That's A Wrap! The Trends & Styles of 2013

... AND REMEMBERED!

This was the year of revival and modernization!  Time after time, we saw glammed-up versions of traditional hair styles: from blunt bangs and messy buns to the chameleon ponytail and of course the BRAID!  Color took center stage in 2013; celebrities and mainstream, alike, sported various versions of the fade out, the fade to color, and made bold color choices causing hair to make a major impact on style this year.  So join me in a retrospective of just a few trends that made up a very artful year in hair!

Modern Finger Wave

Glamorous Hair Accessories

One of my previous posts talked about about how Hollywood found themselves caught up in the old world elegance of "The Great Gatsby" at the beginning of the year.  Pin curls, shingle cuts, and finger waves cropped up on the red carpet and graced some pretty famous faces.  Messy side buns helped make a faux finger wave bob for many starlets during a fortnight of premieres. This glamorous revival also showcased often overlooked hair accessories.  This revved up, finger wave opened doors to over-the-top jeweled headbands, hair clips, and bobby pins while some opted for long silky scarves to showcase their coifs.  An overall roaring good job reinventing the 1920's!

Blunt Bangs

Other popular trends this year were blunt bangs, a softer, version of the shag, and the pixie.  These styles are not new on the scene but yet another reinvention of traditional haircuts.  Bangs have been around since Cleopatra woo'd Marc Anthony in Egypt.  This year, stylists used bangs as an exclamation mark!  Blunt, fringed bangs were a trend though the year, teasing onlookers with them brushed slightly over the eyelash.  Celebrities with the names Selena, Reece, and Taylor all sported this sexually charged simplicity.  Bangs are a personal choice but this year they were a fashion statement and I believe stylists will continue to transform bangs to fit the next fashion

Layered Bob

fad.  Another decade proven style that made a comeback this year was the shag.  The shag?  You read correctly!  Many know the style as the layered, choppy shoulder length bob made popular this year by Heidi Klum, Jessica Alba, and Katy Perry.  This sexy, "just rolled out bed" hairstyle is an oldie but a goodie!  Originally fashioned by Raquel Welsh and Jane Fonda ( in "Klute" ) during the70's, the shag has transitioned from decade to decade evolving into a soft, sexy haircut which looks good on pretty much anyone.  This fall we watch break out star, Jennifer Lawrence, crop her long tresses into a an edgier version of the 60's pixie. No, JLaw wasn't the first celeb to crop her hair but she certainly received the most publicity.  Pam Anderson, Jennifer Hudson, and Kristen Chenoweth also left their long hair on salon floors and stepped out in this trendy, sexy style.  Hollywood stylists managed to re-brand a crop cut made famous by Twiggy into a fresh, modern cut that could transition like a chameleon into spikes, edgy bangs, or a simple, swept back style by just adding a little product. Where Hollywood dares to tread so, eventually, so does mainstream style. 

The Sophisticated Braid

Both the ponytail and the braid charged out of the gait and into the spotlight this year and never left. As stylists modernized the braid into sophisticated and complicated chignons it became the go-to-style for both runway and red carpet. There are so many versions of this simple hair knot, stylists have given in to naming some of the more popular braids: the reverse French, the Mermaid, the Milkmaid, and the Fishtail to name a few.  Some proponents say braiding "caught fire" at the premiere of "Hunger Games" in 2011.  Katniss Everdeen sported a simple long, angled braid though out the movie and a trend was born.  This maybe true but regardless of when the braid reemerged, it is here to stay and I anticipate many a prom date or bridal party flouncing around with braided locks for many years to come.

The Deconstructed Ponytail

While stylists worked the braid into complicated, frenzied knots, the ponytail saw what I can only describe as a deconstruction.  Gone are the sleek pulled back ponytails of year's past.  In 2012, stylists vamped things up with the ponytail by giving it some volume, curls, and a saucy, over-the-shoulder coif.  This year, stylists shook things up and offered us a low slung, sexy ponytail, using hair products in the front for that tousled, messy look. Like other runway celebs and fashionistas, Carl Lagerfeld clinched the ponytail's longevity by showcasing the hairstyle during Chanel's recent runway show in Dallas.  I anticipate we will see more of these tussled tresses pulled back at the nape with an additional feather or two for good measure; start looking out for hair clips with long Native American inspired feathers mixed with natural elements as the hot accessory to have for 2014.  

Daring Color

Fade To Color

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, hair color took center stage during 2013.  Terms such as the fade out or the fade to color were used by bloggers around the globe when describing this stylish sensation.  A fade out or fade to color is a muli-step process where the hair goes from dark at the root to mid-scalp then picking up lighter highlights as it progresses down the hair shaft.  An entire head of hair can be colored with a fade out or just around the face or even fanned out through out.  The fade out gives dimension to long hair, curls, and flatters jawlines.  Those wanting to push the boundaries added a rainbow of hues and sported a fade to color.  But if that wasn't enough edge .. pink, lavender, electric blue and crayon red were part of the color wheel when it came to tinting hair.  Temporary or permanent, streaks or full on VahVahVoom, color ruled the roost from runway models to music industry royalty and red carpet strutters.  Another trend in 2013 albeit a more subtle trend was the blonde bombshell.  

Warm Blond Braid

Warm Blonde Layered Bob

The old saying goes, "blondes have more fun." Blondes still have fun but they did it coiffed in warmer, buttery colors. This year, blondes made the transition from ice princess with light, platinum streaking to softer sunny shades of golden. This year we said,"adios" to the bleached out, solid colored palate and welcomed a color blending making blonds less frosty and colorless.  Stylists warmed up the blonde by using shades of honey blonde hues and soft carmel colors in combination to warm up blonde shades for winter.  Who knows what will show up on the red carpet or between the cover of Vogue in 2014 but what I do know is that this was the year hair ran the gamut of edgy reinvention and rode the bullet train to color town!  

Emu Oil: Fact, Fiction, & Buyer Beware!

There are few things that strike fear into our self-confidence more than hair loss.  Hair follicles go through three separate phases.  The first stage, hair begins to grow from the root and works its way to the end of the follicle. This is actually the only time that hair is considered "alive".  During the next phase, the hair has fully grown.  The hair follicle is coming closer to the surface of the skin and the hair is getting ready to be shed; hair color doesn't change, the length remains the same, and preparing for new hair growth.  During the last phase of hair growth is when the existing hair falls out, a new hair follicle grows, and the process starts all over again.  These continuous phases are the reason why you see hair left behind in the sink, on your brush or comb, or as you notice your hair growing long again. Shedding is a natural phase in the hair growth cycle, but what happens when you start losing more than the  average 50-100 hairs per day?  There are many causes for increased hair loss: child birth, stress, diseases, and medical treatments, such as chemotherapy, can exaggerate normal hair loss. So what can we do to help create a healthy "canvas" to promote hair growth?  

One proven, natural, proponent for hair growth is Emu oil.  Emu oil isn't a magical snake oil concocted by the Great and Powerful Oz, but actually a carefully calculated refinement of fatty acids from the Emu bird.  Emu oil is an all natural tissue nutrient. When applied to hair follicles it invigorates regrowth. When correctly processed, this oil is almost 100% triglyceride in nature which makes it an almost completely neutral lipid and the property that gives Emu Oil it's ability to penetrate the barrier of the skin and "awaken" hair follicles.  The pure, natural form of Emu oil is recommended because it has the ability to reduce the inflammation of hair follicles. Inflamed hair follicles do not allow for the development of new hair growth. Inflamed hair follicles are usually responsible for hair loss, commonly referred to as baldness.  As the components of the Emu oil penetrate your skin, they reduce inflammation, allowing the hair follicles to grow new hair.  Emu oil enhances blood circulation, improving the growth conditions for new hair.  Emu oil softens the scalp, making it easier for new hair to emerge.  The new hair will be softer, and less prone to breaking.   Because it's a natural enhancer, Emu oil doesn't irritate the scalp like some laboratory synthesized products such as Minoxidil.

Due to the increasing popularity of Emu oil for hair loss, buyer's need to beware of “rendered,” unrefined emu oil which is finding it way into the market; this oil has only been filtered, and may still contain contaminants.  Additionally, there are different means by which emu oil can be refined. One method, for instance, uses caustic chemicals such as lye.  The best suppliers will use an all-natural means of refining that relies on clays to filter the oil. Check the label before purchasing to make sure your brand of Emu oil has been properly refined and purified.  Good quality 100% pure emu oil has proven effective for so many applications that again, It was only a matter of time before this would happen. Before you purchase Emu oil, always verify where they get it and if its mixed with other chemicals.  

