Fekkai

Long hair can be flat-out gorgeous

It's all in the shape of your face and in the cut you choose. As a rule, long hair that's all one length is chic and sophisticated. That said, long layers can also look fabulous, provided they're really long and blend in naturally to frame your face. Short layers look awful in long hair, as the contrast is too great. If you get a trim every eight weeks or so, your long hair will stay healthy and bouncy.

Short hair is often easier to manage

It requires less care day-to-day, but requires more frequents cuts—about every four weeks. If you have a lifestyle that requires you to wash your hair frequently—athletes, for instance—short hair is for you.

Layers can give volume to fine hair

But you have to be careful: in cutting layers, your stylist is cutting away hair, so it can end up too thin at the bottom. Blunter cuts have more volume at the ends.

A bob is always elegant

It makes a statement; always looks pulled together, and can be so flattering. The straighter the hair, the better-looking the bob. Think of bobs at different lengths, depending on your face shape: chin-length or shoulder-length, for example.

Shorter cuts are more energizing

And also sexier because you get a glimpse of the hairline, the ears, and the underside of the jawline.

Short, choppy layers look fantastic

They work on almost anyone, emphasizing bone structure, making eyes look larger and lips look fuller.

Bangs, not straight across

Really severe bangs are hard to pull off, and they cut the line of your face too harshly. But for most people, slightly wispy, angled bangs can be very sexy, and work to flatter the face.

Strong bone structure

You will look fabulous with short hair. Because short hair stands up straighter, it looks fuller, softening your handsome features are as result. Short layers play up this effect even further.

A narrow face

Choose a mid length style, halfway between long and short. The longer your hair, the more layered it should be, to add volume at the sides.

A round face

Favor longer hair to help downplay the fullness of your face. A short cut can work if you keep the back longer than the front.

A long face

Try wispy, side-swept bangs. They add balance.

For square jawlines

Have your hair fall past your neck. The shorter your hair gets, the more pronounced your jawline. Never have bangs cut straight across; the squareness of full bangs will box in your face.

For heart-shaped faces

You can carry off full bangs cut straight across the face. Long or short, it looks great, very Louise Brooks (the silent-film star).

Hair spray and volumizing spray

Volumizing spray adds fullness, especially to long, fine hair. Lift the hair up and spritz on at the roots before styling as usual. Do spray through the hair, not just on top. Or spray your brush with hair spray and brush through.

Mousse

Mousse is absolutely wonderful for fine hair, because it beefs up the hair's texture and gives it a bit of structure, so it will stay where you put it—the biggest problem for women with fine hair. But here's the caveat: I really only use it in short hair. With long hair, the texture is too much, and it sticks hair together in clumps and leaves it with a flat finish.

Gel

Use gel to give both volume and support to any straight hairstyle, short or long, but use it only at the roots. Working in gel beyond the roots defeats its purpose: It's so heavy that anywhere else on the hair, gravity does its work and pulls the hair down, so it ends up flatter than you started.

Finishing cream, pomade and oil

Finishing cream is only for the ends of the hair, to define them a bit, and make hair shinier and healthy-looking. It works with almost any hairstyle, on curly or straight hair, but must always be used very sparingly. Pomade, wax, and hair oils are generally more intense than finishing creams; you need even less of them. And only very frizzy, rough-textured hair needs something like an oil at all.

Straightening Balm

This is a wonderful product that enables those with very curly hair to achieve the look of straight hair. It should be worked into towel-dried hair then combed through. The hair can be left to air dry for a softly waxy style, or blown dry with a round brush to straighten the hair completely.

When clients ask me what they should do to update their look I usually say, "Less!" To me, the fundamentals of modern, fresh, uncontrived style are quite basic:

• Clean, shiny hair
• Clear skin
• Not too much makeup
• Very little jewelry

And these are the things I recommend you avoid—they age even the most beautiful woman who wears them:

• Too much foundation
• Harsh lipstick
• Obvious lip contour
• Heavy eye makeup
• Too much hairspray
• Overdone highlights or over processed hair
• Artificial-looking nails

Bang Maintenance

Some of my most loyal clients don't come in when their bangs need a trim, despite the fact that it's a free service at our salon (this is probably the case at your salon as well). The reason, simply, is time. So I teach people to do it themselves. The trick is to use a razor (the one you use to shave your legs is just fine) rather than scissors. The razor leaves a "piecey-er" line, which is much more forgiving and usually more flattering. If you must have blunt, blunt bangs, I'd go to the salon.

• Wet your bangs with a spritzer or a wet brush.
• Take a small section of bangs and pull it down toward your nose, as far as it will go.
• Twist it just a tad.
• With the razor, cut it just below your eyes.
• The worst mistake you can make is to cut your bangs too short, so always cut about an inch longer than the line you want—they will bounce up a bit. If it turns out to be too long, you can go back over it, but always err on the long side.

The power of a part

Changing the direction of a part can completely change a woman's look. A part determines where volume will occur in your hair. By moving a part, you can rebalance proportion to your advantage. If you need more volume at the top of your head (say you've got a very round face, for instance), and your hair normally parts in the middle, try parting it on the side. Now you've got a lot of hair going against its usual direction: The over direction creates volume—right where you want it.

• You can deemphasize a widow’s peak by redirecting the part.
• A middle part works with a lot of face shapes, except for a round one.
• A side part is great with most face shapes.

When getting dressed for an event, pamper your senses and you will uplift your spirit. The clothes you choose should be quietly luxurious. Consider combining different textures: a velvet skirt with suede boots, a pastel silk skirt with a cashmere shawl. Create outfits that make you feel confident, attractive, and charming, without ever distracting from your personality. Consider these guidelines:

• Be elegant, but do not show off.
• Select fabrics with a wonderful texture, you’ll feel contented wearing them.
• Always add a touch of color, even if everything else is black—it always looks right.
• Show a little skin, at the shoulders or legs, but not both.

I treat my salons in the States as my homes. I want every guest to experience the simple elegance, the pampering. Do the same in your own home—each little thing you prepare for your guests in advance will increase their sense of well-being. Try these ideas:

• Fill the house with a simple abundance of flowers—nothing fussy or too precious. Nothing is "arranged", nothing is pretentious. When the decor is casual, everyone feels relaxed.
• If you cannot put flowers in every room, make sure you put them in the guest bedroom. Or place blossoms or rose petals in a bowl of water in the bathroom.
• Spray the guest room with essence de lavande, spritzing sheets and inside drawers. The scent is clean and restful, yet never overwhelming.
• Leave a selection of bath gels, soaps, and lotions in the bathroom. And of course, a large stack of neatly folded, fluffy white towels.