Flickr user limonlucikolata

flickr user chicagophotoshop

2010 was a pretty beautiful year, literally speaking. Aside from a few missteps and casualties (Bump-its anyone? Jersey Shore-esque tans? Anything from the Taylor Momsen makeup bag?), this past year has ushered in some gorgeous new looks and brought relevance to retro trends as well. Below is a list of some of the best beauty trends 2010 had to offer.

• Ombre Hair- Good news for those who despise the monthly trips to the salon for touch-ups! Perfectly maintained hair is out and ombre hair is in!  Celebs like Nicole Richie and Rachel Bilson started bucking the beauty rule of root maintenance this summer.
• Retro hair- Think beehives, a la Scarlet Johanson, and Veronica Lake waves made popular by beauties such as Megan Fox and Angelina Jolie.
• Cat eye makeup and winged eyeliner- A favorite of everyone from Lauren Conrad to the make up artists at fashion week, this easy-to-achieve look dominated the beauty pages in 2010.  With a steady hand and an easy-to-use liquid eyeliner (I prefer Hourglass Cosmetics Calligraphy Liquid Eyeliner) anyone can perfect this subtle, yet sexy come-hither look. Again, please remember, you are going for subtle, not Little J!
• Pixie cuts- For the past couple months, stars have been chopping off their long locks one-by-one to reveal a gamine and gorgeous, yet classic do. Celebrities such as Michelle Williams, Ginnifer Goodwin, Carey Mulligan, Emma Watson, Elisha Cuthbert and Rihanna have all made the cut, literally. Beware though; this hair trend is not for everyone.
• Braids- The braided hair style is my personal favorite look from this year. The mixture of simplicity and versatility, mixed with my laziness and unruly mane, has turned the braid into my go-to hair style.

The worst? There were some doozies! The aforementioned Bump Its, Oompa-Loompa tans, raccoon eye makeup, also snuggies, neon makeup and scraggly extensions (again, bad year for Taylor Momsen) … but the absolute worst beauty trend of 2010? Vajazzling!

Emma Watson's Pixie Cut flickr user skoykkahwin

Forget the Rachel, say goodbye to Posh’s angled bob and peace out to Blake Lively’s tousled tresses. There is a new style on the block and it is taking Hollywood by storm. Meet The Pixie- the IT 2010 hairstyle. For the past couple months, stars have been chopping off their long locks one-by-one to reveal a gamine and gorgeous, yet classic, do. Celebrities such as Michelle Williams, Ginnifer Goodwin, Carey Mulligan, Emma Watson, Elisha Cuthbert, Rihanna, Katie Holmes and Hayden Panettiere have all made the cut, literally. The most recent addition to the ever growing list of short haired beauties is Ashlee Simpson Wentz, whose husband debuted the pixie haircut via twitter. So you think you want to jump on the pixie bandwagon? I got some advice about the 2010 hairstyle trend from Shear Genius contestant and stylist to the stars Janine Jarman—read on and learn how to make this fun look work for you.

Beautyfix: Let’s talk pixie cuts.

Janine Jarman: It makes me so happy to see short hair on girls! To me, short hair looks so feminine—it makes the face and eyes really stand out.

Beautyfix: Are different variations better for different face shapes?

JJ: Yes, there are hundreds of charts online of face shape and hair cuts that are designed to make your face shape look as close to an oval as possible. That’s the ultimate goal, so if you have a square jaw you want to have layers cut down into the jaw and round it out. If you have a heart shaped face, same thing—you want longer layers and a side bang cut down and over so that it makes oval.

Beautyfix: How often do pixie haircuts need to be trimmed to maintain the shape?

JJ: Every four weeks. Short hair cuts need to be cut a lot more often than long hair cuts.

Beautyfix: Any tips on how to gracefully grow out a pixie cut?

JJ: Hair accessories are the best way to grow out any hair-do. Once it gets to chin length and lower, get extensions if it’s that torturous for you.

Blake's Perfect Beach Waves

Perfecting the California cool beach waves hair style is as easy as, well, a day at the beach! Trust me, if yours truly can pull this off, anyone can. If only I knew these quick hairstyle tips in high school…

The greatest part about this easy breezy summer hairstyle is that it can be achieved with either wet or dry hair! The most important ingredient is good hair texturizer that mimics the  look from the sun, sand and saltwater and spares your hair the damaging effects from the real thing. I recommend Krystal High Gloss Shine Spray by Kronos or Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray.

