It's officially in: Our 2014 hair color trends report. We're bringing you what's new and hot in blonde hair color, brunette hair color and red hair color -- along with everything you need to know about caring for freshly dyed hair, wearing your hair color with confidence and choosing a color that suits your natural skin tone and hair color. So whether you're dying to try the vibrant, red hair color we saw on nearly every runway this year, or you're looking for soft, sombré (that's subtle ombré for those not in the know) highlighting to add to your brunette color -- we've got the lowdown. Dye away.
Curly girls have zillions of products tailored to their hair type -- shampoos, co-washes, conditioners, brushes, leave-ins ... you get the idea. But hair dyes are a different story, and naturally curly, kinky textured hair is notoriously tricky to color.
Celebrities have done it. Runway models have done it. Even fiercely chic socialites have dabbled in the natural hair movement. If there's anything the big and beautiful trend has taught us, it's that it doesn't matter if you're a budding beauty blogger or the kid sister to Beyoncé -- embracing your God-given kinky hair and curly spirals is inspiring. Some who've grown tired of chemical treatments and damaging weaves say the hairstyle trend has even helped them to identify their true self.
Let's play a little game: What comes to mind when you think of the 1920s, 1940s, and 1960s? If you think sleek bobs, pin curls, and bouncy blowouts, then you're just like us: hair-obsessed.
Raise your hand if you've ever felt personally victimized by bad bangs. Oh, everyone? My very own bad bang story goes back to high school, when too-short and too-blunt bangs made my round face look even wider. It was then that I swore off bangs forever. Fast forward a few years later, and the high rise of celebrities getting bangs convinced me I needed to try again ... with a shape that was more flattering to my face. Voila! With soft, side swept fringe my face magically looked slimmer.
In the world of hair styling, edge control is something most of my fair, flaxen-haired friends have never heard of, but it's an essential step for kinky-curly, bound-to-be-frizzy, African-American hair maintenance. Those stray wispies along the hairline aren't meant to roam free, as in some sepia-toned Alicia Keys video. If there's anything our favorite naturalistas have taught us, it's that going natural isn't just about going with the 'fro, and taming those frazzled edges at your hairline takes a lot more artillery than a little shine serum and hairspray. Controlling your edges can be a lifelong project ... a mission, if you will. But there's a whole category of products designed to make this mission: possible.
Spring cleaning for beauty junkies goes way beyond the wardrobe. In the final dreary days of winter, nothing warms the soul like the warm touch of spring found in the new Spring 2014 makeup collections, and this year, there's another spring trend heating things up: red hair.
Sure, the hairstyle gods have spoken and they're forecasting everything from low ponytails to lobs (and don't forget the pixie!) in hair trends, but we're just not ready to give up the classic, gorgeous and totally practical braid as the easiest and prettiest hairstyle upgrade in the book. From tousled fishtails and loose chains to intricate reverse braid top knots (*swoon*), these pretty plaits and easy braids are just a few of our absolute favorites. But here's the thing we love most about these braids: as complicated as they look, you can whip together a few of these easy braids in five minutes or less.
A great hairstyle can elevate a beauty look from ho-hum to smoking hot. African American hair varies in color and texture, and with so many trendy styles for black hair -- braids, twists, updos, afros and more -- the possibilities are seemingly endless.
And you thought the low ponytail was the hairstyle of choice at the gym and on Saturday mornings. Pah! We saw the classic low ponytail in a gorgeous lineup of styles everywhere on New York Fashion Week runways and awards season red carpets. Slicked back or slightly mussed, with deep side parts or straight down the middle, braided or with a barrage of killer accessories -- you name it. The classic low ponytail may be an easy hair fix on a lazy day, but with just a smidge more effort, you can give this humble hairstyle a serious makeover. See how some of our favorite celebs and top runway stylists transformed this low-maintenance look into a bonafide runway/red carpet trend.
Ask any fashion insider and they'll tell you a complete look depends as much on the right hair and makeup as it does the fabric and cut of the clothes. What would the halter-neck jumpsuits in "American Hustle" be without the spiral curls and shimmery eye makeup? Just like in the movies, at New York Fashion Week the beauty looks are the cherry on top of the perfect show. And the best part? You don't have to wait six months to get them.
While New York Fashion Week may be all about the clothes for some, we focus our gaze on the crazy, amazing beauty looks hitting the runways. This season designers pulled out all the stops on runway hairstyles. Forget the staid slicked-back low ponytails so familiar at New York Fashion Weeks of the past. This runway season saw braids, splashes of color, choppy wigs, gorgeous braids and even ... feathers (which we're totally wearing asap). Click through and find your favorite New York Fashion Week hairstyle and tell us: which styles will you try?
Alba may not have won a People's Choice award last night, but she definitely took top honors in the beauty department as much for her hair and makeup as for her emerald green mani and enviable stack of rings. Her sleek hair complemented her dewy skin, subtle pink lip and dark smoky eye.
It's not easy letting go of the familiar things you love -- and for women, that goes double for hairstyles. If you've ever worked the same cut and color for years, you know it's not easy to say those four little words to a stylist: "I want something different." But Caitlin, 25, was ready for a change. For more than a decade, she's had the same straight and long, natural-blonde style, and Caitlin wanted to dive into a new look.
Living in La La Land makes it super easy to lose track of the time. The year-round forecast is "70 and sunny," meaning there are no seasons. Add in unlimited access to some of the best beaches and the characteristic carefree and casual vibes, and it's almost impossible to notice where summer ends and fall begins.
The hairstyles and makeup looks at the American Music Awards are often over the top, extreme, or just plain weird. At the 2013 AMAs, however, stars looked surprisingly pretty and subdued -- even Miley Cyrus played it safe. The beauty looks were so good, in fact, that we're using them as inspiration for holiday parties. Flip through our favorites, and let us know which one you'd try. Sound off in the comments below.
While there are a thousand articles out there on how to get the perfect at-home blowout (I'm a firm believer it's an urban myth), there's something about the smooth finish and bouncy style you get at the salon that makes us want to spend $40 on a simple blow-dry. That being said, we like to get our money's worth by making our blowouts last as long as humanly possible -- without looking like a grease bucket, of course. After debating just how many days we could make a blowout last, we tasked one staffer with the ultimate blowout challenge. Our photo editor, Paulina, agreed to forgo washing her hair for as many days as she could stand to find out exactly how to get the most mileage out of a salon blowout. The results: coveted wisdom we're sharing with (lucky) you. The first stop on Paulina's hair journey: celebrity stylist, Mika Fowler, at Kim Vo Salon in Beverly Hills.
When you're on the front lines of battle, there's plenty to worry about. You have to be on constant alert for snipers, sneak attacks and hidden explosives. What you're not so concerned about is a bad hair day or a broken nail. Still, that doesn't mean beauty products and rituals have no place in female soldiers' daily lives.