So stop fretting over a few extra hairs in the sink! You have a natural, successful option to restore your hair.  Eat a healthy diet rich in vitamin E, omega-3, and biotin plus buy products which have pure emu oil as a major ingredient .. before you know it, your hair will return strong and healthy!

GREAT Gatsby! The Hair Diary of Daisy Buchanan

Baz Lurhmann's film adaptation of "The Great Gatsby" blew into theaters earlier this year as a kaleidoscopic carnival of stylized, shingle cuts and pin curls.  But you don't have to bob your hair to glam out over the holidays with the "Gatsby Look."  As Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year's Eve approach, Let's take a step back and talk about the ease and elegance of this modernized, roaring 20's chignon as a glamorous option for a holiday party hair twist.

Earlier this year, we saw photo ops of stars posing on the red carpet with various versions of the Daisy Buchanan finger wave style with the look of old world elegance; but the finger wave isn't just reserved for the expertise of the super stylists.  The Internet provides plenty of tutorials and videos that offer the inside, trade secrets to this chic coif.  

There are several schools of thought on how to best create the Daisy Buchanan's finger wave.  Start with wet or dry hair? Flat Iron or Curling Iron? Hairspray or styling spray? Instead of rehashing what so many other articles and blogs have already offered, my advice to you is to use the products and tools that work best on your hair.  

After reviewing some of the online tutorials, the only thing I would caution any novice or non-professional stylist would be the overuse of hairspray!  You don't need to coat or necessarily prep hair with hairspray to achieve the effect you want.  There are several

Ocean Air

products available, like my "Ocean Air" which provide the necessary volume and flexibility to act as the base for this style.  "Ocean Air' is a salt-infused spray that acts as a non-greasy foundation to hold curl and lift hair at the root.  In my opinion, The Daily Mail offered one of the best tutorials for the finger wave technique by using a medium barrel curling iron.  The article broke the artistry down to a simple step-by-step instruction as well as providing helpful photos to guide you to that perfect look:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2317314/Great-Gatsby-fever-Give-hair-Roaring-Twenties-twist-FEMAILs-online-tutorial.html 

Once your coif is complete, finish it with my humidity resistant, thermal friendly "Triple Take" hairspray to keep your waves looking fresh through the evening. Never forget to return a little shine back into your.  My "April Shine" is a spray laminate giving your hair instant, brilliant shine.  It will also smooth any frizz and and dries clear.

April Shine

"April Shine" is alcohol free and won't weigh your hair down.  Your finger wave will look fresh and shiny without looking over worked with too much product.  After all, you want your hair to look natural and effortless!

The "Gatsby Look" always needs some bling, so roar into this 20's look with a vintage style headband, a barrette, or a long, flowing scarf.  Hairstyle-Blog.com provides some fresh accessories ideas to finish a style that even Daisy Buchanan would be jealous of: 
http://www.hairstyle-blog.com/gatsby-hair-accessories.html

For more information or to order the products mentioned in this blog post, follow the link to www.suzetteaudia.com/products.html.

Hair Styles & Suzette Audia Hair Products Line ...

I'm not one to often repost another's blog but I found the information interesting and the post relevant to my products line.  Regardless if you straiten with a flat iron, coif with a curling iron, spike & twist your tresses, or even finish with shot of shine.  I have a product to help you style with confidence!  

This blog post is all about hairstyles .. it's worth the read:
http://www.thehairstyler.com/features/articles/hair-care/shiny-hair-secrets?ref=homepage

To buy Suzette Audia products on-line: 
http://www.suzetteaudia.com/products.html

Suzette Audia Hair Products

99 Problems But My Hair Ain't One ...!

Seems appropriate for this post.  Why have hair problems?  No matter if your tresses are cropped or lengthy, great hair starts with even better products!  A Quality shampoo & conditioner in your shower has more value for your overall look than the styling products you use to mess your tress.  Just remember, hairspray is not the go-to tool in your cabinet.  Hairspray is the finishing touch; used to prolong your look not to style with!  So remember: quality hair products in your shower, quality styling products in your cabinets, and you can worry about the other 99 problems!  Don’t forget!  You can order my E-Shampoo & Conditioner and styling products ON-LINE with just a click of a button!  www.suzetteaudia.com.

Also, worth the repeat, here is a link on all the benefits of Emu Oil. Emu Oil is a main nutrient of my E-Products: 

http://www.ehow.com/about_5472284_emu-oil-benefits.htm

1,000 Miles Away & A Quart Low ...

I recently traveled, cross-country from L.A. to Dallas.  Since I decided to travel “light” and only brought a carry-on, I left all my liquid products at home to make the TSA happy.  I was gone just 3 days but time can be VERY telling!  I left my E-Shampoo & Conditioner, as well as my pure Emu Oil, at home and my hair and skin suffered the consequences of an EMU oil deficiency!  In just a couple days, my hair was a dry, fly-away mess and my skin felt chapped and desperate for moisture.  

So why is Emu Oil important???  Why do I even bother to blog about a 3 day trip without my E- products?  BECAUSE … Emu is an essential oil; It’s rich in Omegas-3, 6, & 9.  This oil is necessary for maintaining healthy skin cells and vital to continued growth of thick, HEALTHY hair.  Read about the properties of emu oil: http://www.ehow.com/about_5055171_emu-oil-hair-growth-benefits.html

So returning to my story … Before I even unpacked my carry-on, I b-lined straight to the shower and re-hydrated my hair with my E-Products.  My hair drank in all the panthenol, jojoba, and emu oil with the same thirst as my skin did with the pure Emu Oil.  It only took a couple days to realize how quickly my hair and scalp could be a “quart low” without my E-Products.  My short trip reaffirmed what I already knew; Emu Oil is an essential component for maintaining healthy skin and scalp.  www.suzetteaudia.com.  #hair #emu #hairstyle #healthyhair.   

To Pixie or Not To Pixie .. That Is The Question!

As I've already blogged in recent days ... the Pixie cut hit Hollywood hard over the last couple months following on the tail of trail blazers, Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway.  Both actresses cut their long tresses into this stylish coiffures for movie roles but retained the chic shorn locks after the film reels stopped rolling.  Fast forward into the fall of 2013, Hollywood has re-branded the 60's Pixie into a sexy, stylish short cut by giving it a variety of fresh looks with spikes, edgy bangs, or with a simple, swept back style. Where Hollywood dares to tread so, eventually, so does mainstream style.

Michael Saxon recently tweeted, "Embracing change: If you always do what you've always done, you will always get what you always got."  Ok, I admit ... a little too cerebral for me too but I agree on some level that in order to move forward, change is always required!  So, my wonderfully daring client decided to make the leap for change.

She came in with a cut out magazine picture of Anne Hathaway's glam style!

She got exactly what she came for!  She embraced change, acquired a fabulous new look, and just maybe a little bit of "za-za-zu" attitude to go with her sexy hairstyle!  By adding some rich brunette tones to her existing color, she went from pretty to Pixie!

NOT Your Mama's Hair Cut!

Return of the 60’s Pixie!  Back in the day we had Twiggy, Mia Farrow, and Audrey Hepburn showing us that short hair could be sexy.  Flash forward fifty years and BAM! Pixies are back, larger than life, in the Hollywood spotlight.  Anne Hathaway and Michelle Williams cause a ruffle when they chopped their manes for movie roles but styled them into quirky, coquettish takes on the Pixie and lit the red carpet on fire in 2011-2012. Recently, Pamela Anderson took her locks to the chopping block and literally took a foot of hair and 15 years off her face!  After getting tired of putting her hair up … fan favorite, Jennifer Lawrence, officially launched the Pixie into a new era!  With other celebs like Charlize Theron, Kristin Chenoweth, and Jennifer Hudson following suit .. stylists better get ready for the Pixie blitz! 

Eating Crow & Growing Hair!

I love my clients!  They make me laugh, they can make me cry, but sometimes a few of them just need to be popped upside the head with a bottle of shampoo!  No, not LITERALLY!  My case in point.  One of my FAVORITE clients, Susan, had major back surgery last year.  Her surgeon told her if she wanted the best results, she would need to lose some major weight!  Determined, Susan took her surgeon at his word, and survived on a 500 calorie per-day diet for five months.  Sure, she lost a LOT of weight and felt better .. starved .. but better.  But was she any healthier?

