Spring/Summer 2016 Hair Trends

All the go-to fashion gurus from Alexander Wang to Givenchy are showcasing straight hair for SS16.

"So sleek they were almost glass-like." -Glamourmagazine

Zang Toi went for super straight, "hanging" hair. While the models for Mary Katrantzou rocked almost wet looking straight hair. Givenchy paired straight hair with straight partings.

"It's about being an individual but also being part of a tribe." - Alexander Wang.

 

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Becky xo

Damage free hair extensions.

Our Creative Stylist Nikki, let me capture some key moments in the process of putting in Hair extensions so that I could share them with you..

These extensions are sewn into the hair onto a small scalp braid. The braid is done in a way so that the tension is even across the head. This means the extensions won't pull on small sections of real hair and not cause the hair to break. 

Here's a short video on how she does it..

 For more info or to book in with Nikki CLICK HERE

Becky xo

#BadHairDay Part 2.

Bad Hair Day

On the 12th of February salons across the UK are having a Bad Hair Day, to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital!

Great Ormond Street Hospital in London is the biggest paediatric hospital in the world!

So join us, let your hair be wild and donate either at your salon or at www.GOSH.org

Look out for my next blog for photos of our crazy hair!

BIG TIP: Back comb your roots and spray with a firm hold hairspray for maximum, long lasting volume!

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Becky xo

Deep and Dark.

Do you have naturally dark hair and find it difficult to achieve a nice lighter shade without it becoming brassy and over bleached?

Well, with Aveda's DEEP colour range we can lift your natural hair up to 5 shades without bleach!!

Sun kissed high lights like Kim K are perfect for spring time, and without using bleach, your highlights will last longer!

Or if you are a little braver.. Deep is amazing for intense, tonal colours. 

BIG TIP: Deep is also the best for grey coverage!

 

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Becky xo

National Television Awards 2016

NTA's 2016

I love that the celebs didn't all go for the same style this year. There was a great mixture of high fashion high pony tails, low romantic chignons, delicate waves left loose and 1950's inspired curls.

Jorgie Porter sported a funky jewel with her super sleek high pony. 

You have to be brave to pull off this look, strong make up always helps!

Shona Mcgarty, better known as Whitney Dean from Eastenders  went for a gorgeous soft chignon. This low up-do is so flattering for her square face shape. Paired with some blingy earings and dark eye makeup- she nailed it. 

I love this look on Tess Daily, simply beautiful. This colour is perfect for her skin tone and soft waves are so on trend at the moment. 

Queen of the jungle Vicky Patterson and Corrie star Nikki Sanderson rocked up with 1950's inspired do's. This is my fav! I love the how glossy the girls hair look.

BIG TIP: Use a shine spray on your up do's for a healthier glow and all over shimmer!

Becky xo

 

Lazy Girls Curls!

Last year New York Fashion Week called it "Meh hair".. For girls that just 'can't even' when it comes to hair styling. 

This year it's more about the curls, we're calling it "Lazy Girls Curls." 

If you are like me and love your hair to look fab with minimum effort, here are a few ways you can create easy to do waves and curls.

1.Braid your hair when it is damp like Madonna, 

the more braids you do, the more waves you will get.

2. Wand your hair in big sections, leave half an inch from the root and the ends out, so you don't get a real curl. 

3. Perm it! A perm is the easiest thing to style in the mornings, I love mine. Although a perm is not suitable for everyone so see your stylist for advice. 

BIG TIP: Smooth over these styles with a shine serum. I like Avedas' Light Elements Smoothing Fluid.

Becky xo

 

Luxury blow drys by Aveda

Anyone that works with, or uses Aveda will know that they are second to none when it comes to luxury hair care.

So to kick off the New year, we are focusing on beautiful, personalised blow drys at Westwoods. 

Using only the best prep and styling products we can create these looks for you and even better, teach you how to achieve them at home! 

I love the Romantic curls.. What's your favourite?

BIG TIP: Visit www.Aveda.co.uk to find your local Aveda salon. 

Becky xo

The girl on fire..

 

Happy New Year!!

 

The hair up award for 2015 has got to go to J-Law! This is a lady that knows what suits her, (or at least her hairdresser does).

Although she always kept it simple, no one can deny she got it right.

Tweeking the low messy bun each time meant she never looked the same but each time, equally flawless.

 

So how can you achieve this at home?

 

 

Even if you have a fringe, sweeping or full, keep it simple.

