Two of Taylor Swift’s Favorites

Taylor Swift‘s career is in full swing, garnering rave reviews from music critics and her legions of adoring fans. The incredibly talented, award-winning 21-year-old is one Mean singer—and she’s got stunning, naturally curly strands to match!

To get the lowdown on Taylor’s magnificent mane, we spoke to Kevin Mancuso, Creative Director for Nexxus, who’s one of her regular hair stylists. “Taylor’s hair is cut into long layers with a long side bang,” says Kevin. “It’s quite simple, which makes it really easy for her to change styles.” Here are two of her faves: Full, ultra-sexy waves—her trademark look—and smooth with a loose, iron-curled piece in front.

SMOOTH SPIRALS: “For hair like Taylor’s—fine, wavy, a lot per square-inch and color-treated—I like to use Nexxus Thermal Protection Mousse all over and some Pro Mend Leave In Treatment on the ends.

• Blow hair dry with your head upside down, massaging the roots to give it some lift.
• When roots are dry, stand up and use a round brush to smooth the ends. Thermal Mousse prevents hair from tangling, so it’s an easy brush-glide experience. It also protects hair from heat styling damage, which is really important to Taylor or any star who’s having her hair done on a regular basis.
•  When hair is dry, apply a little more Pro Mend Leave In Treatment throughout—it repairs any splits and damaged areas along the shaft. Take a medium curling iron and spiral small sections diagonally with the iron pointed down. Tilt your head and wrap hair around the iron. A shot of Comb Thru Finishing Mist holds the defined spirals even longer.”

TAKING IT STRAIGHT? “The best thing to do is start with a smoothing shampoo and conditioner, like Nexxus Sleektress and Humectress Deep Conditioning Treatment. They soften hair, detangle and cause frizz to relax, and you’ll also rely less on styling products to get it straight,” he says.

CURLY HAIR “MUST”: “Curling irons are always used on stars with curly/wavy hair on the red carpet,” says Mancuso.

Article courtesy of Harris Publications

For further discussion on Taylor Swift hair you might want to check out these other articles:

• Taylor Swift’s Curly Hairstyles Fashion Inspiration
• Curly Hair to Straight for Taylor Swift
• Taylor Swift’s Grammy Hair Style
• How To Get Hair Like Taylor Swift
• Updo Hairstyles at 2009 CMT Music Awards
• Taylor Swift Curls and Auburn Hair Color at MTV Awards!
• Taylor Swift Hair Color Formula

These glamorous short hair formal party hair styles will turn heads this Valentines!

When I went looking for pictures of short hairstyles with a formal look for this article I realized how women with short hair are short-changed when it comes to formal party looks for shorter hair. I’m as guilty as the rest of the hairstyle bloggers out there. But today I’m here to fix that and just in time for Valentines day if you’re looking for something special for a date with your sweetie. Let’s take a look at your options.

The Classic Twist With a Twist

The French twist is a timeless style that oozes classy sophistication and it’s the type of formal hairdo that’s great for any holiday party. You can’t go wrong with a classic French twist or some sort of swept up variation of it. Charlize Theron is wearing a revision of the French twist, undoubtedly stirring up a whirlwind with a certain “Je ne sais quois”. Slight variances on the theme, with pinned up sections, make it more modern & interesting. She looks magnificently feminine and sexy in this hairstyle, wouldn’t you say? . . . with that high collared sparkly necklace and low back halter dress!

The Classic Bob With a Bit of Old Hollywood

Beautiful! The timeless bob haircut is ageless for its elegant simplicity and it can be styled in many more ways than you may think. Smooth and shiny, curled, slicked or waved and styled like this to mirror a retro 30′s look, a short bob hairstyle is hard to top for versatility and it’s always, always modern chic!

Classic Inverted Bob With Side Bangs – pure elegance!

Arguably the quickest and easiest hairstyle to maintain, this short inverted bob takes little work for a big style payback. For ladies with straight or slightly wavy hair, a quick blow-drying with a round brush and some root lifter or volumizing product will do just fine. Key to looking party fabulous is a great haircut and to keep your hair healthy and shiny with spot-on hair color.

