Hairstyle advice? Time for a change. - YouLookFab Forum

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Hairstyle advice? Time for a change.

Ariadne

Veteran

I have a hair appointment tomorrow after work. First real haircut in ages (my husband cuts it, usually). I'm antsy to swtich things up a bit and am considering a longer (but still short) wavy type of 'do.

I've included a collage I made to take to my stylist, showing how I envision the growing out process. I'm also thinking of going lighter--a dark neutral blonde with subtle highlights.

I've also included a fun current pic of my hair in an air-dryed state, while on vacation, and some old pics I found (!!!!) of my hair when it was blonde. I'd go darker than this, but lighter than my current colour. The pics show my hair colour and texture pretty well, as well as my overall coloring (see: most recent freaking-out-over-colours thread).

My main concerns: is this style too RATE? I'm trying to polish things up a bit, which is tough with my hair type and my supercasual lifestyle. And is my hair just too fine to wear long(er)?

Would love to hear some feedback!

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17 replies

Latest reply was from Vix

Anonymous

My favorite is the last photo of your vacation hair. I like the darker color and natural look of the do. You look fab in short hair.

Gigi

Veteran

I am in the same boat as you--superfine hair. I want to be polished but am RATE, as I don't like to blow-dry my hair but instead let it air-dry. I will be watching your thread to see what advice people give. Maybe Angie will chime in--I don't know that her hair is all that thick either.

Ariadne

Veteran

The wild card option is to stay short but go more punky and extreme a la most of what's on my Pinterest board (undercuts, assymetry, etc.):
http://www.pinterest.com/katsurakatsura/hair

E

Veteran

You look so different with blonde hair, especially in photo 5! I love your pixie cut but having grown one out myself over this year I understand wanting a change. I have super fine, slippery, and fairly thin hair, and it's at its best in a blunt bob somewhere between jaw and chin length. I can just let it air dry and bobby pin the front bit and it looks fine without any products or styling (in a pixie it has to have mousse or some kind of texturiser). Once it gets below collarbone length, it starts looking thin & flat unless I put more time into styling it. Based on that, I'd say your hair is definitely not too fine for all the lengths in #1! But my hair's also poker straight (except for cowlicks) so not exactly the same. I'm not sure if these are too RATE or not, but to me all the ones after Mandy Moore's look more pretty than edgy, which I think translates to more polished than RATE. The bottom 4 all look like they required some kind of curling iron too, which is something to keep in mind.

minimalist

Veteran

Oh wow, our hair texture is really similar. When mine is longer, it goes limp very, very fast. No matter how well I've styled it, what products I've used, how recently and how well it's been cut. My current cut has the same vibe as many of your pinterest pics, and I feel like it works really well. Last week, I finally agreed to subtle highlights to bring in more structure both physically (from damage) and visually.

I'll be very interested to hear Angie's take on hair's relationship to polished/RATE status. (Yes, I'll go over to the blog and search. I'm learning. But I mean in context of your particular style development.) Maybe intentionally wild hair *can* work with polished overall style.

Ariadne

Veteran

*waves to all my fine, limp, style- and product-defying-haired sisters*

E, people who I haven't seen in years often don't recognize me with my short, dark hair.

Amy, I'd love to see a pic of your hair.

I should have mentioned that he last two pics are of UNSTYLED hair (blow-dried a bit in 5 IIRC, and air-dryed in 6). Posted them to show texture, etc. They are not styles I like at all.

Anonymous

I like your ideas and don't think they would be too RATE. In fact, I think they would enhance a more polished outfit by providing a nice juxtaposition.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I am hopeless about hair. I love you in your current cut and colour and like the last look, too -- and you'll look equally good as a dark blonde. But I never really know how hard a style will be to maintain. I do know you are very pretty and can definitely wear your hair in a variety of short styles without any problem, so the discussion with your stylist about hair texture will be key. For me, a pixie is no work whatsoever -- one reason I love it -- but my hair, while fine in texture is also SUPER thick to the point of oddity. So...YMMV.

Anonymous

I like 3 and 4. I think that's kind of a sweet spot for fine, straight hair -- long enough that you have some length around your face, but not so long that it gets stringy and dragged down. (Speaking from experience on that one!) How was the maintenance/upkeep on that style? It looks like it would be pretty effortless, but only you know that for sure.

Ariadne

Veteran

Suz, you know I love my pixie too, and it's so so so easy. For some reason I'm just itchy for something a bit different. Color-wise, I'm getting tired of dyeing regularly, and of darkening my eyebrows to match. We'll see if I have the wherewithal to handle the growing-out process, though. Historically I don't. I told Mike the family should place bets on whether I'll actually grow it at all or not!

Stacey, I can't remember how the upkeep was! I think I had to flat-iron? I'm hoping the stylist can give me some good advice.

I'll definitely keep bangs of some sort, whatever I do.

Anonymous

Ariadne, I've had the hairstyle in photos 3 or 4 several times. I've also had a similar pixie cut, and I'm freaking out at how similar our hair looks at various lengths.

The good news is that you could grow it from pixie to jaw length within four to six months. (I so hear you on the pain of growing it out! That has been my life for the last 14 months!) If I remember correctly, drying with a round brush straightened it out enough that I didn't have to use a flat iron much. I flat-ironed the whole head only for special occasions. The rest of the time I just touched up the pieces in front or skipped it altogether.

LACeleste

Veteran

I will leave hair advice to the experts. Just wanted to say that you are very pretty and pull off a lot of different styles well!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I love you as a brunette. Hands down. It makes your eyes shine more brightly.

I also like your hair short. I vote grow it out a little more on top and at the sides. How about this:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/18577417185046345/

Or these:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/246642517062200714/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/246642517062200758/

AviaMariah

Veteran

I have to say that I like your current the best! Maybe it's the color as I think the brunette really makes you shine. I also like the last picture. I think it's the texture I like in those. Your DH really does an amazing job!

Ariadne

Veteran

Thanks everyone I decided to stay short and went with something very similar to Angie's suggestions but with shorter sides and back. I learned some great styling tricks and picked up a couple of new products (it was an Aveda salon and I can't resist their stuff). The stylist also lightened my color to a very dark, reddish blonde with some subtle highlights. It's a colour I've never had before, and I love it. My husband took some nice photos that I'll upload tomorrow.

The only downside (for my budget) is that I may be hooked on professional cuts and coloring again.

Greyscale

Veteran

I came to this thread late, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the "after" shots. I love the cuts on your pinterest board and Angie's suggestions, and I think you chose well to go with something along those lines. They add style that will pump your look up a bit - maybe that's equivalent to what you meant when you said you wanted more polish.

I had totally natural hair (long, cut straight across by friends) until this past year when I got lots of layers and an undercut. I'm loving the change, but yeah, it's sad to realize it's another commitment to spending money and time!

Vix

Veteran

Hi Ariadne --

Also late and looking forward to the "after" color/cut shots with you as a reddish blonde.

I really loved #2 (brunette, crop, flowers) but get the need for a change. You're lucky that you seem to have hair that has enough texture to go touseled and enough inherent straightness to sleeken out -- lots of choices!