 Loosely curl your hair, tie in a low side pony tail,  use your hand like a claw to hold your hair in the ‘bun’ shape and pin using kirby grips where your fingers are.

 

 

 

 

 If you are feeling really adventurous, why not add a braid?

 

BIG TIP: Don’t try too hard!

 

Becky xo

 

How to DIY BUN

How to DIY BUN

Buns are an easy, versatile way of putting your hair up whether its for during the day, dressing up, casual or sophisticated! Although there are simple ways of achieving this look alot of people don't know where to start. So here are some tips how to do them yourself at home!

Bun with braid

1. Starting with wide sections at the front loosely french plait the top of the hair, securing at the crown.

2. With the rest of the hair lift up into a high ponytail.

3. Backcombing the hair in the ponytail, not worrying too much about being neat pick it up and place it around the hairband to create a bun, securing it in place with pins.

4. When you've done this, slightly pull apart the hair in the bun to give it the undone finish. Spray with a light hairspray.

Volumised messy bun

1. Backcomb the entire crown area to creat volume and lift!

2. Using a wand or straighteners loosely curl the hair to create movement.

3. Pin the backcombed section back not worrying about being too neat.

4. With the remainder of the hair split into bout 3 sections depending on the thickness. With each section wrap up and pin in place to create a tousled messy low bun.

Dutch Braids in low bun

1. Taking very large sections to create the braid, do one down either side of the head, leaving out hair at the front for your parting.

2. At the bottom combine the two plaits together and tuck underneath and pin in place.

3. Gently pull the hair out to create softness.

4. Spray!













Doughnut bun

This one is really easy yet effective!

1. Bring all the hair back into a ponytail quite high on top of the head.

2. If your hair isn't overly thick you can use a bun ring to help fill it out.

3. Place the hair through the bun ring and back comb into sections. This will allow the hair to be easily placed over the ring covering all sections.

4. Again don't worry about it being too neat!

5. At the front you can let a few strands of hair fall down round the face to soften this look!

 Top knot

1. Simply pull back all your hair into a hairband quite high up.

2. Twist the hair around making a simple knot.

3. This can be as messy or tight as you like.

4. Grip into place and spray!










See you soon. :)

Gemma

Check out our website www.westwoodhair.com

Colour Trends 2015 - Baby lights

Upgrade of ombre, new Baby Lights!

Babylights! - The popular new hair colour trend is becoming more au-natural. Babylights, or natural-looking highlights, that mimic the sun-kissed tones your hair took on as a child, have been gaining popularity among both beauty buffs and Hollywood celebs for their ability to enhance your own natural hue without veering too far off the spectrum or looking too "done."

Babylights are definitely a more requested look this summer. The majority of your colour should still be your natural colour, only adding delicate accents to create the look. In addition to the low-maintenance upkeep, it's great how a few of the well-placed babylights can make your existing style look healthier and more dynamic.

To create the look, there are three areas we focus on: Your hairline, natural parting, and the ends of the hair. The highlights should be baby-fine around the hairline and in the crown - this is where the sun would naturally lighten your hair if you were on holidays or out in the sun, then with a soft graduation of colour that is two or three shades lighter at the ends. Rather than ombre's two-toned contrast in colour, the overall appearance is more natural, as if you spent a little extra time in the sun. 

Professional hand-painted colour or "free hand", known as balayage, allows for more control over placement and helps unrealistic root-to-tip stripes of colour. This should be able to accentuate your cut, taking into account how you style it every day.

Just because they're an enhancement of your own tone, doesn't mean you can skip on the after-care, swap your current shampoo and conditioner for colour-safe versions such as our Aveda Colour Conserve shampoo and conditioner which will help it healthy and glowing!

Gemma :)

Summer 2015 Brides!

After looking at the recent hair catwalks, summer 2015 will see a return of soft bohemian braids as seen at Oscar de la Renta runway. 
A classic twist on the fishtail or French plait as seen at Michael Kors is also set to be popular this season, taking braids loosely down the back of the hair for a relaxed look.

Similar to last season is a softer take on the tightly pinned up do, with hair left looser and more texturised, while the girls that walked at Galia Lahav this season wore their hair in Hollywood waves with a low centre parting, for a glamorous vintage style. This voluminous look gives the appearance of thick hair and is a neat style that lasts all day!

What is predicted?

Fishtail Brides!

As much as plaits have been popular the last few seasons, they are still in high demand as there are so many variations. As alot of brides are looking for loose and natural, the fishtail plait is perfect for this as you can have it as loose as you wish by gently pulling it apart, making it bigger and looser. The undone look of the fishtail style is simple yet effective.