Classic Short Finger-Wave Party Style

What makes this short finger-wave hairstyle a classic? It’s been around since the 20′s and it’s back again looking as smart and adorable as it did back then! Halle Berry looks endearing in about every style she wears, but with a little gel, a fine toothed comb and some clips, she’s taken on a whole new persona. That’s the beauty of this style, it totally transforms this short haircut into a hairstyle worthy of any grand occasion!

Classic Formal Short Retro Wave

Gwen Stephanie rocks this short hairstyle in platinum and pink! Retro styles have been high fashion for a while now and don’t seem to be going anywhere fast. Whether your hair is long, medium or short you can radically update your look by learning how to style in retro waves. Check out these videos; one from renowned New York hairdresser Oscar Blandi, and another at a Gucci runway show. Pick up some tips on how they create runway ready retro waves, or if you just want to look famous for the night, make an appointment to have your hairdresser doll-you-up and give you some hands-on personalized styling techniques!

For more discussion on updo hair styles you’ll want to check out these other articles:

• Prom Updo’s
• Up Do . . . How To’s
• These Formal Hairdos are Edgy Elegant
• French Twist Updo How To
• Updo Hairstyles
• New Years Eve Party Hair Styles
• Kristen Stewart’s Bella Wedding Updo

Barb Quinn on Google+  

What Bangs are Right for Me?

The Golden Globes have always been a fabulous place for inspiration when it comes to hairstyles and this year, bangs were a big hit. We couldn’t help notice how many celebrities wore bangs to this formal event. Are any of these bangs right for you? Now find out what type of bangs will work best with your hair type get advice on how to style your bangs and the know-how on how often these bangs will need to be trimmed to keep you looking your best. Most of you can wear one or two of these bang styles, but if you choose bangs that are not recommended for your hair type, you can expect to spend more time maintaining them.

Olivia Wilde’s Thin Bangs

Thin bangs like Olivia’s, work best on women with thin, straight hair with no cowlicks. A cowlick with thin hair is hard to style straight and keep it that way. However, people with curly or thick hair can achieve this look with just a little effort. These bangs can be straightened with use of a flat-iron or with a blow dryer and vent brush. This type of bang requires regular trims every one to two weeks.

Nichole Richie’s Heavy Bang

Heavy bangs are youthful and flattering, so for those of you wondering if bangs make you look younger, the answer is yes, most of the time. Women with thick and straight to wavy hair are the best candidates for these types of bangs. Do you want to style your bangs like Nicole Richie? There are two ways you can. You can blow dry your bangs with a large round brush or you can smooth them out with a large barrel curling iron. Because these bangs are cut below the eyebrow, trims are recommended every one to two weeks.

Michelle William’s Short, Wispy Bang

Short, wispy bangs are playful and trendy. These bangs look their best when they are paired with a short haircut like the pixie cut. You can create Michelle’s wispy bangs look by defining pieces of your bangs using pomade or a similar texturizing hair product. These bangs look their best when they are trimmed every two to four weeks.

Emma Stone’s Thin Side Bang

Thin side bangs are romantic. Women with thin, straight hair will have the easiest time styling this type of bang. Side bangs are also the optimal type of bang for those with a cowlick in the front of their hair. Because these bangs are thin, they look best when they are straight. You can straighten your bangs using a flat-iron or a blow dryer with a paddle brush. Thin side bangs bang should be trimmed every four to six weeks.

Amber Riley’s Thick Side Bang

Thick side bangs are stylish and fashionable. They are best for women with thick hair and little to no waves. Those of you with a cowlick, where they would like the bang to part, will have an even easier time with this bang. You can style your side bang like Amber’s in two easy steps. First, smooth your bangs with a flat-iron. Next, use a medium-sized curling iron to curl the ends of your bang off to the side.One advantage of side bangs are their length. Because they are long, you can easily go four to six weeks before you need a trim.

Barb Quinn on Google+  

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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