Style Fix

With two big name celebrity deaths yesterday, June 25, (Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson in case you live under a rock) we also lost two people who made a large impact on fashion during their peak. Farrah and Michael undeniably had two very distinct, iconic personal styles.

When you think of Farrah Fawcett and the 1970s, you can’t help but instantly picture her famous feathered hair. The picture shown here, which was originally printed in Life magazine in 1976, the year Charlie’s Angels debuted, is proof off just how popular Farrah and her look were at the time: It is the best-selling pin-up poster of all time with more than 12 million copies sold. Millions of teens and women got the “Farrah” haircut, making it an pop culture symbol for the decade and even into the next. The hotness of her hair also propelled Farrah to international sex symbol status.

As for Michael Jackson, he was a trendsetter like no other. The red leather jacket, the military-style jacket, the aviator sunglasses, the black fedora, the band member jacket details, and, of course … the glove. Who can forget the single, white glove. Michael continues even today to be an inspiration for fashion designers. In the Balmain spring 2009 collection, a Jackson-like military jacket walked down the runway, and it was snagged by Jackson-emulating celebrities like Beyonce and Rihanna. His songs also continue to show up at runway shows with Thriller and Pretty Young Thing being two popular tunes for the catwalk.

Both Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson will be missed, for sure, but I am also sure that they will live on through their trend-setting fashion ways for decades to come.

P.S. And yes, Ed McMahon died this week, too. But he was not so high on the trend-setting scale.

I may battle adult acne, but to balance it out I have hair that makes people stop me on the street and compliment my locks. Curly haired girls want to know how I style it and where I get it cut. Straight haired ones express their envy. I have been blessed with healthy ringlets, but I have also spent years testing different methods, playing with various product combinations, and learning what works best.

During the week, I wash my hair at night and let it air dry with a little gel. When I am going out, however, I get out all the tools and tricks.

Follow these steps to maximize the potential of your curls:

1. In the shower, scrubbed shampoo into just your roots then let the soap run through the rest of your hair while rinsing it. Massage conditioner into your hair, focusing on the ends. Use your fingers or a comb or brush to work out any knots and work the conditioner through. This should be the only time that you comb your curls!

2. When drying off, flip your head upside down and squeeze the water out. Do not rub your hair with a towel. In fact, it is best not use a towel at all. Instead, use a tee shirt to squeeze even more water out. Encourage the curl to start by squeezing the hair up, from ends to roots. Wrap it up in a tee.

3. Don’t leave it wrapped up for too long. Take it down and work your fave product through. I like a combo of gel and a cream styler. Blow dry with a diffuser. Start with your head upside down and the dryer aimed at your roots, back of the neck and forehead areas. Keep the dryer going on hot until your hair is completely dry. Give it a blast of cold air all over.

4. If any curls are falling forward into your face, put a loose headband on while you finish getting ready. A spritz of hairspray can help too.

Joe, the middle Jonas Brother who plays keyboard, guitar, percussion, and sings, is recognizable by his flat-ironed hair. Even if you don’t know the difference between Joe, Kevin, and Nick, if you have ever seen a photo of the three then you probably noticed his stiff, over straightened locks.

Well, good news! Joe let his hair go au naturel at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in L.A. last weekend, ditching his straightener in exchange for a diffuser. Joe rocked his natural curly hair, as his older and younger brother always do.

NY Mag’s blog bashed the new look, suggesting that “whoever lost his CHI iron should get fired.”

Maybe I’m biased as a curly haired girl, but I strongly disagree. Letting your hair go the way God made it is almost always a better choice. I’m not the only one that thinks this way either: Click on the picture to take People magazine’s poll, where right now curly is winning with 62 percent of the votes.

Scarlett Johansson has been showing up at promotional events for her new flick He’s Just Not That Into You with a richer, darker hair color (and a beautiful dress). Her hair has also been looking very sleek, shiny, and flat ironed. I’m liking the color, but miss the volume and bounce.

