Tag Archives: Kate Middleton hairstyle

Salute To Bangs! – 2013 Hair Trends

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Ever since the First Lady, Michelle Obama, showed up with bangs last week , the media has gone wild! The truth is that all it it takes is something as simple as one very  highly visible person to modify their appearance for a trend to slowly take hold. On the other hand, this style change was more like the “Shot Heard Around The World.” Every program, every channel was asking the burning question, “What do you think of the First Lady’s bangs?” For a brief moment, there was no debt ceiling, no fiscal cliff and no gun control ….. just bangs. In honor of Mrs. Obama, here is my salute to bangs- of all lengths and kinds!

Long bangs – Defined as long bits of hair  that frame the face but come to the middle of the eye …at least! Long bangs look great with layered hair . It all  frames the face at the same time and is very slimming.

Long Bangs  look equally great with short hair.

Side bangs – Any length of bangs that are swept  to one side. Side bangs are great if you have a cowlick in the front of your hairline and they are soft and flattering to the face.

Pixie Bangs –  This is what my bangs looked like when I cut them myself as a young girl and also the last time I got my haircut and wanted to strangle the hairdresser. Really great on small faces or with short, wispy hair… not on me!

 

Blunt Bangs are cut straight across with no feathering. Blunt bangs are difficult to wear for some and absolutely perfect on others. Bunt pixie bangs are an odd choice but, there is something for everyone.

Amelia Lowe Short Haircut with Blunt Bangs

 

Which brings us to the most popular style, the current style worn by the first  lady, the Curved Bangs. Curved bangs frame the face on the sides and look really flattering on almost everyone.

They are tapered into layered or blunt cut hair.

Most importantly, they are long enough  to be incorporated into the hair or slicked back  if necessary but, no so long that they obscure your eyesight.

The right bangs will make you look and feel 10 years younger. Be careful, though and DON’T Experiment with bangs unless you have a solid 3 months to completely grow out any mistakes!! My advice: Start early if you are feeling the ‘urge to splurge’ on bangs!

 

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

Bridal Hair – Do’s and Don’t’s

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You’ve found the  perfect dress and the perfect headpiece. All you need to complete your look is  the perfect hairstyle. After seeing 30 years of weddings and witnessing first-hand their successes and disasters, I can tell you it is very easy to overlook this one tiny thing and regret it later.

Remember, you will be photographed more times in this one day than you can imagine and you will want your hair to compliment the gown, the headpiece and your face. Keep these tips in mind when you begin to think about hairstyles so you don’t wind up with pictures you can’t bear to look at because you didn’t plan ahead.

DO:

Schedule your first appointment a few months before your wedding.  Be very clear about what the appointment will entail. Is this a consultation or an actual trial run?

Pick a Hairdresser you trust. This is not the time to try out a new stylist – make sure you have someone who’s work you like.

Take tons of photos with you. You cannot imagine how hard it is to describe a haircut. Take a ton of pictures with you so you can describe in great detail what you like and don’t like.

Keep the headpiece and the gown in mind. Don’t overpower a simple gown with a giant hairdo or confuse an already busy gown with too much going on.

Get a deep conditioning treatment a month or so before so your locks will be luscious.

DON’T:

Don’t make  drastic changes. One month (or God Forbid, one day )before your wedding is not the time to decide you want to go blond or cut all your hair off. You will be scrambling for a solution. There are solutions to everything but, they can be costly.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with a hairstyle you like but think won’t work. There are extensions, hairpieces, lifts, all kinds of things to make your hair thicker and fuller looking.

Don’t forget to take your headpiece to your hair appointment. It is vital to the overall look.

Don’t  be afraid to ask questions. You will never be sorry.

Don’t try to look like someone else. You will, and you won’t like it.

Don’t get  stuck in a  time warp. The big bangs and over-permed hair looked great in the 80’s. I know, I had it. Today’s brides have a more natural and sophisticated look. Stay current!

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

Hair – What’s Hot and Hip for 2012 Brides

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Perfect for walking down the aisle, sleek  hair is hot for 2012.  Extensions are out and natural-looking, smooth, shiny hair is in. Whether it is a smooth pixie or extra shiny waves, anyone can rock the sleek trend this year.  The chignon is hotter than ever and brides are also mixing it up a bit by smoothing the front and having large bouncy curls in the back.  Have fun with this trend! 2012 is about taming down the hair  just a little bit  to softer, more touchable styles. The good news is that incorporating your headpiece into one of these styles is easier than ever with a beautiful headband or a sparkly side comb. 

How to guarantee your hair looks perfect on your wedding day:

– Schedule an appointment with your hairdresser as soon as you have your headpiece.

