Choosing the right hairstyles for long hair can be a complicated process. You need to find something that compliments the shape of your face but also something that fits in with your lifestyle. For many women, long hair styles that require a lot of time and money for maintenance simply aren’t a realistic option. Women have places to go, things to do and other things to spend money on. That doesn’t mean you can’t do something fabulous for a special night, of course, but for an every day style, something a little more low key is usually the best idea. Here are some basic tips for lovely, but basic every day long hair styles.
- Never underestimate the power and class of a stylish hair claw. Hair claws can be picked up at just about any discount store, department store or drug store and can be a great way to give dull or flat hair a little life. Gather your hair into a pony tail at the base of your neck and twist it. Bring your hair up over your head and fasten the claw around the pony tail so that the ends of your hair hang out over the claw. It looks cute but it also helps you keep your long hair up off your neck. Another added bonus? It takes about a minute to do. If you’re looking for something younger, separate your hair into two pony tails at the base of your neck and secure each in two separate claws. You’re going to want to use smaller claws for this one. It gives your look a bit of an edgy feel.
- Don’t waste a lot of money on expensive hair care products if you don’t have the money to spend. There are tons of great products out there that can work wonders for your hair but not having a lot of extra money to spend on those products doesn’t mean you can’t have beautiful long hair. Mayonnaise is great for your hair. It might sound a little strange, but a little glob of mayo offers deep conditioning that can leave your hair looking better than it ever has. Another benefit? It’s relatively inexpensive to buy and chances are you already have some in your home. Give it a try. In a future article I’ll share some recipes for all natural hair care products I’ve found especially beneficial, all of which you can make inexpensively and easily in your own home.
- Work with what you’ve got. Not everyone is blessed with perfect hair but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a style that works for you. Focus on finding something that compliments the shape of your face, isn’t terribly complicated to look after on a daily basis and is appealing to you. Don’t just do with a look because the hair dresser says it would look perfect on you. You know your hair and you know what you’re comfortable doing with it. Find ways to work with the hair you have. You will be able to find a great style if you’re patient and don’t rush into the decision.
- Give yourself time to adjust. Never, never, never make a dramatic change to your hair the day of a big event. Sure it might work in your favor. The color and style could be absolutely perfect but what if it isn’t? I once dyed my naturally dark brown hair blond the day of a big party. What a horrific mistake. I grew to like the blond eventually, but I spent the entire night of the party feeling terribly uncomfortable. Your hair has a huge impact on your overall look. Get your hair cut and dyed a few days before the event (a week if you have it) so there’s time to fix anything you don’t like. Go back to the salon for a quick touch up the day of the event and you’re all set to make a big impression. If you’re just trying out a new style, take it for a test drive a few days before the party even if you just wear it around the house.
Now that we’ve talked about the dos and don’t of long hair, let’s take a look at a few great celebrity hairstyles for long hair you can try out yourself. Remember, it’s going to be hard to get the exact look because celebrities have stylists and the average person doesn’t. Use these as jumping off points to inspire you and help you find a style that will work for you. Let’s get started.
Long Hair Styles for Heart Shaped Faces
Shape characteristics: Wide, well defined cheek bones, narrow chin
Celebrities who share your face shape: Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez, Reese Witherspoon
Styles to avoid: Parting your hair in the center will give your chin a harsh, pointed appearance. Because the strong jaw line is often severe for heart shaped faces, it’s best to avoid blunt bobs because they draw attention to the jaw and can make the face appear boxy.
Ideal style: Wispy bangs about eyebrow length or soft, side swept bangs can soften up the face and call attention to the eyes while also masking the width of the forehead. Any style that offers soft waves or curls around the chin will beautifully frame the face and provide a soft, romantic look. Jennifer Lopez’s look (shown above) is absolutely perfect.
Long Hair Styles for Oval Shaped Faces
Shape characteristics: Long face with equal proportions between the chin, cheeks and forehead.
Celebrities who share your face shape: Heidi Klum, Jessica Alba, Vanessa Hudgens
Styles to avoid: Considered by many to be the ideal face shape, those with oval faces can pretty much pull any style off. Be careful to avoid styles that add height at the crown or short layers around the top of your head these styles will make your face appear longer and will make it look less balanced.
Ideal style: Again, with an oval face, just about anything works. This gives you a lot of versatility. Pick your favorite facial feature, whatever you feel is your strongest asset, and accentuate that with your hair style. Draw attention to your lips with layers that fall to about cheekbone length. Choose eyebrow length bangs to accentuate your eyes or choose a simple center part to pull focus to your nose. Vanessa Hudgens got it right in the photo above using, finding the perfect style to compliment the lovely features of her face.
Long Hair Styles for Round Faces
Shape characteristics: Full, rounded cheeks, equal in length and width but with soft rounded angles.
Celebrities who share your face shape: Charlize Theron, Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Winslet
Styles to avoid: Short hair styles generally don’t work for round faces so shoulder length or longer is the way to go. Curly hair can definitely work but avoid curly hair cut to chin length or shorter. Your face will appear rounder. Sharp bangs are also a bad idea as they’ll make your face appear shorter and wider.
Ideal style: Choose a layered style with the layers beginning around the cheekbones and gently taper down. This makes the face appear narrower. You can also try an off center part or longer bangs that can be swept to the side to draw out the cheekbones. Kate Winslet has combined the long, side swept bangs with the long, loose curls for a fabulous look that works with the strengths of her face and masks a little of the roundness. The result is a killer style that perfectly compliments her face.
Long Hair Styles for Square (or Rectangle) Shaped Faces
Shape characteristics: Broad forehead, straight, boxy jaw line, sharp angles
Celebrities who share your face shape: Angelina Jolie, Fergie, Olivia Wilde
Styles to avoid: It can be hard to find a style that really suits a square face. You should definitely avoid anything that calls attention to the straight jaw line such as straight bobs or sharp, blunt bangs. Any styles that add a lot of width to the hair will also made square faces look wider and will accentuate the wide forehead and jaw. That’s something you want to avoid.
Ideal style: Choose a long hair style that has graduated layers that begin at the jaw. This takes the focus off the jaw and helps soften those sharp angles. Long, side swept bangs can help minimize the wide forehead as well, making the face appear narrower but this only really works with long hair styles. Waves, or soft loose curves really soften the sharp features of square faces as long as the hair is shoulder length or longer. Olivia Wilde has the perfect style for her face in the above photo, combining lovely loose curls with delicate side swept bangs. Absolutely lovely.
