Make Me Beautiful

Punk hairstyles - those bizarre, colorful things that you see in high streets, villages and black-painted teenage bedrooms! I’m not a punk and have never been one, but I have always been fascinated by the whole punk look and ideology - probably because I was a teenager at the very time that punk exploded, kicking, screaming, swearing and spitting, into popular culture.

Punk took off as a mainstream fashion and music trend during the mid-1970s, largely due to the efforts of high profile English fashion designer, Vivienne Westwood and the crown princes of punk - The Sex Pistols. The Pistols were managed at the time by Malcolm McLaren, who was Westwood’s partner (personally and professionally) and the crazy mixture of these 3 forces gave rise to what would become a global phenomenon.

The Pistols’ unique look was largely created by Westwood, utilizing zips, rips, chains, bondage, porn and slogans. The fashion tapped into anti-establishment feelings of the time and the punk hairstyles were a reflection of the clothes and attitudes - unwashed, anarchic and spiky. Mid-to-late-1970s punk hairstyles were actually quite subdued; hair remained fairly short - probably as a reaction to the trend at the time for both male and female hair to be worn long.

Hair was simply chopped of using whatever implements were to hand, and left untreated and unwashed. As a result, the hair tended to form itself into clumps and spikes, which started to become the formal “look” for punk hair. Color - especially bright orange as worn by Pistols’ frontman Johnny Rotten - became another punk hairstyle ’stamp,’ which could be seen on high-streets all around large cities of the UK. Women also tended to decorate their hair to match their outfits.

As punk moved into the 80s, it also moved from the streets into mainstream fashion and also from being a largely British phenomenon, into a worldwide movement. With the greater influence of fashion, punk hair styles also became more popular, formal and more ‘designer,’ with the use of much more hair colorings and deliberately asymmetric cuts. Spiky hairstyles began to be formalized with the use of hair gel and bleaching (the Billy Idol look) became really popular, as did the most famous punk hairstyle of all - the Mohawk.

The Mohawk - or Mohican - hairstyle is the definitive punk hairstyle. The style is so-called because it is thought to have been worn by the Mahican and Mohawk tribes, altough in reality it appears that the Huron tribe were the first to sport the hairstyle. The Mohawk hairstyle is characterized by a shaved scalp with an upright strip of hair running across the crown of the head from the forehead to the nape of the neck.. 1980s punk culture became identified with magnificent, colorful Mohawks, but - tragically for a rebel culture - the style became so mainstream that high-fashion catwalks around the world began to feature supermodels wearing beautifully-styled, peacock-like Mohawks.

Since that time, little has changed really. Punk music has evolved into many styles, most notably the Emo punk genre so popular with American teenagers. Punk music has largely returned to the underground, but the punk ‘look’ is very much mainstream, as popular as ever with disaffected and experimental teens as well as older punks who refuse give up on the punk lifestyle and philosophy. But what about the hairstyles? Well you can now walk into any high street salon and ask for a modern, punk hairstyle. Truly punk hairstyles are now all about the fashion statement…

About the Author
Michael Barrows’ website gives great advice for good hair. Get your free ebook packed with hair style and hair care tips and advice, visit http://www.great-hairstyles.com

Popularity: 6% [?]

Throughout the decades, the social significance of black hairstyles has remained a relevant part of black history. Unlike other American cultural trends, black hairstyles represent a significant history and pride amongst black women. Where else does one’s self worth and self image play such a high role in society? When black women enter the salon for a new hairdo, many times they must look at the “whole picture”; considering the social message that they will be sending when walking out of the salon and into black society.

Since the 1400’s, when slaves were brought to the “New World,” they were made to change their hairstyles to more traditional European standards. This included the use of herbs and botanicals that relaxed their coarse hair, giving the appearance of finer hair. Throughout slave times, black women grown accustomed to their European counterparts wore their hair straightened, combed, and parted. Since that time, black women have often been ridiculed for their choices regarding their hair.

In modern day times, black women must choose to conform to Western society and their hairstyles or go for the more natural look. During the late sixties, the “Afro” and more traditional ways of wearing one’s hair made a debut. The image of freedom and pride led the movement for the El Natural look. But it was just that, a trend, that came and went; and in the near future; will most likely come again. However, since that time, more black women have opted for hairstyles that are “Americanized” and project the societal views of beautiful hair. Nothing is more evident of this trend than the huge amounts of money spent yearly on black hairstyles at various salons.

Today, a black woman may spend hundreds of dollars at a salon every week, striving to achieve that perfect hairstyle. Even in the poorest of neighborhoods, hair salons and barbershops that cater to black hair are still thriving. So are these black women abandoning their cultural history and giving into the white man’s ways? Most black women say “no”, it’s not a matter of history or culture, but a matter of looking good and feeling good about one’s self.

About the Author
John Williams sends out a free hair tips newsletter at http://www.hairstylesite.com

Popularity: 1% [?]

If you’re a girl under the age of sixteen, most likely you either love Hilary Duff or you hate Hilary Duff. For those that love the actress, they want and strive to be just like her, look like her, dress like her, and have hairstyles like her. For the purpose of this article, we will discuss the range in hairstyles of Hilary Duff.

When typing in the name Hilary Duff on the Internet, one may encounter lists and lists of web sites dedicated to Hilary Duff and her fan base. There are web casts and blog-fests that feature hairstyles of Hilary Duff, movies of Hilary Duff, and fashions of Hilary Duff. She even has her own line of home accessories. So what’s so great about Hilary Duff? Well, for starters, her long blonde hair.