If you are starting with wet hair, work the product through the hair and either towel dry or blow-dry with a diffuser.  It is best to only partially dry the hair and remember to not run your fingers through it too much; this can cause frizz and accidently remove the hair texturizer. When starting with dry hair, the process is even easier! Just spray the product on the roots and lightly over the hair for added volume and body. If your hair gets oily easily, apply a little dry shampoo first.

Depending on your hair type and texture, a little spray and scrunch might be all you need. If your hair loses volume easily or needs a little extra vavava-voom, there is an optional step two. Use a curling iron, either large or small barreled, to add a few loose waves. Choose sections of hair in varying sizes and alternate the directions of the curls. Once you have finished curling, bend over and shake your head to ensure that your curls create a tousled hair look, not styled, and perform a quick final spray with either your texturizer or a high gloss shine.

The result? A perfectly chic and total easy summer hairstyle that works year round.

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Both trends are reminiscent of the nineties. Remember (if you’re old enough) Yves Saint Laurent’s almost-black lipstick and Chanel’s Vamp? Dark lips were all the rage, although not for the weak of heart. But this time around the trend is a bit more romantic, and with a bit of sparkle. Edward Cullen would approve.

According to Sean, “the Rachel” is back too. (The hairstyle made famous by Jennifer Aniston’s character from the hit show Friends.) Put on your old ripped jeans, throw on a sequined jacket and give yourself a nice full blowout and you’re good to go.

So, to recap – it’s all about dark lips, and full hair. Rock on.

Which will you be rocking – a Glampire or Glunge look?

Hair styles that look easy and natural are the way to go with men. If it looks like you’ve spent 4 hours curling and crimping your hair, chances are that he’s not going to like it. Playing up your current hairstyle is a cheap and easy way to get what you want. The key thing to think about is; you want it to be touchable and soft. Over working your hair is a no-no so don’t over-think it! Hair styles to consider this Valentine’s Day are:

Source: Flickr user Albert Brendenhann

Short hair styles: If you’ve got the pixie cut, smooth and sleek is the way to go. Blow dry your hair and use a smoothing serum to get the perfect look that exudes confidence.

Shoulder length hair: Soft waves are a sexy trend this spring. Use a medium barrel curling iron to create soft waves from the crown to the ends. You can use a light hair spray for hold, but beware; using too much hair spray will make it crispy. Another great style is the blowout that will blow his mind. If you’ve got layers in your hair, use a round brush to add volume, or hot-rollers to create voluptuous locks that he won’t be able to stay away from.

Long hair styles: You can go two ways with your long locks, sleek and straight or long, heavenly waves. For the straight look, channel your inner Reese Witherspoon, blow dry with a flat brush and use a smoothing serum to tame frizz. Tousled waves require a medium barrel curling iron with a touch of spray. I’ve found that blow drying your hair before trying to get waves; can sometimes make your hair go flat, so air drying your hair can help create natural curl. A great reference for long gorgeous waves is Marisa Miller (who nailed the tousled waves look at the Super Bowl this year), Rachel Bilson or Gisele Bunchen.

Men generally, don’t like a face that has been caked on so accenting your facial features is the best way to go. My beauty advice is to pick one part of your face, like your eyes, lips or cheeks, and sex them up. To get more bang for your buck a lip and cheek stain is a great beauty buy. Tarte has a genius stain that you may use for either your cheeks to make your cheeks delicious or for your lips for that “come-hither” look. Either way, you can use this product over and over again to achieve different looks as a multi-functioning cosmetic. I recommend this in Cloud 9 or Tickled by Tarte for a flirtatious look. I also love Benefit’s Benetint or Lorac’s Sheer Wash lip & cheek tint for a dark, erotic look. If you’re playing up your eyes a risqué smokey eye is best. Bronze eyeliner is a hot trend for spring that can pair well with a romantic smokey look. If you’re playing up your lips, there’s nothing better than an alluring red for Valentine’s day. Duwop’s Pure Venom in Pure Berry do the trick and exude style and sultry to drive your man wild.

Remember ladies, it’s your time to spice it up and shine, so take a little extra in your busy schedule to prepare. After all, getting roses and chocolates has never looked sexier with that pout.

