hair

HAIR TALK: DIAMOND FACE SHAPE

post: Kristin Ess graphic design: Eunice Chun

On to the next one– the gorgeous diamond face shape! If you’re a diamond, your hairline is more narrow. Also, starting below the ear your jawline comes to a point at your chin. (If  your jawline narrows but your hairline is wide, then stay tuned for the inverted triangle face shape which coming will be next!) Here are some tips + tricks for styling hair around a diamond face shape:

  • Stay back: The diamond face shape can get very narrow when there’s a lot of hair surrounding the face. I love how Ashley pushes it all back in the top photo. Typically diamonds have a great jawline so let that it show, girl! If it’s hard for you to get your hair to stay back, try applying a light holding mousse at the root before you blowdry and then tuck behind the ear.
  • The One + Only: I love when diamond face shaped girls push one side back. Like I said before– a too much hair can crowd and make a diamond face appear too narrow so it’s good to open one side up and show off that great jawline. Any kind of texture works well here– smooth waves, messy textured waves, pin straight, or crazy curls. It says “Look at my pretty hair” but it doesn’t hide your pretty face.
  • Deep side part: I loooove the way a deep side part looks on a diamond face shape but it can often be a challenge because of how the hairline narrows. If you find it challenging, use some mousse at the root before you blow-dry. This will help the hair stay in place instead of falling forward as it naturally wants to. Also, try parting on the diagonal– using a tail comb, start deep to one side and come come back to the center as you go back. That will help balance out the weight and not make the heavy side too heavy.
  • Bangs: I like to avoid heavy, straigh bangs on my clients with diamond face shapes. The reason is- the hairs in front of a narrow hairline usually grow upward or out to the sides so it can be a bit of a challenge to control straight heavy bangs. I do, however, love “curtain” Bardot bangs for this face shape. A center or slightly off-center parted curtain-y bang will help maintain the silhouette of the diamond face shape and is typically much easier to control because you’re not trying to fight their natural direction so much.
  • Haircuts: Layers, layers, layers. No one is a better candidate for lots of layers than a girl with a diamond face shape. Lots of layers keep a diamond face shape “open”. Less layers will fall in front of the widest points of a diamond face shape and narrow you out. See how Ashley looks more narrow in the bottom right hand photo? Still gorgeous but her face definitely appears more narrow than the other images. Luckily it looks great sleek and straight because she’s got layers. The hair still moves and doesn’t just hang. It’s important to have layers in order to wear super straight hair on a diamond face.
  • Ponytails + Updos: What can I say? Honestly, updos + ponytails are always great on diamond face shapes. High, low, center, whatever! Pulling the hair back off of a diamond face shape is a good thing. I can’t say there is a specific guidline for diamonds to follow here. You lucky girls!

Are you a sparkling diamond? If so, please feel free to share your experiences with your face shape below. Tell us your best tips and tricks! xo

makeup

WHY NOT?

POST + PHOTOS BY AMY NADINE, GRAPHIC DESIGN BY EUNICE CHUN

I’ve been seduced by colored mascara since my middle school dance (where I wore pink mascara on my top lashes and yellow on my bottom lashes only to regret it in the gymnasium bathroom mirror!) but I’ve never been truly happy with the color payoff. It always ends up being more of a hint of color in certain lighting but not truly like it promises in its packaging. Which brings us to today’s DIY project! Why not make our own colored mascara with liquid liner? It’s just too easy. Here’s how: READ MORE…

tutorials

MANI MONDAY: WASHI TAPE GLITTER HEART

photos/post/design: Kristin Ess

It’s almost Valentine’s day!! Whether you’re celebrating or not, a heart mani always looks simple + sweet. After trying to get a perfect heart a million different ways, I finally figured out the best way to do it. Washi tape! You can order it online, find it at a stationery store, or I’ve even seen it at Target in the stationery section. Washi tape is much less sticky than regular tape so you don’t have to worry about it adhering and pulling off your base color so much. Okay, here’s how we got the perfect heart!

  1. You’ll need a red, a metallic gold + a gold glitter. I used this for my red, this for my metallic gold + this for my gold glitter.
  2. You’ll also need washi tape and small scissors. I used the kind for trimming brows.
  3. Paint your nails with the red and let them dry for a few hours. I like to let the base dry overnight just to be safe.
  4. Cut a 2-3″ piece of washi tape, fold it in half but leave the ends apart like you see in photo 4.
  5. Place the open ends of the washi tape on your pointer finger on the opposite hand you cut with. Cut out a half heart that is a little less than half the width of the nail you’re putting the heart on.
  6. Gently peel your washi tape open to see the full heart.
  7. Place it on the nail and press the edges with a soft, dry, clean paintbrush.
  8. Paint the metallic coat first. This will give you the perfect heart shape, which you can’t get when using glitter polish alone.
  9. Now add the glitter polish on top of that.
  10. Peel your tape off slowly while the metallic and glitter polishes are still wet. You don’t want them to dry to the washi tape.

You can use a detailing brush to add more glitter to the heart if you want to. Add a top coat once the glitter heart has dried. xo

makeup

SETTING YOUR MAKEUP WITHOUT CAKING IT

POST + PHOTOS BY AMY NADINE, GRAPHIC DESIGN BY EUNICE CHUN

For years I used a big fluffy brush to powder my clients’ faces after foundation, even though in makeup school we were taught to use a powder puff. It just felt more luxurious and didn’t have to be restocked all the time like a puff. But last year, I went back to a puff because I started getting frustrated with the way the brush was not only pushing and sliding the cream blush from the area I specifically placed it, but it was also grabbing onto the foundation and making everything a little cakey. Not good. So I went back to the puff press technique created by the masters of Old Hollywood cinema back in the late 30′s and felt a little stupid that I ever strayed. Here’s how: READ MORE…