– Make sure you take realistic examples, from magazines or the internet of how you want your hair to look to the appointment.

-Also take a trusted famiy member or friend with you to this appointment. They can take some digital pictures for you to see close-ups and how the hair looks from all sides.

– Purchase any products you may need (like anti-frizz potions) and experiment with them at home to be safe.

– Book the same (professional) hairdresser for your wedding day.

-Always have a back up plan in case of emergency on your wedding day.

-DO NOT (under any circumstances) experiment with a new color, highlights or major hairstyle change within 2 weeks of your wedding.

For 2012, say “YES” to beautiful bouncy hair and “NO” to stiff, rigid locks that require multiple cans of aqua net, hair that says “touch me”, hair that is reminiscent of another hot bridal trend – “Old Hollywood”!

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

The Crown Jewels – How much Bling is too much?

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For centuries, bridal tiaras have been worn by brides during their wedding ceremony. The purpose of a crown or tiara has always been, to portray the wearer as someone special, someone ordained by the gods. Tiaras were worn exclusively by royalty since no one else could afford the diamond and jewel  encrusted headpieces. 

Today brides everywhere adorn their bridal up-do’s with tiaras, crystal embellished headbands and glittery hair combs to remind us all that we are all special and deserve a place among the gods.

Catherine Middleton has a rare opportunity. As a ‘commoner’ she will be the first woman of no royal lineage to ever set her head under one of the priceless tiaras in the collection of the British Monarchy. It is feasible that she could wear any of the tiaras in the collection, some of which are downright garish. Fortunately she seems to have impeccable taste and will not opt for one of these huge, gaudy or over-embellished pieces. Unfortunately she will probably be wearing something ‘gifted’ to her from Queen Elizabeth so her choice will be not as much of her’s  as one would think.

There has been talk that she might wear her hair down. Perhaps, although I don’t think so. Realistically she will look fantastic no matter her hairstyle. However, she will keep in mind that her wedding portrait will  a) become a stamp b) be  forever immortalized in the portrait gallery of Buckingham palace and c)  also be featured on every gift, knick-knack and teacup in any gift shop in England… and beyond. She can wear her hair down for the rest of her life. This will be the most talked about, copied, over-analyzed wedding in history, give us an up-do for God’s sake. I would speculate her reasoning for considering wearing her hair down is that it symbolizes her down to earth, conservative nature and does not portray excess, especially during hard economic times.

 In case you were wondering; a tiara should be worn in the middle of the head, not the front, and slanted at a 45-degree angle. The tiara is usually backed by an up-do which means that you can’t see through it–the hair acts as a backdrop to the tiara and allows the headpiece to become part of the hairstyle rather than a separate piece. Never perch your tiara at the front of your head like a beauty pageant winner or prom queen! Remember, you are a princess bride, not a bride wearing a tiara.

Which tiara will she wear? In this case, the sky is really the limit. There are dozens to choose from! Since the engagement ring belonged to William’s mother, I personally think it would be odd to wear his mother’s wedding tiara. Diana wore the “Spencer Tiara” as her ‘something borrowed’. It was made around 1830(according to some reports)  for lady Sarah Spencer, Diana could trace her name back to the tiara so it had some personal and historical significance. Kate had none of this so it would be redundant.  My choice for her would be Queen Elizabeth’s wedding choice, the “Fringe Tiara”. It is the long shot by betting standards and London bookmakers have placed the odds at 12-1. I’ll still take the odds. My reasons are simple: There are two things we know about Queen Elizabeth, she has a killer jewelry collection and she adores her grandchildren. She will want to be as close as possible to his wife since we all know what happens when there is a rift with the royals! Sharing a wedding tiara is a significant step in the right direction.

It is entirely feasible, however, that the Queen will gift to her the Cambridge Knot Tiara worn by the queen herself and Princess Diana numerous times. This would forge a bond between the three of them, never ot be broken.  It was returned to the Queen After the divorce of Diana and Charles as she was no longer representing the state at functions.

Occasionally I hear or read that the future princess will wear flowers in her hair. I think this is pure speculation. I highly doubt a this choice is significant enough for this event. I also think she is smart enough to know that.  I might have to eat my words but, I doubt it. Catherine Middleton does not strike me as impulsive or rebellious, and although her recent Chelsea past seems rather bohemian to some, it is not bohemian enough to instantly become a flower-child.

Again, whatever she chooses Will become an instant global sensation. Flashing cameras will capture her image and within hours of her first appearance, copies will be available.  Sit tight, future princesses, less than 48 hours until the Royal Wedding!

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago