Hair Tips To Make You Look Thinner

Unless you are naturally skinny, not a day in the summer months goes by that every woman alive doesn't wish she could lose a few pounds before having to step out in that sleeveless blouse, strappy sundress or (worst of all) that swimsuit.

Even if you are a gym rat (or perhaps even particularly if you are a gym rat), you look in the mirror and wish for a thinner you staring back. Well, why we at Believe don't have a magic wand to make you instantly leaner (if we did, we'd surely be a lot richer than we are), we do have the next best thing...

Some hair and skin tips to make you look like you've lost weight:

Go for the change up: If you are still lugging around that long hair from your younger days (maybe even your college days?) it might be time for a change. Long, lank hair can make you look not only hang-doggy, but can draw the eye down to your jowls, double chin or overly ripe bosom and point right to those ever-expanding hips. A shorter do can perk up your whole look, emphasize your high cheekbones and gorgeous eyes, draw the eye upward to show your pretty face and add a little spring to your step (carrying yourself well is one of the best tricks to looking thinner.) Stand up straight, look people right in the eye, flash your brightest smile and, combined with your new cut, people may not only think you dropped a few pounds, but maybe even that you look so good, you must have had a “little work done”. Shhh! We won't tell, if you won't.

Bobs aren't the answer: When considering your new cut, steer away from the classic flapper's bob, the one that reaches right to your chin and perfectly frames your face with cute little side curls. Those curls will point right to a double chin. Chin-length bobs also tend to add volume on the sides of the head, which will make your face look even wider. This type of cut can actually give the illusion of adding pounds instead of subtracting them. Go instead for a bob above chin level to draw the eye up. Or go a bit edgier with the asymmetrical bob, where it is shorter in the back and longer than your chin in the front. No Buster Brown or Early Beatles bowl cuts for you. One-length hair can make you look heavier.

Try longer layers: Layers are great for creating the illusion of an elongated face, just so the layers are vertical-shaped and not horizontal. Also make sure the layers aren't too wide or too short. Try for a length that falls between the bottom of the ear and the top of the shoulder. Discuss what you are going for with your Believe stylist who will make sure about cutting the layers precisely, so that when they “shrink” after cutting, they end up the right shape and length. Think of it the same as choosing not to wear horizontal striped T-shirts, and why your favorite pin stripe suit always makes you look taller, thinner and leggier. Long layers do the same for your face.

Start at the top: The crown of your hair is where you want to add height and volume. Not only will you appear taller, but the extra lift “upstairs” brings the attention up to your beautiful eyes and noble brow. Flat hair on the crown makes your face look like a balloon with a brick on top of it. Have your Believe stylist show you how to dry your hair so that you build the best volume. She'll show you how to use duck clips, a diffuser, the best brush techniques and the perfect products, like Aestelance Volume to build the volume and lift you, in the words of the immortal singer Jackie Wilson, higher and higher.

Using bangs and parts: Full bangs of the type that march straight across your forehead (alá Vogue Magazine's Anna Wintour) are a no-no for a full face. No blunt-cut bangs for you. They take away from the length of your face and make it inevitable for everyone to notice the width. Instead, grow your bangs long and sweep them to the side in a wispy shape. You get all the benefits of bangs that way, with none of the detriments. The diagonal sweep will accentuate your cheekbones and soften a round face. A side part does much the same thing—take the attention of your face's circular shape. A deep side part will help make your face look longer (and thinner), whether you are wearing your hair up or down.  

When in doubt, accessorize: Not only will you dazzle when you walk in a room bedecked with hair jewelry, but accessories are a stand-out way to look thinner. Place the accessories at the base of any updo and as close to the crown of your hair as possible, helping make your face (and neck) look longer and thinner.

