Hair to the face is like a frame to the picture. The perfect frame magically transforms any painting or print into a beautiful work of art. The frame magnetically draws your attention to the details and invites you to appreciate the beautiful features of the picture. However, if the frame is of the wrong color or style, the true beauty of the picture is not fully revealed.
The same is true with your hair in relationship to your face. The desired effect of hair is to flatter your most outstanding facial features. This can be achieved through cut and color. Michael Puccetti is an expert hair designer and colorist in Columbus, Ohio, who has been doing my hair for almost five years. He is a Platform Artist with Paul Mitchell and John Sahag – in addition to working for Artec, FHL Irons and Goldwell and I found his knowledge of color very insightful:
“When a person comes to me to color their hair, I look inside the hair to see what natural tones are present. I like to add up to three different colors to the existing tones to create a contrast that will enhance a person’s facial features.” Michael stated that using this multi-colored technique with foil weaving will produce natural looking highlights and appear as though the sun were glistening on the hair.
“People also need to realize that as we age, we lose color pigment not only in our hair but also in our skin. At that point, the contrast between your skin and hair becomes even more important. If you look at yourself in the mirror, and your hair and skin are about the same tone, changing your hair color will help you look healthy and vibrant again.”
Once you find your perfect hair color, there are tips to maintaining it. Although permanent color from a professional salon should last until the hair grows out, there are several external elements that will impact the fading of your hair color.
“The first thing you can do to preserve your color is to use a quality shampoo that is sulfate free with UVB protection. Next, select a moisturizer for your hair that has polymers in it for added sunscreen protection. Basic conditioners just remove tangles and don’t add moisture to the hair.”
Establish YOUR LOOK. In pageantry, you’ll want to wear your hair in a style that best compliments your face. Once you find your style, whether it’s up, down, straight, or in soft curls, wear it the same for all areas of competition. For most contestants, there is one style that makes them stand out. A small percentage of people look equally fabulous in any hair style.
When I’ve judged pageants, I’ve seen some contestants wear their hair a different style with every outfit in an attempt to show versatility. Remember, you need to look your very best every time you’re in front of the judges to score the top points to win the overall title. You don’t want to confuse the judges. Give them one look – your very best look.
The difference between your interview hairstyle and onstage hairstyle is volume. To get the onstage volume, think stiff at the roots, soft body on the ends. Use root volumizing spray mousse at the roots to provide the lift; but the top layers should have movement and shine.
It has been my experience to allow at least 6 weeks of play time to experiment with different products to see how they react to your hair. Everyone’s hair is different. You’ll need to find the perfect balance of products to get the lift and hold you want verses using too much and weighing down your hair.
Beyond The Pageant
Sometimes we hold onto things in life too long – the jeans from high school, a particular shade of lipstick, or the mullet haircut. Ok, maybe these examples are a bit extreme, or not, but how many years have you had the same length of hair because you have a belief that longer hair makes you look younger? Or are you still coloring your hair the same color it was when you were 16? There are times when we need to challenge our mindset to see if new possibilities are more flattering to us. Occasionally changing the frame can ensure that our outer image is fully being appreciated.
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Rhonda Shappert is a pageant expert, personal development life coach, and owner of Winning Through Pageantry®, a business she created that not only helps her clients achieve winning results in pageants, but helps them Succeed From The Inside Out® in their lives. In the pageant world she has held multiple local, state and national titles. Rhonda graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelors degree in Musical Theater from The Ohio State University and has performed on stage in 15 countries on the Asian, European and American continents. This mother of three who has been married 20 years to her husband Stephen, is the former mayor of her community, and is on the Board of Trustees for two nonprofit organizations. She and her husband created and produced an original contemporary Christian music CD and are in the music ministry in their church. For more information on Rhonda, visit www.WinningThroughPageantry.com.
