When Kate Middleton walked down the aisle of Westminster Abbey last April — with her lustrous chestnut brown hair in loose, elegant curls — brides-to-be everywhere put down their bobby pins. Her stylist, James Pryce, described the style as “romantic waves,” and said the Duchess had chosen the look because she wanted to “feel like herself” when she married Prince William.

Today, long and loose styles are the most popular look for brides, says Eli Mancha of Chicago’s Bang! Salon, named Hairstylist of the Year at the 2011 North American Hairstyling Awards.

The key to making cascading hair work on your own wedding day isn’t a diamond tiara but shiny, healthy tresses. We asked Mancha for advice on how to get your long hair ready for the big day.

Avoid a Pre-wedding-day Split Even though you’ll be growing your hair or keeping its length in the months leading up to your wedding, you still want to maintain the ends to prevent splitting. “A trim is necessary at least once every three months to keep the ends fresh,” says Mancha. You might also want to invest in a silk or satin pillowcase to prevent breakage. “The ends of long hair can be very fragile, especially if your hair is fine or color-treated,” says Mancha, “and it can catch on the cotton fibers of traditional pillowcases.”

Rehearse Your Color Start coloring your hair six months in advance so you’ll have time for at least two touch-ups, and any necessary fine-tuning before the big day. Schedule your final color appointment for a week before your wedding, “so it looks fresh and shiny but more natural than freshly colored hair,” says Mancha. You might also consider a gloss or cellophane treatment. “For blondes, a gloss will tone out any brassiness,” he says, “and it will add richness to darker shades. It also acts as a topcoat, smoothing down all your ends, producing incredible shine and locking in the color so it won’t fade during your honeymoon.”

Find Your Perfect Product Match Choose the shampoo and conditioner that’s designed for your hair texture: curly, straight, fine or thick. You might also consider products specially formulated for long hair, which has been exposed to more washes, styling and environmental damage than short hair. Wash your hair every other day, applying shampoo to the roots, but only put shampoo on the ends about once a week. Using a leave-in conditioner after your final rinse will provide the extra moisture your thirsty ends need.

Final Prep “I usually tell my brides to wash their hair the night before the wedding,” says Mancha. “Sleeping on the hair gives a little bit of natural body. What’s more, freshly washed hair is very slippery and won’t hold a style as well. If you are going to have any curl or wave added to your hair, I recommend you or your stylist use a flat iron to create the curls. Not only are flat iron curls more modern and natural-looking, I find that they last longer. You get a slightly more squared curl, which defies gravity better than a curl created by a round surface.”

By Shelley Levitt Original article location: The Style Glossy Other location: Fox: Los Angeles Other location: Fox: Phoenix Other location: Fox: Houston

Edgy haircuts for short hair were the keys to Eli Mancha’s victory as the 2011 North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) Hairstylist of the Year, where he combined futuristic spins on classic styles with models outfitted like robots. Mancha hand-selected a trio of his winning looks and gives the secret tips and tools you’ll need to do it yourself at home, plus what to ask your stylist for to get the right cut.

Disconnected Chunky Skater Sweep Celebrities such as Pink and Rhianna have both worn their tresses in this short, layered style, with a shaved base to give the appearance of disconnection between the top and bottom portions of the hair. To get this separation, Mancha says to have your stylist shave the sides and underside of your hair down, leaving the interior section longer to hang over the short sides. Apply a heat-resistant styling cream, then blow dry the hair as you tousle it. Flat iron large sections of your hair toward your face, in the direction of the desired swoop. Styling products will help achieve this ‘do. Use hairspray before ironing to help hold the finish and add texture. After flat ironing, mold your sections with a finishing clay or matte putty for hold and separation.

Modern Classic Pompadour This shaved-side look was often rocked by Rhianna. Mancha says to ask your stylist for a short, textured cut that’s longer on the top than on the sides, then the trick to this look is all in the styling. To create the necessary body and bend at the ends of your hair, apply mousse to damp hair and set it in large rollers until dry. As an alternative to rollers, Mancha says blow-drying with a round brush or using a large barrel curling iron works too. Gather your hair forward, twisting the ends to merge all the pieces together while applying hairspray. With your hands, brush the front back, working it into a pompadour shape. Pull the sides of the hair down and forward, making them flat. A dab of pomade or wax on your fingers will give good shine and separation. “Shaving and lightening underneath modified this classic shape into a futuristic look,” he says.