In June, Susan called me in a panic!  Her diet had finally reared it's ugly head; Susan's hair was falling out by the handful.  I calmly told her to change her diet to include foods high in Omega-3, Vitamin B, and Vitamin E.  I recommended a biotin supplement and begged her to come into my salon and pick up a bottle of my E-Shampoo and E-Conditioner.  Did she do it?  No!  She changed her diet.  She even took her supplements.  Unfortunately, even with all this change, her hair continued it's mass exodus.

Another month later, she came into my salon, still crying about how much hair she continued losing and how bald she had become in just a few months.  I nodded, helped style her hair to cover the worst areas, and then SHOVED my products into her hand and said, "Just TRY them!  Take them at NO charge and THEN tell me what you think!  Ok?"  She looked at me stunned for a minute, agreed to use them, and walked out my door.  Less than six weeks later, Susan returned to my salon with a huge smile on her face.

You see, Suzie Q had been to the dermatologist the month before.  The doctor gave her a recommendation to follow a hair restoration system, which she bought on-line.  She also broke into her emergency credit card in order to purchase every major salon product available that might help her damaged, thinning hair.  She told me after hundreds of dollars, her hair continued to fall by the handful UNTIL she used my products!  During her follow-up appointment with her dermatologist, she stunned her doctor by telling him that not only did she bypass his highly recommended hair restoration system in lieu of my E-Products but shocked him with the results!  Not only did Susan's hair dramatically change in just under five weeks but the quality and thickness surprised her doctor into silence.  (When Susan told me this story, his silence was my favorite part.  hehehe).

Sure, my Suzie Q ate a little crow while she stood in my salon that day that but she ate it with a huge smile on her face and with a beautiful head of healthy hair!  So sometimes .. popping your client in the head with a bottle of shampoo is not necessarily a bad thing!  :-)

Is My Hair Anorexic?

Is my hair anorexic?  “When did my hair turn into the Chia Pet !?”  Ok, sure.  This may be a slightly exaggerated version of a common complaint I hear from my clients but, honestly, it’s a pretty good visual description. Yes?  So many of my clients sit down in my chair and ask the same question, “Why doesn’t my hair look as good as it did before _______?”  The scary part of this question is that the “before” can be anything!  Before the summer began?  Before I went on that diet?  Before I had my kids?  Before... before… before.  Most people take healthy hair for granted until it turns into a Chia Pet.  The health of our hair is no different than the health of our bodies or the health of our skin.  Unhealthy hair can happen to anyone, even celebrities!  Hair is damaged by the sun, our diets, chronic use of cheap chemicals, and even stress.

before

I’m always surprised when clients tell me they just can’t spend the money for quality hair products so they buy a cheap knock-off thinking that their hair will never suffer.  Here is my thought: we don’t gamble with our health and most of us don’t gamble with our skin.  Because, unless you have a plastic surgeon on speed dial with an unlimited bank account, we start investing in our health and our skin during our 20’s in the hope that our genes and our regiments carry that youthful glow into our 40’s, 50’s, and beyond.  So if we invest a lifetime of preventative measures to keep our skin looking it’s best, why do the same consumers gamble with the health of their hair?

after

So, how do you protect yourself from hair anorexia?  Keep feeding those follicles so they retain the essential nutrients needed to maintain the same strong, healthy appearance year after year.  Let’s face reality. Those permanent colors, long term straightening treatments, and every day products can put strain on an otherwise healthy scalp and, overtime, our follicles become starved for hair nutrition.  So what is hair nutrition?

Hair nutrition is part diet and part quality product; just like your skin, hair care is a life long investment where both parts not just stimulate the scalp and strengthens hair follicles but continue to maintain healthy hair.  Some of the foods that target your tresses include salmon, oysters, sweet potatoes, kale, and blueberries.  Using hair products, like my E-Shampoo and Conditioner give your follicles that nutrient boost with the omega-3, panthenol, jojoba, and emu oils.  For more information on my product line, click on www.suzetteaudia.com.  Stay tuned to this blog and learn more about the power of emu oil and much, much, more.  Don’t starve your hair … feed it!