Hairstyles of Hilary Duff feature her generally in longer layers, starting generally at the earlobe and graduating down to the ends. For the most part, the color of Hilary’s natural hair is the golden blonde that can be easily imitated at salons. Often times, she has white and lighter blonde highlights that add depth and shine to her hairstyles. But perhaps it’s her girlish bangs that draw more attention to her than most. Usually, she keeps her bangs short and straight, which brings focus on her beautiful eyes and face. Other hairstyles of Hilary Duff feature her with curly and wavy hair. Simply use some type of Velcro roller to achieve this look.

As far as styling goes, most hairstyles of Hilary Duff are fairly simple. Simply pull all the hair up from the ear level and above and clip on the crown of the head, then blow dry the under layers straight and turned under at the ends, then go to the bangs and blow dry them the same way. Then remove the clipped hair from the crown of the head and add a gel or mousse, start blow drying the hair in an outward and upward motion using a round brush, this will give the hair volume and movement. When completely dry, spray with a styling mist or some type of hairspray.

About the Author
J. Williams writes a free hairstyle tips newsletter. Sign up today!

Popularity: 2% [?]

Submitted By: Rochelle Hines

Who do you look to as a fashion mentor? Who do you base your hairstyle, beauty and fashion decisions on?

Playwright Oscar Wilde once stated: ‘My great mistake, the fault for which I can’t forgive myself, is that one day I ceased my obstinate pursuit of my own individuality.’

Wilde, born in Ireland in the 19th Century, would probably find it even more difficult this day and age in the new millennium unless, perhaps, he had the opportunity to have tea with Madonna.

It is a widely accepted fact of today’s society that we are exposed and swayed on a daily basis by the subtle, and not so subtle influences of TV advertising, news media, and magazine and print. It is these influences that teach us we need to conform to certain trends and fashions, hugely impacting individual personalities and in some cases telling people that being ‘accepted’ demands following the latest fashion trends set by our size-0 fashion role-models, paying to have hairstylists work their magic to achieve the same cut as Hollywood’s ingénue du jour and religiously following the latest and greatest celebrity diets. TV shows such as ‘Extreme Makeover’and ‘The Swan’ transform every day folk into stiletto wielding Barbie clones, with tens of thousands of dollars of invasive surgical treatments the majority of people would never even consider.

Women and men alike are constantly exposed to picture-perfect images of what the perfect woman should look like, images that ignore the rules of nature such as sun damage, wrinkling, and other natural signs of aging. It is these images that set the standard of beauty, leaving a target audience of women striving to achieve this ‘natural beauty’ in their lives.

There is certainly nothing wrong with someone who strives to look their best, but ask yourself ‘Who is it that decides exactly what that means?’

According to clinical psychologist Patricia Moscou, each of us must take an active responsibility and be aware of our own ‘impression management.’ This means thinking for ourselves and taking a conscious approach to everyday decisions such as hairstyle, hair color, make up, beauty treatments and fashion preferences.

Impression management isn’t intended to encourage creating unhealthy obsessions with your look, it is simply the way YOU choose to present yourself.

Vogue magazine’s former marketing director, Diana Lewis Jewell stresses that women and men alike need to be clear and understand exactly who is influencing our daily lifestyle decisions.

- Are you influenced by strangers you pass every day in public? People you don’t even know, but somehow their opinions are held as an important influencing factor.

- Good friends naturally influence these decisions, however in many cases there is an underlying, subconscious competition to be the most attractive, or receive more attention than our peers.

- Employers or co-workers are often in a position of moderate to heavy influence already, so their opinions can play a vital role in deciding on hair color or fashion trends to follow.

- Family members can have intentional (protective) or unintended impact on fashion choices.

OR….. it is YOU? Are you the one who has control of your fashion and hairstyle preferences, do you decide what you like and why?

Dr. Kennon M. Sheldon, a psychologist at the University of Missouri–Columbia, has joined forces with researchers to discover exactly what actually makes people happy. It may come as a shock to learn that monetary status isn’t number one. Neither is popularity or having the whitest, straightest teeth. According to their findings, the most important aspects of achieving happiness are self-esteem and autonomy. Feeling comfortable with, and endorsing, your personal choices. Unfortunately it can sometimes be an up-hill struggle to be aware of our own personalities, in a world where we are surrounded by strong opinions and influences.

When we talk of ’self-acceptance’ we’re not talking about a world where everyone rejects makeup and beauty treatments, self-acceptance means keeping an open mind, making the most of our natural beauty attributes to achieve personal satisfaction with your drawer full of makeup and your blow dryer… If that’s what makes you happy!

In regards to hair, hair color and style, top stylists suggest you discover what works best with your natural texture, how to find a look that accurately portrays your individual personality. A good example we see every day is the mystery of curls. Many women born with curly hair go through a never-ending battle with hair straightener’s and harsh chemical, instead of embracing the unique look and personality boost that can easily be achieved with curly hair. If you don’t like your curly look, ensure this is your personal choice, not a choice effected by what you see every time you turn on the television or open the tabloids.

About the Author:
Rochelle lives in central California where she runs her salon and fashion consultation service. She offers advice on all aspects of choosing your hairstyle, creating a unique wedding hairstyle, as well as advice for teenage hairstyles.

Popularity: 1% [?]

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Oval-shaped face
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Hair has become unequivocally important as it can literally make one look like a movie star or a has been from Hee Haw, which died out many years ago. It is big enough that it is a multi billion dollar industry and the average bill in a salon is approaching $100.
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