BANG BANG BANG!

To bang or not to bang. That is the question. You my dear, have a dilemma of Shakespearian proportions. 

Bangs are getting hugely popular again. Being in beauty school offers nothing short of endless temptations to constantly cut one's own hair. So needless to say, I have bangs. Actually, I always have and probably always will because a) I don't have the patience to grow them out and b) my forehead is bigger than an olympic size swimming pool. I know everything there is to know about cutting, styling, tolerating and loving/hating bangs. If you're thinking about having them for yourself, one thing you should know is that the commitment goes beyond the time it takes to grow them back out. Bangs are high maintenance. You have to blow dry them to lay straight. You can't go to bed with them wet. Even a slight breeze threatens to give you 80's feathered bangs, as does bike riding. They need trimming every three weeks to maintain the style you like. They get greasy almost overnight. The list continues... However, if done right, they're ridiculously cute, charming, sexy and fun. Take into account the overall size of your forehead. If you have a large forehead, bangs are a good direction to go. It takes attention away from the forehead and redirects it to the more flattering attributes of your face, like eyes and cheek bones. If your forehead is short, make sure you tell your stylist to give you heavier bangs, starting further back on your crown, in a V shape, as to not make your forehead appear blunt and  even smaller, but rather more proportionate to the length of your face.  There are so many styles to play with. From side-swept to blunt, to long and heavy face-framing bangs. Bring in a variety of pictures to show your stylist, giving them the opportunity to talk with you about which one would look best for your face shape. Talk about what kind of cutting techniques offer the style you like. Point cutting, blunt cutting, razor cutting, etc. Ask them to show you different ways to style them. Do you have cowlicks? Ask how to work around it. Talk about what you're long term goals are for your hair and which style of bangs fit well into that equation.  Be brave! Be prepared! Be bangin'! 

BEAUTIFUL WHIMSICAL WONDERFUL BRAIDS

pixies. french. micros. pinch. maiden. milkmaid. crown. tree. inversions. zig-zag. side. simple. fish-bone. fish-tail. box. cornrow. german. breadbasket. inside out. dutch. herring-bone. classic. crown. headband. hairline, mexican. basic 3 stand. 4 strand. 5 stand. square. lace. twist. rope. perimeter. flat 4 stand. combination. rose stem. cascade. accent. long hair knot, arwyn. eowyn. legolas. loose.

Learning to braid has become a process that is delightfully more complex then I had imagined. Growing up, learning how to French braid was not only about as complex as it got, but it was almost a right of passage for many young girls like myself, and it could be celebrated again and again beneath forts made of blankets or under giant Maple trees in the summer time. It was an accomplishment, that at the tender age of Ten, demonstrated your impressive and envyible talents and dedication to beautiful hair. For some, daughters learn from their mothers, who learned from their mothers. For others, little sisters learn from big sisters. Or for most, we learn on the playground during recess in the 5th grade. It's a lovely tradition shared amongst girls and women. French braiding my Grandmother's hair was a badge of honor that I wore plastered ear to ear as she would wear it throughout the day, as if it were the most elegant thing she had ever had done to her hair.  I was proud of my French braids and of my ability to adorn even my own head with the flawless masterpiece. Then... well, the 90's came along, and French braids, along with so many other braiding techniques seemed to float away from the fashion mainstream, taking with them secrets of lure. Going into beauty school I had almost forgotten about them. Focused so much on cutting hair, I was not prepared for the flash flood of memories, elegance, femininity, wonder, beauty, tradition, history and nostalgia that would submerge me when I realized that braids are not lost. They are in fact, coming back with a beautiful, whimsical, wonderful vengeance. 

                                              

TENDING TOWARD TRADITION

The draw toward men's grooming is still lingering in my fancy. Barbering in particular. The simplicity of its tradition lends an almost effortless attraction to its storefront, which in recent years seems to be luring in a younger patronage. There's a trend of high-end barber shops with low-end appeal that makes this sudden interest in barbering nearly impossible for me not to fall head over heals for. Aesthetics and atmosphere go hand in hand with grooming. A clean shave or a trimmed beard can both sit atop a Pendleton in my book. So long as the gentleman sporting it appreciates all aspects of the room in which he is about to have his head and face pampered. This goes beyond aesthetics and transpires into the art of barbering. Though my head turns for a clean shaven mug and short hair, I have such an admiration for the craftsmanship that goes into a handsome beard or a moustache. Lets look at some of the beautiful shops and striking heads responsible for my recent romance with barbering.