Source: Flickr User Sifone

There are so many different hair brushes on the market that if you’re not an expert, it can be hard to choose which brush is right for your hair type to achieve a specific hair style. Each type of brush is made for different uses, depending on what look you’re trying to achieve. Here’s a hair brush guide that will help you along the way.

flickr user: Ardie96750

The round brush is usually used to give definition or add curl to hairstyles. You can stick to the basic rule of – the smaller the round brush, the tighter the curl. You can use the round brush during a blow out to add volume and some extra “oomph” to your hair. A larger round hair brush is better for longer hair as a smaller round brush for shorter hair. I personally recommend finding a round brush with boar bristles, it lasts longer and the bristles work through your hair perfectly without damaging.

The paddle brush is a fun one to brush your hair with. Not only is it great for straightening medium to long hair, but it smoothes as it lengthens and gives you a slight scalp massage. These brushes are great for styling layers, but they don’t add much volume to layers.

The vent hair brush is the brush with holes in the middle of the base of the brush. This enables air to pass through the brush to help for faster hair drying. They are great for detangling your hair and also boosting volume.

Cushion hair brushes are generally made for medium to long hair and can perform the same as the half-round brush. It’s great for day to day use and the added plus is that it also massages the scalp. You can achieve short cuts, round layers and textured outlines after styling with the cushion brush.

There are tons of brushes to choose from, so try to get one that feels comfortable in your hand that you feel best styling with. The brush and dryer can make all the difference and most importantly save time in your beauty routine. Since switching to the right tools to style with, it’s made my routine easier, cuts down time and looks more fabulous than ever. Bring on the complements! J

What are your favorite styling tools?

Here’s a handy step by step guide:

Sean James step one

Step one: Start with freshly washed, towel dried hair.

Sean James step 2

Step Two:  Spray RUSK thick throughout the roots of the hair.

Sean James step 3

Step three: Section the hair and blow-dry straight and full.

Sean James step 4

Step four: Wind vertical sections around the thickness of the curling iron, away from the face, meeting in the middle.

Sean James step 5

Step five:  Tilt the head over and shake out the hair with your hands.

Sean James step 6

Step six: Lift head upright and stretch out the curl with a RUSK speedfreak blow-dryer on low heat.

Sean James step 7

Step seven: Direct your ends to sit in a complimentary place, put some makeup on, and smile.

This is a fun and flirty look that can most anyone can accomplish with the right tools and products. It is easy and mistake proof, but still leaves the wearer feeling fit for the front cover of Vogue.

ABOUT SEAN JAMES:

Sean is a Los Angeles-based celebrity hair stylist. His work can be seen on the runways of Paris, New York and LA and red carpets everywhere. Celeb clients include Jaime Pressly and Emily Blunt.

Flickr.com user bdhq

During the Holiday season, hair trends that were hot in the summer are suddenly ice cold. Flip flops, sun dresses, and beachy waves are replaced with thigh high boots, pea coats, and glamorous up-dos.  If you think that big bouncy holiday hairstyles aren’t in your cards this winter, think again! Hair extensions can take your hair from flat to fab in an instant – after all – ‘tis the season for top notch tresses.

Hair extensions have gone from being a celebrity secret, to an available-to-everyone hair miracle. With so many types to choose from, the possibilities are endless. The most user friendly and non-damaging way to use hair extensions is to get a set of clip-ins. They come in a variety of lengths, textures and qualities, but if you can afford to go with the real human hair vs. the artificial, it will be more natural looking and easier to manage. Balmain Hair offers a wide variety of hair extensions to accommodate most anyone’s needs. Clip-ins are also a lot less commitment that the more permanent variety of hair extensions – and also a lot less expensive.

Clip in hair extensions

The best way to attach clip-in hair extensions is to tease each section of hair before clipping them in, this way you not only get more body, but with a quick spritz of flexible hold hair spray, they will be locked in for the night. Once they are securely in you can style them any way you want, but one of the quickest ways to get an amazing style is to take chunky sections and roll them around a super hot 2” barrel curling iron. This will give you bouncy volume with just a slight twirl that will also camouflage the break between your real hair and the extra pieces. There is nothing worse than obvious extensions, and this way, no one will be able to tell.

