Hairstyles tend to be a bit more "buttoned-up" in the fall, and a quick way to polish off any hairstyle is to add a hair accessory. "Most department stores have a small hair accessories department now. Don't skip it," says Ess. She says the addition of flare like a barrette or headband can turn a simple bun into a more refined, fall-appropriate look. You also don't have to break the bank in order to accessorize, says Ess. Her tips for accessorizing on the cheap: Turn an old brooch into a hair jewel for a night out or revamp an old headband by pulling off anything (like a bow or button that's attached to it) and gluing or securing on something sparkly or fancier, says Ess. "I also love incorporating necklace chains into the hair -- weaving it into a braid or a chignon," she says.
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Hairstyle Tip 3: Tame beachy waves
The tousled I-just-spent-the-day-at-the-beach wavy hairstyle was a favorite of many celebrities this past summer (and every summer before that), but the look is not completely gone for fall. It is slightly altered though -- this season it has a retro, more refined spin. Instead of the roughed-up ringlets, opt for more defined coils. To create them, make a deep side part and use a 1-1/4-inch curling iron. Start from your ears down, twisting sections of hair around the barrel of the iron, which will give them a retro vibe. Finish by brushing out curls once and smoothing over them with a drop of shine serum (try Joico K-PAK Shine Serum, $14) for extra shine and gloss.
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Hairstyle Tip 4: Enhance shine
No hairstyle will look fab if your hair color is dull or brassy from the season past. Ess suggests going to a salon to get a gloss or glaze treatment applied to your hair. A clear hair "gloss is basically a 'top coat' for your hair -- it's liquid-y, not creamy, and goes on all over your hair from scalp to ends," she says. The gloss will work to seal your hair and create lots of shine, says Ess.
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Hairstyle Tip 5: Warm up your hair color
Get a tinted hair gloss to enhance the warmer tones in your hair color, which is more appropriate for fall, says Ess. "You can't lighten your hair with gloss, but you can make it slightly warmer," she says. A colored gloss lasts four to six weeks and is cheaper than regular hair color too. If you're pinching serious pennies, most beauty supply stores sell over-the-counter glosses to "use at home in between hair color if you can't get into the salon," says Ess.
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Hairstyle Tip 6: Modify your ponytail
Instead of trying to braid your hair this way and that, a summer trend that caught on like wildfire, let your ponytail loose. Ponytails are huge for fall and this season wear them with volume at the crown (a la Bridget Bardot). To get volume at your crown, use a fine-tooth comb and tease one-inch sections at a time, pushing hair down gently towards your scalp. Then, using the same comb, lightly smooth hair back over the teased section and secure with elastic. Lock everything in place by misting with a strong-hold hairspray like TIGI Hard Head Hard Hold Hairspray, $11.50.
Change is a good thing in our opinion. Just when you think things are getting blas� and you couldn't imagine seeing another "beachy" hairstyle how-to, up comes a new season to reinvigorate your beauty, oh, and lust for life. Hairstyles, like the leaves, are changing and to keep you on trend this fall we found the easiest ways to update your look.
Helping us refurbish our hairstyles to make them fall-appropriate is celebrity stylist to stars like Lauren Conrad and Rachel McAdams, Kristen Ess. She gives us the simplest ways to transition our hair.
But before you revamp any hairstyle, you first have to make sure your hair has recovered from summer fun -- repent, if you will, for its past seasonal sins. Post-summer hair damage from spending time in the sun, salt water, chlorine and air conditioning probably has your hair feeling dull, frizzy, dry and brittle. Check out these quick tips on how to care for summer-damaged hair:
� Replenish moisture: Try an intense hydrating mask on your hair. A product like Frederic Fekkai Protein Rx Anti-Breakage Treatment Mask, $29 can do wonders for dry, brittle locks.
� Minimize frizz: Swap your regular styling products for straightening cream. It fills in the hair's cuticle so that it looks smoother.
� Trim those split ends: Sorry, but the only way to get rid of split ends caused by summer wear and tear is to trim them off to keep the shaft from continuing to spilt.
Now, as the temperature goes down (hoorah), you can keep your hair as cool as the weather with these simple ways to update your hairstyle -- see them now.
