"I have long curly hair ([think] Stevie Nicks, oy!) worn the same for as long as I can remember," says Rachael, 45. "I don't want a completely shorter cut, as I do like it long, but I have been dying to find something more interesting to do with it," she says. And after "too much time in the sun" during the summer season, her curls have turned dry and frizzy.
When the conversation turns to color, Rachael admits she's been neglecting her roots, which explains the noticeable brown and gray along her part. Bottom line: She's looking for natural, healthier-looking curls.
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The cut
Rachael's hair is "flat on top and super wide at the bottom," says Olson, which "gives her a triangular look." Lack of layering causes this, so curly hair types should avoid blunt cuts if they "don't want to look like a Christmas tree." To trim the tree, Olson cuts an inch off of Rachael's length to get rid of her dried-out ends, then removes weight from Rachael's curls by adding long, face-framing layers. She's careful not to cut them too short around her face as that would add width to Rachael's cheeks. Olson's snappy clean up will immediately make Rachael's curls more bouncy and less frizzy.
To maintain Rachael's bouncy curls, Olson urges her to wash and condition her hair with moisturizing products specifically formulated for curly hair as these will work best to enhance curl shape.
As a mother of a preschooler and a busy marketing professional, Rachael doesn't have much time left for beautifying herself. This is why her obvious roots and frizzy curls are due for an overhaul, but a maintainable one. That's why we called on our makeover team at the Warren-Tricomi salon in Los Angeles, Calif., which includes hairstylists Whitney Olson and Reanna Garcia, colorists Jherra Moreno and Ashleigh Childers, and celebrity makeup artist and co-founder of the Luxe Beauty Team Amy Hollier. Together they give Rachael sleek curls and a natural, low-maintenance makeup look that packs a subtly sexy punch. See how the transformation went down.