How to Choose the Perfect Hairstyle

So, you are ready for a new style. You visit your favorite salon and while in the waiting room, you peruse the vast selection of magazines and hair style books, hoping to discover the style you've been waiting for.

Now you are in your stylist's chair. You show your stylist the picture. You say, "This is it! I want to look like this!"

Then, you experience utter disappointment when your stylist tells you that you cannot have that style. She says you won't look like that. She explains that your hair texture is wrong for that cut, your face shape won't look right with that style, or she points out that you don't like to style your hair and the style you picked out is all about the styling.

What do you do now?

In a previous post about the Perfect Face Shape, I offered suggestions on how to style your hair to give you the perfect oval shape. So how do you pick that perfect style for you and your unique hair qualities? Use these 4 simple steps to help you decide:

1. Find a picture of a style you love. Now, take your finger and cover the face of the lovely hair model in the picture. Yes, you read that right. Cover her face. You are not that model. You are so much prettier! So, it makes sense to cover her face, since you won't look like her at all after the haircut. Just look at the cut and ask yourself, "Self, do I still like this style?"
2. Have a professional consultation. Sure, you can show the picture to your friends and family to gather their opinions. However, it is best to seek professional advice from the stylist you love and trust with your looks. Your stylist can guide you through the next few steps.
3. Decide your face shape. Choose from Square, Round, Oval, Oblong, Square, Triangle, Diamond, or Heart-shaped. If you and your stylist decide that you have an oval face shape, you are golden. What that means is that you already have the desired face shape, so you can choose just about any style you like. Lucky you! If you have one of the other face shapes, make sure to consult your stylist on designing the new style to give you the illusion of an oval shape. Style Tips 101 has another great article to help you determine your face shape.
4. Talk finish styling with your stylist. Is the style you chose low maintenance? Do you need to spend 5 minutes styling it? Or 10 minutes? Or even 20 minutes? If so, are you willing to put the effort into your new style? Will you need to purchase new hot tools in order to recreate what your stylist does in the salon? Would this style benefit from some creative color to make it really pop? All good questions to discuss with your stylist.

With the tips above, you are well on your way to choosing your perfect style. Now grab some magazines and start perusing. Don't forget to take before and after pictures.

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