Bridal Hair

Thursday September 12, 2013

Red-Hot Engagement

Many modern women wear their hair long and down on a day-to-day basis but they may be dreaming of a fancier style to wear on their wedding day," says a hairstylist at Maxine Salon in Chicago. "An engagement party is the perfect time to test out how comfortable you'd feel in a dressy look. Try out curls, low buns and fancy ponytails," she says. These voluminous looks all started with a hot roller set to create the perfect base for achieving sculpted shapes with lots of texture. Here, she explains how to create them.

• This stylized bun has a 'black tie' feel. Leaving the crown area out, brush hair into a high ponytail and form a second ponytail with the remaining hair in front (except for the fringe). Shape both into a bun and smooth bangs over the top.
• Here's a playful look for women who don't want to wear it all up. Bangs and sides are smoothed back and twisted into a top bun. In back, hair falls into cascading waves.
• This fashion-forward style is straight from the runway. Braided sections are pinned in place, then pulled loosely apart to create texture, while the sides are sleek for contrast.

To score to-dye-for locks, follow these tips from a pro.

Coloring your hair prior to your wedding day can make you feel youthful and fresher," says, a color specialist at Maxine Salon in Chicago. According to him, fresh color or highlights will not only add brilliant shine, but will also enhance your eye color and skin tone to make you look more radiant overall. Here, his tips on color care:

What advice do you have for a color virgin who wants to dabble with a new hue?

Natural brunettes can opt for a gloss, which will add vitality and shine with zero commitment because it fades within 4-6 weeks and leaves no re-growth. The balayage highlighting technique works for all shades. They create soft, beach-y highlights and are low commitment (many people do them twice a year).

Do highlights or lowlights look better in wedding photos?

Both highlights and lowlights often photograph very well wheather the prints are in color or black-and-white. They help to create great movement, dimension and texture. If a client normally gets only highlights, I would avoid lowlights, which can sometimes look murky or drab. There is no way to pull a lowlight out without affecting the color, so this test-drive days before the wedding is a no-no.

When is a good timeline for touch-ups?

I recommend getting your color done one to two weeks before the day. If you're a single-process brunette or redhead, then have it done that week. The fresher the color, the better it will photograph. Highlighted hair should be done up to two weeks before so it has time to settle and soften.

When can a bride try a radically new color?

If you were going to change your color drastically (which I never recommend), then I would do it six months prior to your wedding and ease into dramatic changes little by little. Brides can get impulsive because of the stress and what something new altogether. If you've been blonde all your life, I wouldn't recommend suddenly going brunette or vice versa. Allow enough time to tweak anything you may be second-guessing.

How can brides ensure that their color doesn't fade before the wedding?

You should use professional color-safe shampoos and conditioners recommended by your colorist all times. Also, try to avoid lengthy sun exosure and heavy heat styling until your actual wedding.