Mrs. Ryan Reynolds has tried nearly every shade of blonde possible from dirty to strawberry to bleach, and even shades of red and brunette. Any way she dyes or wears it, though, she is still absolutely gorgeous!

Ashanti also premiered a new hairdo recently, going for a shorter, lighter look with bangs. The singer posed gratuitously outside of Gemma restaurant in the Bowery Hotel, New York City, on Thursday, February 12 to show off her fresh new spring style.

When perusing celebrity snapshots it’s hard to decide whether to highlight the ones that look amazing or those that missed the mark. So why not show some of each?

Okay, Kristen Stewart, star of the hit movie Twilight, I get that your a newly popular twenty something that wants the “I don’t care,” do it yourself, purposefully messy look, but this is just too much. Brush and blow dry your hair next time. And please, stop doing that awkward side pucker.

There’s not much exciting to Jennifer Connelly’s outfit for David Letterman tonight, December 8, but she makes head-to-toe black look so casual sexy. This is the first time I have ever appreciated any kind of ankle boot. But then again, can Jennifer Connelly look bad? That sleek, shiny hair! Those eyes!

Oh, Ashanti. Your face is so pretty, but turtlenecks are so hard to pull off without looking full faced. Didn’t anybody tell you that? Try wearing some hair down, or a darker color, next time.

Eva Mendes, you certainly were brave wearing this slippery, pale frock to the British Comedy Awards this weekend. But, alas, your naturally tanned complexion and kick ass body make this slip look good.

Take notes, Kristen Stewart, at the Vicky Christina Barcelona New York screening Penelope Cruz shows us how to do the careless, imperfect hair look. It’s healthy and clean, touchable, and full of both body and movement.

Thanks for the continued entertainment, celebs. You know we love you … even if we don’t always love your look.

In middle school, when I was about 12 years old, I let my hair grow and grow. Regardless of my young, budding styling skills that were unable to do much of anything with it, I refused to cut my hair. It was during that time that I got one of the best pieces of advice about hair styles that I have ever received. To this day I repeat it to myself when I get frustrated with my locks.

I was sitting on the school bus, near the front. My bus stop friend Brad was sitting one seat behind me. I had my long hair twisted and gelled tightly into a bun.

I don’t remember the conversation before, nor my response, but I remember what he said: “why do you always wear your hair in those Asian things?”

It got awkward in that middle school boy about to compliment a girl way.

“Your hair always looks better down.”

And that sums up most guys’ opinion of hair styles.

Everytime I see Mena Suvari nowadays, my envy gets stronger. Her presence in a photograph is phenomenal. I’m not sure how she does it, but she comes off as a strong woman in every picture. I can only speculate on her secret ways of exuding confidence, such as she is here at Andy Warhol’s 80th birthday party today, Thursday, August 6.

After careful analysis, I believe her secret to lie somewhere in the combination of these factors:

1. Her hair’s got style. Any cut looks fabulous on her. The texture of her hair and the shape of her face allow long locks or a short shave; short bangs, thick bangs, long layers, or a straight cut; blond or brunette.

2. She’s all smiles. Her smile is genuine and constant. Her cheeks put parentheses around her grin that accent it in a cute way.

3. Girl got moves. She could beat any model in a pose off. She “knows her angles,” as Tyra would say.

4. She’s hot. Let’s face it, good looks boost your confidence. She manages to pull it off without being conceited or snobby, too. She’s very approachable.

5. She’s got the quirk factor. Nobody likes someone who is perfect. Mena’s got just enough quirkiness to be fun and different.

Redheads of all ranges of shades can and should rock the occasional red outfit … especially if it makes you exude as much confidence as Christina Hendricks is here, in her shiny, orangy-red party dress at AMC’s red carpet event to celebrate the second season of Mad Men July 21.

