3 Easy Long Hair Ideas for a Formal Look

It’s always fun to have a reason to style your hair different, you know, like parties and holiday get-together, where when you get all dressed up, your same old, same old hairstyle just doesn’t do you justice. You may be like me, and find yourself rifling through pictures at the last moment, searching for just the right hairstyle that will be fun, sexy, sophisticated AND easy to do.

Here are a couple of looks that are easy to do and you can try at home.  Give yourself some practice time and give it some patience. Don’t skim on the products when practicing either, products are a hairdressers best friend when it comes to making a hairstyle work and hold for a long night of dancing and partying!

Beyonce’s hairstyle above looks sooo chic and — it’s simple, simple, simple, to recreate! What makes this hairstyle look so sophisticated is the deep side part with sweeping bangs that have movement and stay in place.  Oh, and by all means don’t forget . . . chandelier earrings!

How to Get This Look

Day-old hair is best for this look, unless of course, you have fine or oily hair. Large waves are created by spraying two-inch sections with a light hairspray like, Shaper by Sebastian

I love this long hair knot!  And, yes, it’s almost as easy as tying any old knot. The only difference is hair tends to be slippery and needs to be secured into place, but that’s not hard to do with just a bit of practice. This knot looks prettiest on smooth, shiny hair. Shampoo and condition hair. Use a smoothing serum if needed and lightly spray in a shine treatment like Macadamia Oil Treatment my favorite! Blow-dry smooth and separate two-inch sections to tie back. Twisting hair as you tie will make it easier to tie smoothly. Secure with pins and mist with a light holding spray and  . . . Voila!!

Get a sophisticated ponytail like Oliva Wilde, by starting off with clean hair. Using a mousse like, Paul Mitchell Sculpting Foam, before blow-drying with a large round brush, will help to add volume, shine and to hold curls.  Spray sections with a light spray before curling, using hot rollers or a 1″ curling iron, for extra hold. Brush through cooled curls. Back comb hair at crown, spray again and smooth over. Separate hair off in front of ears to be pulled back later. Pull rest of hair into a high ponytail and secure with elastic or wide barrette. Back comb remaining hair and smooth up and back to crown, pinning sections and letting them drape over ponytail to cover. Mist with a light holding spray.

Ombre hair extensions with a twist!

These new 3D Strand FX ombre hair extensions by Great Lengths are something a bit more novel in the look of hair extensions. These extensions will give a three-dimensional ombre color effect when combined with your regular base color. The 3D Strand FX collection comes in 4 jewel tones which won’t fade and transition in hue from top to bottom.

• Sapphire – a pastel blue base changing into jewel blue at ends
• Ruby – a pastel pink base changing into jewel red at ends
• Emerald – a mint green base changing into jewel green at ends
• Amethyst – a pastel purple base changing into jewel purple at ends

Jewel toned hair and extensions may be considered a bit radical by some, but as this trend continues it’s taken on a softer, more user-friendly side. These pure pigment tones have changed from the initial neon pinks, purples, blues and greens to softer pastels and are more acceptable to more people. Although a full head of jewel toned funky hair color isn’t on most’s to-do list, the new ombre hair extensions will no doubt be a trend we’ll be seeing more of.

These strands by Great Lengths are made from 100% human hair which has been painstakingly dyed by professionals to transition in color from tip to end. Another unique quality to these extensions is they are colorfast. This means they won’t fade like normal hair color.  The patented process of removing the pigment from the hair involves no bleach or ammonia derivatives. The original color is completely removed and textile dyes are used to replace the original color.

To find a Great Lengths certified salon in your area just add your zip code.

Barb Quinn on Google+  

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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This Years Hair Color Winners

The year 2011 may be coming to a close and all eyes may be pointed towards next year’s hair style fashions, but a look back at the past year can help show the bigger picture of hair fashion trends. In specific, hair color is one area that is constantly in flux, with new shades going in and out of style at alarming rates. However, if one thing from this year is clear, it is that augmenting or completely changing the natural hair color is on the rise, with many different uses of hair dyes and other hair coloring techniques happening all over the place.

At one end of the spectrum, women this year were using minimal techniques to change their hair color in a subtle manner. In many cases, this worked to great effect, with barely noticeable highlights bringing a glow to the face and accentuating a stylish haircut. Often paired with a mid to long length hair style, the use of these hints of color showed a move from many of the DIY hair projects of 2010 back to the hair salons for professional hair color treatments. With the natural hair dye color of the year being a chestnut-brown, the highlights were most commonly made with light brown or blond dyes. The general trend of light brown and blond highlights was exemplified by a number of celebrities during red carpet walks and special event appearances.

In terms of which actually colors were popular this past year, there was definitely a clear winner – red. The many variations of red hues were visible everywhere, from the light burgundy red dyes to ginger and fire-truck red colorations that made a loud and bold statement. One of the most interesting uses of the red coloring this year was the growing number of women that dyed their hair dark brown and then added gold highlights to give the appearance of a red color. While not technically a true shade of red, the look was quite dynamic and is one that will probably continue into the coming years. In the larger sense, extreme hair colors were in this year, with baby blues, strawberry blonds, and deep purples also being common choices among top celebrities and other trendsetters.

Hair color is always an integral part of fashion and it looks like the desire of a woman to change her natural hair color is in full force. With each passing year, more shades and uses of dying techniques show up in mainstream fashion and on the streets. The year 2011 was no exception as many women found new and exciting ways to change their hair color as a component of a new look. Industry experts predict that the trend of extreme hair colors may die down next year, being replaced by a return to more natural tones. With the spring and summer fashion collections now being unveiled, it will be interesting to see what hair colors the fashion designers will introduce to meet their new clothes.

Guest Contributor: Dailymakeover.com – Find expert advice and beauty tips, as well the latest celebrity hair style and fashion trends. Cutting edge virtual makeover tool let’s you try on 1000′s of looks, from hair styles to cosmetics and accessories. A must-stop website for any fashion and beauty enthusiast!

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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