BEAUTIFIED: Secrets for Women to Look Great and Feel Fabulous

Kyan Douglas

Clarkson Potter/Publishers New York

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NICK’S MANE ADVICE

"I’ve turned to my mentor, Nick Arrojo for his advice on getting the perfect cut. Nick, who owns an amazing salon in downtown New York and is featured on What Not to Wear, has a wealth of knowledge about cutting and styling. He is a wonderful teacher, and these are some of his golden rules":

Don’t get obsessed about what cut is right for your face shape. It doesn’t matter unless your shape is crystal clear.

Don’t fight nature. The further away you are from what’s natural, the harder it will be to make your hair look good.

Determine if you’ve got a good cut or not. How do you do that? Ask yourself two questions. One, did my cut last for a minimum of four weeks? Two, has anyone told me my hair looks great? If the answer is no to both questions, start looking for a new hairdresser or discuss the situation with your current stylist.

Length matters. Anything below your shoulders won’t change your face shape.

Don’t wear your hair too long if it’s fine. You’ll only play into the fineness. The longer it is, the thinner it will feel.

Don’t go for a sharp, one-length look if your hair is baby-fine because it will never hold the line. You want a feathered edge.

Avoid a center part. You don’t want a strong line on your scalp. Anything symmetrical will highlight the asymmetry in your face. Do an asymmetrical side part or a zigzag part.

Bangs will emphasize particular elements of your face shape. But there are a few rules:

If your bangs are too narrow, they will make your eyes look like they’re close together.

If your bangs aren’t wide enough and long enough, your face will look narrow.

If you have a round face, you want bangs that rise up at the outer corners of your eyes and that are a little longer in the middle. Don’t give in to the natural inclination to cover up your cheekbones. The cheekbones accent the shape of a woman’s face. Covering them up exposes the puffy part of the cheeks and the complementary contours become hidden. Highlight them instead.

If you have a long, thin face and long hair, go for thick bangs, not wispy ones. You want to cover up skin and show a minimal amount of forehead.

If you have curly hair, you can have bangs. Go for longer ones that caress your face and fall around your eyes to create more romance. Don’t straighten your bands and leave the rest of your hair curly. Mixing textures is the worst.