To dress it up for an evening event, add one of this season’s hottest hair accessories, like a feather head band or jeweled clips, or if you really want to shine, try a shimmering hair spray, like Frederic Fakkai’s Golden-Glimmer Gelee Mist to liven up your locks. You can also pin it up in a loose bun, just keep it relaxed and slightly messy like Lauren Conrad’s .

Clip-in hair extensions are easy once you get the hang of them, and if you use them correctly you can add volume and body to any holiday hairstyle!

Beautyfix Panelist Sean James took some time to show us the hottest hair color trend at Frank Studio in Santa Monica, CA.

“Instead of typical highlights using foils – have your hairstylist do Baliage. It’s where the hair color is painted on. It’s less stripey with more random placement, which makes it look much more natural,” says Sean James. “It’s all about having a little more of your natural color in your hair. It’s about accentuating your natural hair color and making it look sunlit.”

Working in sections, your hairstylist will paint on the hair color with a brush and gently place a piece of saran wrap on top of each layer.

Once the color is applied and your head is cover with plastic wrap, you sit under the dryer for a few minutes. Afterwards, you get a shampoo and conditioning treatment, followed by a relaxing scalp massage. Finally, after a little magic with the blow dryer, you emerge with gorgeous, sun-kissed (looking) hair.

About Sean James:

Sean has worked with celebrities such as Jaime Pressly, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rufus Wainwright, Emily Blunt, Rita Wilson, Lindsay Lohan, and many more. He works consistently on films, commercials, television, advertising campaigns, and he is sought after all over the world. Most recently, Sean was a member of the exclusive Balmain team as the US representative at Paris Fashion Week. He has been featured on the E! network, the Style Network, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and MTV’s The Hills. He has also been featured in the world renowned publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, WWD, The New York Times, and More, just to name a few.

Sean’s adventures in hair are ongoing and groundbreaking as he continues to have a drive to explore the new and exciting ways to express inner beauty through the ever growing medium of hair. Sean’s mantra as a true artist is “explore yourself and express your inner beauty.”

We caught up with Beautyfix Panelist Sean James at Frank Studio in Santa Monica, CA so he could show us how to create one of the hottest summer hair trends.

When we think sexy beach hair, we can’t help but think of the ever so gorgeous Gisele Bündchen. Sean James describes the look as, “That look when you’ve come out of the ocean and the salt is still in your hair.” It’s easy to imagine Gisele strolling down the beach in Rio de Janeiro, Tom Jobim’s classic Bossa Nova tune The Girl from Ipanema playing in the background, her tan skin glowing, and her beautiful waves cascading past her shoulders. Her look is so natural – you almost believe she just rolls out of bed and looks that way. The fact of the matter is that the look is, as Sean would say, “a little more contrived.” (The look is actually achieved with a large barrel curling iron.) Okay, so maybe we can’t look like Gisele, but the good news is we can still swipe her hairstyle.

GET THE LOOK:

Step 1: Start with a center part.*
*If your hair is naturally curly – make sure to blow dry your hair straight first.

Step 2: Curl the hair away from your face. Work in sections and make your way around the entire head. Begin in the front and work your way around the back until you get to the center of your head. Then do the same thing starting from the other side.

Step 3: Turn your head upside down and run your fingers through your hair and give it a good shake.

Step 4: While your head is still upside down, spray your hair with a flexible hairspray (like Jonathan Product’s Finish Control) to give it a little hold.

Step 5: Blow dry your hair a bit while pulling your fingers through the curls to relax them – particularly at the root. Your hair should be straighter at the crown of your head and gradually curl towards your ends.

The finished look!

About Sean James:

Sean has worked with celebrities such as Jaime Pressly, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rufus Wainwright, Emily Blunt, Rita Wilson, Lindsay Lohan, and many more. He works consistently on films, commercials, television, advertising campaigns, and he is sought after all over the world. Most recently, Sean was a member of the exclusive Balmain team as the US representative at Paris Fashion Week. He has been featured on the E! network, the Style Network, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and MTV’s The Hills. He has also been featured in the world renowned publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, WWD, The New York Times, and More, just to name a few.

Sean’s adventures in hair are ongoing and groundbreaking as he continues to have a drive to explore the new and exciting ways to express inner beauty through the ever growing medium of hair. Sean’s mantra as a true artist is “explore yourself and express your inner beauty.”

Beautyfix Brand Director Nicole Cardi with Celebrity Hair Stylist Sean James

What’s your favorite summer hair trend?