Carved Pixie The updated spin on the pixie look has been sported by Natalie Portman and Emma Watson. Mancha says the hair for this look is extremely short, no longer than 2 inches on top, and the sides and back should be even shorter so your stylist can line up and carve out structured details. After you completely dry the hair, just a touch of styling clay or putty is all you need to show off the hair’s texture. Apply from back to front, working from root to tip for even distribution. Use your fingertips to pull down any areas sticking out of place, then finish with a spritz of hairspray to hold everything in place.

Color Considerations Mancha pumped up the volume on the edginess of each look with color. “This popular 90s skater look was updated in my collection by breaking up the interior with chunky layers, and tipping off the ends with blue and black feathered color,” Mancha explains. If you can get away with it, experiment with a platinum blond, ruby wine, grape or electric blue color to complement your cut.

By Tricia Chaves / Oct 24, 2011
Original article location: Type F

According to Eli Mancha, lead stylist at Chicago’s Bang! Salon and the Professional Beauty Association’s 2011 North American Hairstyling Awards Hairstylist of the Year, hair can become dry for a variety of reasons, including exposure to chlorinated water, and overuse of heated styling products, straighteners and dyes. Natural African-American hair textures range from tight corkscrew curls to small coils – a structure that prevents the distribution of natural oils along the hair shaft, causing dryness. Your hair is a direct reflection of what you put in your body, so combine a healthy diet and hair supplements with his home-treatment from your kitchen for a winning recipe that quenches your locks.

Things You’ll Need

4. Shower cap
5. Hair supplements

1>> Wash your hair thoroughly with a moisturizing shampoo. Mancha suggests a shampoo enriched with vitamin E, which has the best ability to infuse moisture into a dry hair cuticle.

2>> Massage mayonnaise into your hair, starting from the scalp and working it down the hair shaft. Use a dime-sized amount for short hair, a tablespoon full for medium-length hair and 2 tablespoons for long hair. Extra-thick hair may require as much as 4 tablespoons to cover sufficiently. Natural ingredients in mayonnaise like olive oil and egg whites work overtime to moisturize the hair, says Mancha.

3>> Comb your hair with a wide-toothed comb to distribute the mayonnaise.

4>> Don a shower cap, ensuring that all of your hair is tucked inside. For a less extensive mayonnaise treatment, leave it on your hair for 30 to 60 minutes with a shower cap, then remove the shower cap for an additional five to 10 minutes before washing. For a more profound treatment, sleep with the mayonnaise in your hair and the shower cap on.

5>> Rinse out the mayonnaise and shampoo your hair.

Tips & Tricks

Mancha recommends an all-natural hair vitamin supplement. His preference is Viviscal, made with vitamin C and AminoMar C — a marine protein complex which has been shown to nourish the hair follicles and to make hair look more vibrant. “It adds incredible moisture to the hair and improves hair growth allowing my African-American clients to wear their hair down more often, which prevents further breakage,” he says.

Don’t skip the wide-toothed comb – it’s gentler on brittle, dry hair than a narrower variety.

Allow your hair to air dry, since the heat associated with a blow dryer can wick away hair’s moisture.

By Tricia Chaves / Oct 12, 2011
Original article location: Type F

Bravo to you for wanting to go green with your beauty routine, especially when it comes to bringing life, art and a funky new look to your hair. But before you toss your traditional hair color aside, find out whether natural hair coloring options can be a hit or miss for being both glamorous and eco-friendly.

Healthy Alternative Bet you didn’t know that there are 22 potentially carcinogenic hair-dye chemicals that have been banned in the European Union but are still being used in some U.S. hair dies. These include Acid Orange 24 and 2,3-Naphthalenediol, linked to bladder cancer. Natural hair dyes like Lush, Act by Nature and Surya Brasil avoid these unsafe chemicals, protecting the health of your hair and you as well. Vegetable-based dyes are great alternatives to traditional, potentially toxic dies, and can give the hair more shine, thickness and fullness.

Allergy-Free With many harsh chemicals in traditional hair colors, you can potentially have an allergic reaction. “There is a high percentage of people who have an allergic reaction to the chemical PPD (P-Phenylenediamine) which is found in many hair color products,” says hair stylist Veronica Penzone of Beauty By Veronica in Scottsdale, Arizona. Stick to ammonia-free and ultra-delicate lines like L’Oreal Inoa and Framesi Eclectic if you want the benefits of permanent color sans the side effects.

Less Coverage Don’t expect your natural hair color to cover up any secret gray hairs you’d rather not show. Eli Mancha of Chicago’s Bang Salon warns that in working with a natural hair color system, be aware that you will not get full coverage. So if you are trying to cover gray, It will only blend it away, not fully cover.

Anti-Dramatic Changes Don’t expect an extreme makeover after a breakup or life transition and you want to change the color of your hair. “If you are looking for a dramatic color change, permanent is a better option because natural color can’t lift the cuticle,” says Mancha. Unless you only want to go darker or richer, you’ll have to use a permanent color. Natural hair colors won’t give you a bolder or lighter look, which may turn your makeover into a less than climactic experience.

By Sherrell Dorsey / Sep 24, 2011
Original article location: Type F

So you have textured hair that you can’t control? Don’t freak out, ladies. Organic hair care products can save you from all of your hair woes. Organic products and their natural ingredients help your textured hair by eliminating pesky frizz and breakage. Know what products and ingredients to look for and you’ll have a brilliant head of hair in no time.

What Organic Products Do? Why use organic products instead of traditional hair-care products? Artistic director Eli Mancha of the Chicago salon Lock & Loaded says that organic products are better because of the absence of artificial ingredients. Products that offer more natural ingredients mean less stress on the hair. Angela Honor of Lavar Hair Salon in New York City says that it is important to use products that help prevent breakage when it comes to textured hair. “Breakage is caused by dryness which makes the hair brittle and causes it to break easily,” says Honor. She adds that using an organic conditioner is the best way to prevent this from happening. Using organic products also eliminates frizz from your tresses. Honor also says to use light organic styling oils to keep your hair looking shiny and healthy.

What Textured Hair Needs? Textured hair is simply hair that doesn’t just fall straight but has some sort of curl pattern. Wavy to tightly coiled curls are examples of textured hair. Owner of the Mosaic Hair Studio in Orlando, Florida, Mike van den Abbeel says that textured hair is naturally drier than straight hair and that the lack of moisture in the hair can accentuate frizz. “Girls with curls must use a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner and a leave-in conditioner to help replenish the moisture that is lacking,” says Abbeel.

Best Products? Alan Gold, creative director of the Haig & Co. Salon in Philadelphia, says that Nue Due and Ferli brands are the best of the best when it comes to organic hair-care products because they are laurel-sulfate free and are made of bamboo, silk and bean keratins worthy of every type of curly and frizzy hair. “From fine and frizzy to horse hair, they can tame it all,” says Gold. Both lines have a full array of shampoos and conditioners and leave-in styling products. Gold also loves the Julien Farel Zero Frizz organic products because they restore hair to its original state by nourishing, protecting and cleansing hair delicately. The products also hydrate the scalp and make hair stronger and smoother.

Best Ingredients? Ingredients are probably the most important things to consider when it comes to organic hair care. Mancha suggests treatments with proteins and keratins to keep textured hair strong and healthy. New York’s De Berardinis Salon stylist Davide Marinelli recommends an at-home mask for hard-to-deal-with hair. He advises to mix avocado and almond oil for the mask and apply a small amount in your hair with a wide-tooth comb. After the mask penetrates for 15 minutes, wash out the mixture to reveal a beautiful head of moisturized, shiny hair. Abbeel also suggests to opt for natural ingredients like omega oils, macadamia nut oil, coconut oil and noni seed oil. These oils surprisingly don’t weigh your hair down or make your hair oily either.

By Violet Kanian / Jul 10, 2011
Original article location: Type F

So you just dyed your hair and it’s an absolute nightmare. Oh wait, you used a temporary hair dye? Don’t fret hair diva. It’s true that temporary color lasts only about a month, but you can even speed up that process. There are many expert-approved methods you can use to get that color out and work your way to a more fabulous you.

Over-dyeing One option is to apply another color on top of your temporary color. Artistic director at Lock & Loaded salon in Chicago and hairstylist of the year finalist for the 2011 North American Hairstyling Awards Eli Mancha says that because temporary hair dye only deposits color and doesn’t lift it, dyeing over it shouldn’t be a problem. However, he says to keep in mind that if there is still some of the old color left on your hair, it could affect the results of the new color.

Shampooing Your Hair Shampoo is probably the most obvious method when it comes to removing temporary hair dye. Creative Director of Haig & Co. salon in Philadelphia, Alan Gold, recommends taking a peroxide-based shampoo and mixing it with 20 volume developer. He says to shampoo your hair for 10 minutes to remove the temporary dye slightly. This is particularly effective method if the color was too dark, but will work for just about any situation. Mancha recommends using a clarifying shampoo or Pert Plus shampoo because these are good at stripping your hair. Stripping the hair basically means taking that non-natural color off of your strands.