Looser French Roll

The French Roll is a classic style that most people consider as being quite structured and set. This is a twist on the timeless style, making it less structured and more tousled allowing strands of hair to come undone. Creating natural volume at the crown prevents it looking to flat.













Looser Vintage Waves

Keeping with the looser versions of styles we have seen in the past, vintage waves often appear to be quite sleek and untouched looking but again this is a softer take on this style. A low parting softly swept back keeps it elegant while the undone and disheveled look gives it a much softer vintage feel.










Loose wavy upstyle

As opposed to the traditional tightly pinned back upstyle this allows more hair to hang free and actually flatters the face more, than being too pulled back or structured which can sometimes look too harsh or severe. Adding a hair piece to complement the hair style creates the finishing touch.












The down do

This is another timeless look for those who are wanting to keep their hair down on their wedding day. In previous times, people felt the need to have to have their hair up for their wedding day as opposed to actually having their hair in a style they feel comfortable and confident in. Now a days you can have your hair whichever way you wish, so if you're more of a down haired girl then a style like this would be perfect! Loose waves and a side parting with a little bit behind the ear makes it look pretty and flowing.







What do you think of these looser styles compared to the structured styles?
Visit our website at Westwood Hairdressing
http://www.westwoodhair.co.uk/


Gemma :)

What are todays upgrades of Ombre?

What will we be seeing on the Catwalks for Spring 2015?

Today’s ombre tends to appear more natural, being less drastic than it has been in previous seasons. Now the colour choice for the ends are normally 2 to 3 shades lighter, not as contrasting as before. Brunettes look especially flattering in so called sombré looks with less drastic change of color, such as medium brown and honey hues blended with dark brown roots. Blondes with cool skin undertones really suit natural beige fading into icy blonds up to almost silvery shades.

Ladies with cooler skin undertones, with medium brown hair colour, may decide on icy brown and cool chestnuts through the ends. Redheads with warm skin tones look great with peachy and golden ombre shades.

Still popular is the bold ombre of very dark colours flowing into very blonde ends. There will always be people who want more contrasting shades for their hair and this is the great thing about this look as no person will have the exact same as it is personalised to your taste.

Here are some examples.

Sometimes people feel like their medium brown hair can look boring but it can be easily livened up with auburn highlights melting into very light brown and pale blonde.

There are loads of girls with cool skin undertones and mousey-brown natural hair  who always wish for it to look brighter. This is an idea to consider as it keeps your natural colour on top but flows down into icy cool hues of blonde rather than anything too golden or warm.

Bright and warm hair colors always have an extra chic look. This dark brown into caramel ombre is not only very appealing to the eyes, it lightens up the face which works in harmony with its natural undertone.

Ombre that features lightening pieces of the hair for a "sunkissed" look blended your natural colour always looks very classy and in style. Keeping a few of these tones higher up and close to the parting at the front helps to frame and flatter the face. This is where the sun would naturally touch the hair and create sunkissed tones.

This is the famous look of Rihanna from the 2014 Grammy Awards.
Soft hues of melted chocolate blending nicely into honeys and peachy caramels works wonders for this skintone. Adding just a few shades lighter through the ends creates a subtle and low maintenance style that can be flattering for all hair types.

Subtle hints of light smudged through the front creates a delicate brightness that enhances rather than changes this hair colour. Easy to maintain this colour suits naturally fair hair.

People who like the look of contrasting shades rather than subtlety can opt for dark chocolate roots blended into very light ends for a striking and bold colour. This looks great on any length of hair. Ombre isn't just for long locks!

So how do you create lovely tousled shaken out waves?
Here's a couple of tips how to do it yourself!

Boho Waves
Waves like these are still hot on trend! Carefree, barely there waves are preferred over anything looking too set. To create this look there are a few ways to achieve it. 

1) Blowdry using large brushes or rollers to create body and movement. Shake hands through or add a bit of backcombing into the root to ruffle it out. Don't forget to use the appropriate styling products that will hold it in place!

2) Taking large sections, using either a wand or curling irons, create large barrel curls. Depending on the size and looseness of the curls take smaller or bigger sections. 
Using either your fingers or a soft bristled brush, dress out the waves to remove any lines and to prevent it looking too structured.
Brushable hairspray to finish. Try to refrain from using too strong of a hairdsray as this style needs to be able to move and stay soft and tousled.











Visit our Website! http://www.westwoodhair.co.uk/

Thanks for reading, see you soon!

Gemma :)