Long and lush looks are the glam alternative to everyday practical ponytails.
Hair Styles by Kristianna Nichols
Springtime means PromTime! What better way to recharge your look after a long winter than treating yourself to a makeover? Not a total overhaul, just a nice freshening up. It's your special night... why not make yourself look your best?
Before
This year's "Hair Styles" model for prom, Kira Burner, has beautiful, healthy hair highlighted around her face and less on the sides and back, though you wouldn't know it... she usually wears her hair in a ponytail. Because of this, we gave this natural beauty some incredible styles to think about for this year's prom. Many teenage girls are choosing to wear their hair down at prom, because, like Kira, it's usually worn up for school, sports, and all their other activities. Let's look into what's "up" when wearing your hair "down." My first rule of thumb when choosing the right hairstyle is to buy the gown first. You need to decide: do you want a romantic, simple, sophisticated, or trendy dress? Once you know which style of gown you will wear, then you can choose an appropriate style that completes your total look.
AFTER
1 The olive green gown Kira is wearing is long and flowing, so we chose this smooth and airy hairstyle that puts the emphasis on her gorgeous hazel eyes. We simply blow-dried her hair with a large round brush, pulling the ends towards her face. Then we gathered a small section of hair (at the center part) into a green rhinestone clip in order to keep her bangs off her face.
2 The fiery red halter dress calls for a bit more pizzazz. Kira's hair was parted in the middle to show off her porcelain skin and crimped on the underside for fullness. Then we took the top two layers and used a hot-wave iron for a smooth but wavy look. The red headband was added not only for color but to accentuate her incredible highlights.
3 We decided to try one up-do in order to show a totally different look. A style that is cutting-edge but also has a clean line is a perfect match for this extremely sophisticated deep blue gown. Kira's hair was given a severe center part and finger-waved into a low chignon (perfect for a rainy prom night). Accessories are key when wearing your hair in a style so sleek. We added matching sapphire blue earrings and a butterfly clip to complete this bold and beautiful makeover.
4 Kira is the ultimate in glamour when her gorgeous hair is worn curly and full. This very appealing style can be easily obtained with hot rollers and a faux-hair headband. Her hair was air-dried, then set with big rollers in the back and medium-size rollers placed towards the front. Once we removed the rollers, we let the hair cool (do not brush the curls; only finger comb them). Next, we added the headband and finished with hairspray to complete the look. Her simple pink pearl-studded gown works well with this incredible hairstyle.
What’s Hot? Hair Paneling!
Blythe Bartel adds extra oomph to her sleek, side-parted prom style with one of the season’s hottest new looks, “color paneling,” a hair-styling technique that received broad exposure when singer Kelly Clarkson won the first American Idol competition wearing it. Paneling lets the layers show and gives your hair greater contrast and depth. To achieve this look, your stylist will part your hair into sections, then apply two to three bands of color from top to bottom and around your head. Depending on the colors you select, the effect can range from a subtle contrast to extremely bold, such as Blythe’s. If you want this dye job to vanish before your return to classes, use temporary hair coloring that rinses out when you wash your hair.
Kristianna Nichols is one of the country's new beauty experts. She is a former Mrs. America, NFL cheerleader, professional model and commercial actress. Kristianna has had her own TV talk show and was a popular entertainment reporter for the NBC affiliate in Indianapolis before moving to Vail, Colorado. She has hosted many TV shows, from Mainstreet USA to On The Move. She is the president and CEO of Noble Tress beauty company and the inventor of "Kristianna's Crown."
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