Blonder reds - especially when they have the skin coloring of a real redhead - can brighten their reddish tones and highlights with a strong, bold hue as Lindsay Lohan did on set for Ugly Betty July 20.

Traveling back in time a bit to prove that it can always make for a “do,” here’s Nicole Kidman (with husband Keith Urban) at a CMT Music Awards event on April 14.

Because no redheaded post would be complete without Julianne Moore … here she is finally adding a touch of color (she lives in black or nude) to her look. The raspberry undershirt helps higlight her rosy cheeks as she reads the children’s book she authored, titled an appropriate Freckleface Strawberry, at a kids J. Crew back in November, 2007.

Out promoting their newly released movie Get Smart in Rome, Italy on Monday, July 7, both Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway pulled off looking mature. Anne, who we usually see dressed down in her previous hits like The Devil Wears Prada and The Princess Diaries, appears to have kept the classy, chic haircut from her latest role. Steve, on the other hand, perfectly contrasted his nut-job characters with his handsome, casual look.

Kate Hudson’s hair product collaboration with her hairstylist David Babaii will make its debut on the Home Shopping Network today, July 3, and will continue to be a featured product throughout the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

The new line is called David Babaii for WildAid, and includes several eco-conscious hair care products and a mission devoted to wildlife preservation.
During the promotional shows on HSN David Babaii will demonstrate how he achieves red carpet hairstyles. Also, Kate Hudson will be calling in to talk about her work with the product and to answer viewers’ questions. All sessions will also be available to view online, at HSN’s Web site.

The line was created to combine two of David and Kate’s top passions in life - “the nature in beauty and the beauty in
nature.” A percentage of the revenue from David Babaii for WildAid will benefit WildAid, a global wildlife conservation organization.

Would you like a free haircut and style this weekend? All you have to do is be lucky enough to live in one of the ten cities nationwide that will be visited by a Paul Mitchell Mobile Salon.

Oddly enough, this random promotion is for an upcoming movie release - go figure. Adam Sandler wrote, produced, and starred in You Don’t Mess with the Zohan that will be in theaters June 6.

The connection between an Adam Sandler movie and free haircuts? The movie is about an Israeli commando that fakes his own death in order to pursue his dream of doing hair. Apparently, he also makes extra dollars by performing “special services” for his clients, in a back room.

Curious how this plot comes together, but also super jealous of people that live in one of these ten locales and can take advantage of a free Paul Mitchell ‘do:

* Belmar, NJ at D’Jais on Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

* Boston at EarthFest on Saturday, 12 p.m. - 8 p.m.

* Miami at South Beach, 12th and Collins, on Saturday and Sunday, 12 p.m. - 7 p.m.

* San Francisco in Golden Gate Park on Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

* Las Vegas at the Freemont St. Experience on Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. - 10 p.m.

* St. Louis at the Rib America Festival on Saturday and Sunday, 12 p.m. - 8 p.m.

* Los Angeles at the Venice Beach boardwalk on Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.

* Indianapolis at the Indianapolis Motorway on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, time TBA

* Seattle at the NW Folklife Festival at the Seattle Center on Saturday, 12 p.m. - 8 p.m.

* Chicago at North St. Beach on Monday, time TBA

I have not been able to see out of my less-than-a-year old glasses for a week now. So I heed this warning - found too late by moi - for all other hair mavens who don spectacles:

Hairspray permanently damages eyeglasses.

Let me repeat: If hairspray inadvertently mists your lenses in any amount, you will be squinting through clouded glass. Forever. FOR. EV. ER. (The Sandlot … remember?).

Rachel Bilson a.k.a. Summer from The O.C. was in Japan today with costar Hayden Christensen and a new ‘do. The shrinking brunette beauty debuted a new look, complete with bangs and a seemingly fuller head of hair.

What’s everyone think? Too much hair for a tiny little body? Smokin’ hot no matter what’s under her cap? Makes her look more mature?

Here’s the new look on the left, and her original style (as seen on MTV’s TRL last week) on the right: