Color, Cut, Style: Oscar Blandi Answers Your Most Common Hair Questions
Photo: M.Tran/FilmMagic/Getty Images
When it comes to hair, Oscar Blandi knows what women want—a chic look at every age. Whether he's styling stars like Rita Wilson or inventing the ingenious Pronto Colore pen (use it to touch up roots when you can't get to the salon in time), Oscar's innovations have established him as one of the best in the business. Get his take on the most common questions women have about their hair.
How often should women get their hair colored?Usually, you get a haircolor once a month or once every 45 days. It depends on the regrowth. For some people, the hair grows actually after three weeks. It depends from person to person.
You definitely have to have a good consultation with the colorist. My suggestion is always to bring a color you're looking for or a color that's inspiring you.
Color is a little bit different from a haircut. With a haircut, you can become a little more adventurous. Color is something that will stay with you, especially if you're planning to totally change your color. What you want to do is just have some guide to show the colorist of what your direction will be. From there, the colorist will tell you if it works for you, if it doesn't work for you and [ask you] what's your lifestyle, if you want something easier. Sometimes color can become an obsession—a good obsession—but sometimes it can really be a problem if you don't have the right time to do it.
If you have a Pronto Colore pen, it's great because you can postpone for a week, two weeks, max three weeks. But eventually you need to go back to the colorist because discoloration is going to happen; the ends are not going to be even. When the new color is going to be put on, it takes a little bit longer versus someone who goes to the colorist every 30 days or 45 days to keep up the maintenance.
Color is a little bit different from a haircut. With a haircut, you can become a little more adventurous. Color is something that will stay with you, especially if you're planning to totally change your color. What you want to do is just have some guide to show the colorist of what your direction will be. From there, the colorist will tell you if it works for you, if it doesn't work for you and [ask you] what's your lifestyle, if you want something easier. Sometimes color can become an obsession—a good obsession—but sometimes it can really be a problem if you don't have the right time to do it.
If you have a Pronto Colore pen, it's great because you can postpone for a week, two weeks, max three weeks. But eventually you need to go back to the colorist because discoloration is going to happen; the ends are not going to be even. When the new color is going to be put on, it takes a little bit longer versus someone who goes to the colorist every 30 days or 45 days to keep up the maintenance.
The best tip is you don't want to wash your hair too often. Between the Pronto Colore pen and the dry shampoo, you can postpone washing your hair every day. Instead of washing three times a day, you can wash two times a week. Some clients will also wash once a week using the dry shampoo in conjunction with the pen.
When you start to frequently shampoo, discoloration will come. It also depends on what type of product your colorist uses. As long as you use a good, strong product, a professional product, the color will last longer.
Still, with that, if you don't have frequent color, like on the time schedule, discoloration can happen very easily. Bad shampoo can give a different tone of your color. If you go away on vacation and you're coming back, there's sun versus winter. There are so many elements in place that can create discoloration, so it's very important to keep up once a month, once every 45 days.
When you start to frequently shampoo, discoloration will come. It also depends on what type of product your colorist uses. As long as you use a good, strong product, a professional product, the color will last longer.
Still, with that, if you don't have frequent color, like on the time schedule, discoloration can happen very easily. Bad shampoo can give a different tone of your color. If you go away on vacation and you're coming back, there's sun versus winter. There are so many elements in place that can create discoloration, so it's very important to keep up once a month, once every 45 days.
It's based on where the bone structure, the hair type, the texture, the neckline, the shoulder line. It's not only about you seeing a haircut you like and a stylist executes it for you.
Again, you have to factor in how often you are going to get a haircut. What's your maintenance type like? If you want a short haircut, it's going to need more maintenance. After six, seven, max eight weeks, you must trim it because it becomes an image for you. With longer hair, you can get away with eight, nine, 10 weeks at the most.
What gives you the best look for your face? It's what proportion will work for your haircut. If you have a round face, you definitely don't want too many layers around. You want something that's softer for your face and bone structure. You can create some tousled curls, some waves.
It depends also on the type of style you have as well. If you have a long face, you want to leave length on the bottom. Always frame your face; don't completely cut it short along the neckline.
Again, you have to factor in how often you are going to get a haircut. What's your maintenance type like? If you want a short haircut, it's going to need more maintenance. After six, seven, max eight weeks, you must trim it because it becomes an image for you. With longer hair, you can get away with eight, nine, 10 weeks at the most.
What gives you the best look for your face? It's what proportion will work for your haircut. If you have a round face, you definitely don't want too many layers around. You want something that's softer for your face and bone structure. You can create some tousled curls, some waves.
It depends also on the type of style you have as well. If you have a long face, you want to leave length on the bottom. Always frame your face; don't completely cut it short along the neckline.
Like everything else, the older we get, everything starts changing. I always tell my clients, 'You have to work on proportion and volume and layers." When you're younger, you can get away with tousled, more messy looks. When you reach a certain age, you want to control it a little bit more. You can still have that idea, but it's very important to have more control.
With length, [when you're younger] you can get away with having it extremely long. As you age, you can keep the long hair, but the proportion should be right for the time.
Everything that completely puts together the right look for you should be a factor. The color is very important. The older you get, you have to maintain the look. Don't hope at 40 or 50 you can have the same look you would have worn at 20. You can have the same idea, but the proportion should be a little bit different.
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With length, [when you're younger] you can get away with having it extremely long. As you age, you can keep the long hair, but the proportion should be right for the time.
Everything that completely puts together the right look for you should be a factor. The color is very important. The older you get, you have to maintain the look. Don't hope at 40 or 50 you can have the same look you would have worn at 20. You can have the same idea, but the proportion should be a little bit different.
Get a 5-minute makeup tutorial from Project Runway's Collier Strong
Look great at every age makeovers
Age-defying fashion for your 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s
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