Press Mentions
This article appeared in Prestbury Living, and Cheshire magazines
How to Achieve the Hollywood Look
By Tanya Arturi
Like most women I know, I have a ‘love/hate’ relationship with my hair. Over the years I have spent a fortune on various lotions, potions and tools promising to provide healthy and glossy locks. Despite all of this… hair dryers, rain and humidity make my hair look frizzy and a bit wild - more of a permanent fi xture than I care to admit!
Unfortunately, hair really is a women’s ultimate accessory and it’s something that many of us obsess over (men do too - just look at Wayne Rooney’s recent quest for thicker hair).
In a graduation speech to Yale University students in 2001, Hillary Clinton dryly noted that Yale Law School had failed to teach her the vital life lesson that: “Hair matters… pay attention to your hair, because everyone else will.”
The effect of hair on self esteem is not to be taken lightly. Philip Kingsley, one of the world’s leading trichologists, says “Hair is the single most important part of the anatomy affecting our psyche. We can wear the most fashionable clothes, the most expensive jewellery, our skin can be fl awless but if our hair isn’t right, we don’t feel good. The reverse is also true; the joy of good-looking, well behaved hair framing your face gives a psychological boost second to no other.”
Last summer I liked my hair. However, fast forward five months and a couple of ‘bad’ haircuts…the angst of trying to style my hair in a way that didn’t suit it, I decided to take action… drastic action. Clutching a photo of Sharon Stone with a ‘pixie’ cut, I asked my hairdresser to cut all of my hair off. Not just short, but really short. Stepping out of the hairdressers, I was pleased with the cut - and was stopped by a couple of women in the street to say that my hair style looked great. However, I could never style it the same again and the upkeep of short hair was much more difficult than long hair.
Reactions to my new ‘pixie’ style varied. My husband politely said the style suited me but he preferred it ‘a bit longer’. I suppose it’s a bit of a ‘does my bum look big in this?’ situation. Some friends obviously didn’t know what to say, so didn’t say anything. Others said things like…” you look… umm, funky today”. FUNKY? I have never been called funky in my life! I would prefer to be described as glamorous or chic. Some people didn’t even recognise me. Then the horrible ‘growing out’ stage occurred - my hair was too short to put up but not long enough to style well.
Instant glamour - the celebrity way
Patience isn’t a virtue I have much of and when I read about The Lucinda Ellery Consultancy in Manchester (just off King’s Street), I decided to investigate having hair extensions. Instant glamour…just the tonic for a damp and depressing summer! The consultancy has been established for over 26 years, starting with a salon in London and then expanding to Manchester in February 2010. It already has its fair share of WAGs and TV celebrities (Cheryl Cole and Rachel Hunter, to name a few); beyond that, it’s also somewhere where women with hair loss problems can regain their luscious locks through various hair replacement techniques - as seen on the TV programme ’10 Years Younger’.
The salon doesn’t have a typical high street presence and is not a place to visit for a general cut and blow-dry. It is specialist and this means the quality and aftercare you receive isn’t typical… it’s exceptional. The consultancy is family owned and staff are trained to an extremely high standard. It’s obvious that making customers feel fantastic about themselves and their hair is paramount.
The first stage in my quest for long hair was an initial consultation to discuss what I wanted to achieve and to assess the suitability of my hair for extensions. During this meeting a couple of ‘tester’ extensions were added into my own hair to make sure I felt happy with them and they suited my hair type. Initially, there was some concern that my current length was a bit too short (hair needs to be at least 4” in length) but because my hair is thick and healthy it was decided that extensions could go in without any problems.
Everyone’s hair is different and Lucinda Ellery carefully check that your expectations will match the end result, and they won’t do anything that may potentially damage your own hair.
Tom painstakingly added 172 small strands of 12” real hair (mixed with different colours so that it would blend with my own hair colour) for five hours. The time flew because Tom is a master story teller. It was clear to see he is a perfectionist and carefully added each cluster of hair with care. Finally, a stylist blended the extensions into my own hair, completing the look from short and shabby to long and lustrous.
Magical make-up
No transformation is complete without make up. I once read an article by a beauty journalist who said that a good hair cut and expertly applied make-up received the most complements and had the biggest impact.
To create the ‘Hollywood look’, I enlisted the help of make-up artist Sarah Meredith (www.sarahmeredithmua.co.uk). Sarah has experience working on TV and photo shoots but weddings are her passion. The two key things she did, which most people commented on, were to create a flawless base and to add false eyelashes. A base was created using Clarins ‘Beauty Flash Balm’ (£21) to brighten, tone and moisturise, then Illamasqua’s ‘Rich Liquid Foundation’ (£21.50) because it has more of a matt texture and looks better in photos. The lashes were from the Eylure Girls Aloud range - designed by Nadine.
Is longer better?
The best thing about having longer hair is how I feel. Short hair wasn’t really ‘me’. I like having long hair. I feel more glamorous and I like the versatility of having my hair either straight or wavy. Other people’s reactions have been very positive. A few friends have admitted they preferred my hair longer and most people can’t believe how natural the extensions look.
Since having extensions added, I have conducted a bit of research on men’s perceptions of longer hair and it makes interesting reading. This may seem ‘off topic’ but bear with me. Author Peadar de Burca, spoke to 250 unfaithful men to discover why they cheat. Burca discovered just one constant - the ‘other’ woman always had longer hair. According to the author, women compliment other women after a hair cut because it’s another rival out of the equation. So, it seems that longer hair is sexier (take heed, single girls).
The main question I often get asked is ‘how easy are the extensions to look after?’ Most women are worried about spending a lot of money (mine cost just over £1,000), only to find they accidentally get pulled out. The two things I have to remember are to brush my hair at least 3 times a day (with a specialist brush) and to make sure that conditioning oils and heated styling appliances don’t go on the bonds. Lucinda Ellery has an excellent ‘after care’ policy and if a few extensions do come out, I just keep hold of them and they will be put back in, free of charge, within the first eight weeks. If I have this problem after eight weeks there’s a small charge (£4 per extension) to add them back in.
Although I had hair extensions added for length; many women use them for volume. They last for around three months and then it’s advisable to have the extensions taken out and re-applied.
Personally, the only minor issues I have with my extensions are the fact I can’t wear my hair in a high ponytail (because the hair on the nape of my neck was so short, the bonds will show); the bonds feel a bit itchy when my scalp gets oily… and I have to style my hair on a daily basis. If I don’t, my natural hair looks a bit fl at and the extensions look thicker - they behave differently. However, if I had short hair I couldn’t wear my hair up anyway, I suffer from an oily scalp and it always feels a bit itchy the day after washing and most women with long hair have to style it everyday. Overall, minor irritations compared to how it looks!
Two top tips I would give anyone with extensions are - wear your hair back in a scrunchy when sleeping and invest in a silk pillowcase, which, according to research, reduces knots and tangles in hair extensions by 80% (I used ‘SilkPerfect Pur’, £25, from www.silkperfect.com). So, how does it feel to achieve the ‘Hollywood look’? Fabulous - long hair was part of my ‘signature’ look but I didn’t realise this until it was cut short. I don’t think anyone will say I look ‘funky’ again and hair extensions enable me to get an instant fix while my natural hair grows. There’s no going back now…