When it comes to hair,
Elgin Charles is the king - excuse us - the emperor. For the past 20-plus years, he's run his salon in the posh West Coast zip code of
Beverly Hills, yesterday he made his prime-time debut as the star of a new VH1 reality show,
'Beverly Hills Fabulous.' We caught up with the West Coast's mane man to get some tips for recreating five hot celebrity hair looks. Whether your style is short, relaxed or au natural, here's a step-by-step guide to help you freshen things up for spring.
1. Short and Sassy
"
Nicole Ari Parker has really strong cheekbones, so long hair would just swallow up her face," says Charles. "I love this style on her and the angle of this look with the pivot coming from the back of the head going forward - it makes it more current, a faux-hawk kind of feel," says Charles. "
Here's how to get the look at home:
The base of this style is a great cut. While at the salon "ask for a short diamond cut," says Charles. After washing, add a quarter-sized amount of wrapping lotion (or foam wrap) and smooth out the hair; use a fine-tooth comb and finish by brushing hold down the edges, before sitting drying hair under a hooded dryer.
Your hair will be stiff after drying, so break up the wrap by rubbing in a little bit of shine serum like
Biosilk Silk Therapy Serum ($8.50,
salonsavings.com). Brush the hair at the crown of the head up and forward, spritz it with a little hair spray, then run a two-inch flat iron over small sections to help keep the hold. Put a dime-sized amount of serum into your hand to define and separate the sections that you just flat-ironed to give it some added texture.
2. All Natural"I consider this hairstyle a spiral set, not a straw set, which uses smaller rods and makes the hair even curlier," says Charles about singer
Marsha Ambrosius.
How to get the look at home:
Setting hair on a rod will help tame the curl. While hair is wet apply a leave-in hair lotion like
Lottabody Setting Lotion ($5,
sallybeauty.com). Roll sections of hair around perm rods or bendy rollers. Stick with the wider diameter rods like the
HAIRART Jumbo Concave Diameter Perm Rods ($2,
amazon.com). Sit under a hair dryer for 30 to 40 minutes. Take out the rollers and run a non-water-based shine serum across the curls to keep them frizz-free. Try
Elgin Charles Luminous Shine Spray ($26,
elgincharles.com).
Your curls should last between five to six days, as long as your hair doesn't get wet and if you don't brush them out. When the curls get a little frizzy, use a curling wand like the
Conair Infiniti Pro "You Curl" Tourmaline Ceramic Curling Iron ($38,
drugstore.com) to bring them back to life.
3. Retro Relaxed
"This above-the-shoulder look works for
Gabrielle Union because she has a very defined and strong jawline," says Charles. "She took her longer hair and pinned it up to get this squared-off angled style. Her base hairstyle is a bob - a zero-degree cut," he explains.
How to get the look at home:
Rub in a moisture-boosting hair cream like Elgin Charles' Poshtress ($26,
elgincharles.com). You want to add just enough moisture to give hair some volume without reverting the hair back or weighing it down. Rub the cream around the hairline as well for all around moisture. Use a two-inch barrel curling iron to curl the hairs at the crown of our head. And then a one-inch iron to curl the rest of your hair. Part your hair from the bottom of one ear to the other and pin the curls on the bottom half of your head loosely under. Let the hair on top half fall down over the pinned-under section and pin those pieces in place. Curl the bangs backward and brush to one side. Lightly mist a holding spray around your head to keep the style in place. Try
Bumble and Bumble Holding Spray ($7,
walgreens.com).
4. Great Lengths
"This look on
Ciara is messy but sexy. In order to achieve this look, you should have long hair," says Charles. Whether it's a weave or natural, "make sure that the hair is flat-ironed or blown straight," he adds. If it's a weave or extension, pay close attention to the parts where your own hair may show.
How to get the look at home:
It first starts with the right cut: a razor cut, to be exact (on your weave and true hair) for a soft and more natural look. Add some clip-ins or get a track added to the bottom half of your hair. Make sure that your own hair that shows outside of the weave, is silky straight so that it blends seamlessly with the weave. If your hair is not relaxed, break out the pressing iron to straighten your strands and coat it with a light-weight serum to seal the cuticles.
Spritz small sections with a thermal protective spray, like
Ultra Sheen Supreme Super Smooth Flat Iron Protection Spray ($5.29,
ebonyline.com), before using a two-inch barrel curling iron like the
Hot Tools Gold Curling Iron ($30,
ulta.com) and do a spiral curl going backward all around your head. As you curl each section, roll and pin them up to your scalp. After the hair cools, take out the pins and run your fingers through your hair to separate the curls. Also, define the ends of your hair using your fingers. As time passes, the curls will soften into a loose wave.
5. Locked Up
"The secret to maintaining beautiful dreads is in the beginning; make sure that they grow out evenly. You want them to be a half-inch in diameter or less. This will give you more of a natural hair look," says Charles. "The thicker the dread, the harder for it to bend and curl. You can style thinner dreads easier," he adds.
How to get the look at home:
Wash your hair and add some sheen to it with a shine spray. Or try
Weleda Rosemary Hair Oil ($15,
drugstore.com), which adds both shine and a nice smell. While your hair is still wet, wrap the dreads around bender rods and sit under the dryer until all the water is absorbed. When you take out the curlers your locks will be curled into place. You can play with the style by pinning it up or leaving the curls loose. Also try adding some color to your locks. "Dreads, especially on women should have some type of color," says Charles.
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