Darker is better: To our detriment, every woman learns early in the game, that she looks thinner the tanner she gets. In this day of awareness of sun damage and skin cancer, what is a girl to do? At Believe we carry a product called Dr. Dennis Gross Glo-Pads that can darken your skin and impart a healthy glow without taking in one harmful UV Ray. Just swipe and wait for your skin to turn a lovely (and thinning) bronze.

We, at Believe hope these tips help you hide those few extra pounds (now go and have a guilt-free ice cream cone for us, will you please?)

Bobbing Into The New Year With Believe

It was the Roaring Twenties when the bob first made its appearance. Young flappers shortened both their skirts to their knees and their hair to chin length and declared their freedom from a lot of other rules, too. (Thanks to our grandmothers, we said goodbye to corsets and to asking our men to give us our opinions. We claimed the rights to our own bodies and the vote. We broke free of the drawing rooms and began to demand our place in the boardroom. The bob hairstyle went perfectly with our new freedoms and so it is today. Busier than ever, with jobs and family responsibilities weighing heavily upon us, the sleek, elegant and easy bob is turning up everywhere and may be the perfect hairstyle for 2012.

Bobs can be cut with straight or side parts, to ear or chin length or even longer, can be worn sleek or curly, sharply angled or asymmetrical, with or without bangs, ear length or much longer, the bob style haircut has stood the test of time and is here to stay. Bobs are easy-to-manage, as they can be washed, dried and styled in minutes and you are out the door, looking fabulous.

Chin Length Bobs

Cutting the hair off at the jaw, giving you a chin length bob allows your Believe stylist to make you look downright sophisticated. Thus bob may be slightly shorter in the back with subtle layers and bangs can fringe your forehead. (Remember, sideswipe bangs make full faces look slimmer and longer.) Or your Believe stylist can cuts the layers evenly all around or be fuller at the top and narrower at the ends. If you’ve got an unlined forehead (whether naturally or with a little "help”, you can show it off with your hair parted in the middle and no bangs obscuring your noble brow.

Short Bobs

If you hair is flyaway, baby fine or even thinning, a short bob can create the illusion of fullness. Your Believe stylist will cut layers into a blunt style, actually “stacking” the layers to make your hair look more full-bodied and voluminous. Not quite reaching the jawline, short bobs can even be slightly shorter in the back and you can choose bangs on your forehead. If you want to divert attention from your fuller face, ask you stylist to sweep your bangs to the side. 

Long Bobs

If you are taking the plunge from long hair to a short bob, consider this a safe way station along the way. Bobs cut longer than your chin can ease you into shorter hair without you dying of shock and look great on round or oval faces as they lengthen the look of your face.

Angled Bobs

Angle Bobs are great as we get older and for those with thicker hair. The look softens the aging face and is perfect for people with thicker hair. Your Believe stylist will cut your hair to the jaw and tapered it in layers. If such textured layers are stacked in the back, this style will even help solve a fullness problem.

Wavy Bobs

Although the Believe stylist will cut your bob evenly all around your head, you can add waves and curls for variety or, if Mother Nature gave you them naturally, you’ll find this look basically maintenance-free.

Other Types Of Bobs

Highlighted bobs can accentuate different portions of your hair by the virtue of using several different color highlights. Spiky bobs can be cut very short in the back and have a fringed neckline to soften things up. For an Edgier bob, your Believe stylist will make edgy uneven cuts to help bring out the rock star in you. Or try bangs cut straight across your eyebrows for that Cleopatra look (it worked for Elizabeth Taylor) and if you are feeling a little Mad Men, you can always flip the ends of your new bob outward (Shades of Doris Day.) Come into Believe and we’ll get you some products to help your “do” stay done like Volume by Aestlance, La Brasiliana Ricci for texture or Butter by Aestelance for a smooth sleek finish.

If you are unsure which bob is for you, stop by Believe and we will consult with you about the shape of your face and which bob will set it off perfectly, so you can step into 2012 looking sexy and sassy. Nobody’s going to mess with you this year! (Again, Happy New Year from all of us at Believe.)