Using Heat Heat can be an enemy to the hair, especially when it comes to styling products, but in this case, heat can become your best friend. Owner of the Mosaic Hair Studio in Orlando, Florida, Mike van den Abbeel says that one way to quickly remove temporary hair dye is to not only use a shampoo, but to leave the shampoo on the hair and apply heat.. He recommends covering your shampoo-covered hair with a shower cap to keep the heat in and going under a hooded dryer. Abbeel says that the heat opens up the hair’s cuticle allowing the shampoo to remove even more of the color.

Using Alternative Methods A method that most people probably wouldn’t think of is to use your dish soap. Mancha suggests trying Dawn dish soap to speed up the time it takes to remove temporary hair dye. However, he says that you should always condition afterward because dish soap can really dry out the hair. If it’s strong enough for the grease on your dishes, it could be strong enough for your locks. Another alternative method is going into chlorine. Mancha recommends going for a swim or relaxing in a hot tub because chlorine strips away color.

By Violet Kanian / Jul 4, 2011
Original article location: Type F

So you dyed your hair black while you were going through a phase and now you want to be a blonde? Good luck! This requires lots of time and energy and a process known as stripping the hair. This can be very costly and cause a lot of damage to your hair. You should always go to a stylist who knows exactly what she’s doing and don’t forget to check out a few places before you settle on one salon. This is a big process that can either make you look fabulous or make you chop off your hair.

What Hair Stripping Means? You hear it all the time. Your stylist has to strip your hair before he can do anything to it. Eli Mancha, artistic director at Lock & Loaded in Chicago and hairstylist of the year finalist for the 2011 North American Hairstyling Awards, says that stripping hair is basically bleaching the hair to lighten the overall level. This means you brunette-divas trying to see if blondes have more fun.

Stripping Light Hair Being a blonde has its perks. One of them comes when you’re stripping your hair. Mike van den Abbeel, owner of Mosaic Hair Studio in Orlando, Florida, says that unlike brunettes or red heads, blonde hair doesn’t have melanin or pigment in the strands. He says that blonde hair just keeps getting lighter until it’s white during stripping. Jeni Hoover, owner of Pearl Hair & Makeup Studio in Austin, Texas, says that for light hair being stripped, you can apply strawberry blonde, light golden browns and dark golden blonde colors to your hair.

Stripping Dark Hair Stripping dark hair is more difficult. Abbeel says that stripping the hair will also expose undertones, meaning that most brunettes trying to go lighter will first have to tackle that unwanted brassy-orange shade. Hoover says that rich chocolate browns would be great after stripping out unwanted black tones from the hair. Alan G. Eschenburg, creative director of Belegenza in Houston, Texas, says to never, ever apply an ash-toned color on top of stripped brown hair. The orange-brass tones left in the hair mixed with the ash tones will leave you with a disaster.

Warnings Although it may be the only route you can go to achieve that fabulous look you’ve always dreamed of, stripping the hair can cause a lot of damage to your tresses. Mancha says he doesn’t even recommend stripping the hair on previously highlighted or chemically treated hair. He also highly suggests that you don’t try doing the process at home. Alan Gold, creative director at Haig & Co. salon in Philadelphia, says that timing is of utmost importance when it comes to stripping. So, if your stylist isn’t hovering over you throughout the entire process and charging a pretty hefty amount, run the other way and don’t look back.

By Violet Kanian / Jul 4, 2011
Original article location: Type F

Perhaps you’ve wondered why your hair colorist uses a tint on your brown hair rather than a regular dye. Although the difference between hair dye and tint are minimal, there is enough of a difference for a colorist to use one over the other. There are some great colors and tinting products to take your brown hair from drab to fab and fierce. Get ready for a new you.

Differences Between Dye and Tints Sometimes women get confused with terms like tinting and dying. Mike van den Abbeel of Mosaic Hair Studio in Orlando, Florida says that the difference between a tint and color is that tints are temporary colors that last from a few weeks to a few months and color lasts much longer, which is why it is usually known as permanent color. Eli Mancha, artistic director at Lock & Loaded in Chicago and hairstylist of the year finalist for the 2011 North American Hairstyling Awards, says that the main difference between the two is that permanent hair color contains ammonia which opens the cuticle and lifts the natural level. So ladies, don’t freak out if your stylist is about to use a toner. It’s actually better for your tresses.

What a Tint Does? Although tinting the hair and coloring it can be a bit similar, a tint can do some great things for your locks. Mancha says that tinting is a great way to add shine and richness to your hair without the full commitment of a permanent color. Also, he says that you don’t have to worry about the roots growing in because your natural hair is not lifted. Bring on the fabulous hair with little upkeep; the tint basically just washes out. Abbeel says that tints can only deposit color on the hair shaft, but cannot lighten the natural color of the client’s hair. If you want to know if blondes have more fun, this isn’t the way to go. He says that tints are best when you want to change or enhance the tone of your hair. Abbeel says that he uses tints to enhance shine and to change a client’s hair tone. However, tints can make a person’s hair darker without the damage of regular hair dye — a more mysteriously darker and fiercer you.

Best Products? Mike Petrizzi of De Berardinis Salon in New York loves Herbal Essence’s Natural Instincts brand because it’s one of the lowest ammonia drugstore products out on the market. He also says that it gives you a shiny gloss and even helps blend away those pesky grays without overly processing your luscious locks. For a more professional job, Petrizzi recommends Redkin’s Titanium series of color for brunettes. If you’re a budget-savvy diva, Alan Gold, creative director of the Haig & Co. salon in Philadelphia, says that Garnier, Natural Instincts and Frederic Fekkai are great for at-home use. However, he says for a more professional ‘do, see a professional.

Choosing a Color Petrizzi says that if someone is a dark to medium brunette, “using the 6T with 20 volume developer will produce a gorgeous lighter palette that would look stunning with some tawny caramel highlights — think Tyra Banks and Jennifer Lopez.” If that’s what it takes to get tresses like Miss Tyra and JLo, sign up ladies. He says that for beautiful olive skin tones and fierce dark hair, going lighter can often produce not-so-fabulous orange-brass results. “Make sure to use a product that has an ash tone to help negate any unwanted warmth,” says Petrizzi. He says he loves combining 6G and 8GN to achieve a cool gold color, like a “coffee with a lot of milk.” Delish! Gold recommends staying close to your natural base and to complement your skin tones.

By Violet Kanian / Jul 3, 2011
Original article location: Type F

Ladies, your curly hair can be just as fabulous as the next girl’s. Don’t worry too much about the frizz and don’t blame the weather. There are lots of products on the market made just for you. They’ll ease up your frizz and leave your curls looking bouncy and as fierce as ever. You just have to know what to look for.

Gels Providing curls with moisture is uber important. Salon Lofts Building stylist Natalie Clark, in St. Louis, Missouri, highly recommends Deva Curl Angel. She says that it delivers pure moisture and does not flake or build up. She also says that it has the ultimate hold without stiffness. Alan Gold of the Haig & Co. Salon in Philadelphia recommends using gels, creams and pomades over mousse. Veronica Penzone of Beauty by Veronica Salon in Scottsdale, Arizona, says that runny, more watery gel works because it coats the hair more evenly and goes a lot further than a mousse. Her favorite gel is Framesi Forming Glaze because it doesn’t leave the hair crispy or crunchy. Penzone says that the best part is that you can go two or three days before you have to wash or redo your hair.

Mousses Paige Lewis of Hairs to You Salon in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, loves Paul Mitchell’s Awapuhi Wild Ginger Hydrocream Whip. Yep, a whipped cream for your locks. She says that whips are like mousses but more hydrating. “This whip hydrates and smooths you curls with moisturizing awapuhi, while still feeling weightless and looking voluminous,” says Lewis. Ashley Hanna, stylist at Mizu New York, doesn’t usually recommend mousse unless it’s super light and dries without leaving a crunch to the hair.

Drugstore Favorites Hair products can become pretty expensive, so sometimes, running to the drugstore and getting what’s there is your best bet. Hanna loves Twisted Sista Curl Activator and 30 Second Curl Spray. Gold says that drugstore brands like John Frieda’s Frizz Ease can work as well as higher-end brands. Eli Mancha, artistic director at Lock & Loaded salon in Chicago and hairstylist of the year finalist for the 2011 North American Hairstyling Awards, says that for naturally curly and frizz hair, Bumble and Bumble Curl Cautious is a great line.

Ingredients There are some ingredients that can be very damaging to curly, frizzy hair. Clark recommends staying away from all silicone and petroleum-based products because they dry the hair out, leaving you with more frizz than when you first started. Yikes! Gold says that alcohol and sulfates deconstruct curly hair. He says that they dry curly hair, even though curly hair is already drier than straight hair. He says to look for products that nourish and add moisture. By Violet Kanian / Jul 3, 2011
Original article location: Type F