the blowdryer down going with the grain of the hair. Smoothing out your hair during the blow dry will reduce frizz and pain while curling it.
LET'S GET STARTED!
Note: We filmed Andy doing her own hair so you can see how to do it in real life. Anyone can look great when a stylist does it, but this shows how to hold the iron and get the angles when doing it yourself!
1) Clip off the top section from the bottom and start underneath. Alternate curls forward and backwards. Don't focus too much on getting a good curl in this section because it will give too much volume.
2) Keep taking small 1-2" sections of hair per curl, alternating directions. Start at the base of your hair. Twist and pull downwards to smooth out the ends. Pulling down the ends is what gives a wave versus a traditional curl.
3) For the back of your head, grab pieces here and there. Bend the hair underneath and curl the longer pieces. We want it to be messy and wavy, don't worry about making it perfect.
4) For all day long-lasting texture and bounce, use some Bumble & Bumble Dryspun at the roots. Finish it off with Bumble & Bumble Brilliantine to moisturize and separate your waves. Shake it all out and give it a handful of good scrunches to really get that messy undone look.
TL;DR 1" iron for chin length(ish) hair. Hold iron vertically. 1-2 " sections of hair. Alternate curls forward and backward. At front hairline, when in doubt, curl away from the face for a more flattering look. Shake out the waves after, mess them up. The idea is to look like you didn't try even though you spent a half hour to get there ;)
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