2008 Hottest Hairstyles for Men!

I always tend to focus more on female hairstyles when writing my blog even though at least half my clientele is male. Maybe this is because the majority of my male clients ask for variations of the same hairstyle (short in the back and sides, and a little longer and messy on top), and very few of them colour their hair. It's not that there is anything wrong with this popular style, but there are many other options when it comes to hairstyles and hair colours for men. I would like to start out by suggesting some alternatives to the standard men's haircut that are still trendy and sexy.

One look that never goes out of style is the buzz cut (as seen on celebs such as Matthew Fox, and David Beckham). This style is clean, simple, requires little or no styling, and works with every hair type. Even though this is a style that you could probably achieve with the help of a friend and some drug store bought clippers, the touch of a professional stylist always helps. Justin Timberlake's cut is an example of a slightly longer version of the buzz cut in which the sides are kept clean and short, but the top and back have been left a little longer. To maintain a very short style like this you will need to visit your stylist every 3 to 4 weeks.

If you don't want to buzz it all off then you could try growing it long. The long hairstyles that are popular today are masculine and well groomed, not like the wild rocker hair that was popular in the 80's. Actors: Josh Holloway and Adrien Grenier, and models: Javier de Miguel and Andres Segura are a few examples of modern long hairstyles for men. Whether you wear it curly or straight, brushed forwards or back the style is more or less the same. The back is cut to around the middle of the neck, and it's slightly layered throughout. Mathias Lauridisen's cut is an example of a variation of the long men's hairstyle in which the back is cut shorter and the front left long. To maintain a longer hairstyle you want to make sure you visit your stylist every 6 weeks.

If you have any specific questions about hairstyles for men then feel free to write me at emily@emilyroop.com

2008 Red Carpet Hair - Simple is "In" for Red Carpet Hairstyles this Year

Whether you're going to your 2008 Grad, the prom, a wedding, or any other Red Carpet Event, the 2008 Oscars shows us that Simple is "In".

The low loose ponytail, featured in the three celebrities (Anne Hathaway, Miley Ray Cyrus, and Cate Blanchett's hair) in the images to the left was a big hit at the 80th Annual Oscars (2008) this year. I like this style because it's very easy to achieve, even if you're doing your own hair at home and this look is elegant yet relaxed.

So, it's apparent that simple is "in" but how do you go about achieving the look of Anne Hathway, Miley Ray Cyrus, or Cate Blanchett in the photos from Oscars 2008. Of these three celebrities, the celebrity that wore the low loose ponytail look the best was Miley Ray Cyrus. Paired with the low backline of her dress, Cyrus's soft waves in the ponytail and loose strands around the face really make this look stand out on her.

For those who have long wavy hair with layers around the face, it's simply a matter of putting your hair in a low ponytail, but for those who don't, there are ways you can achieve this look without going to your hairstylist.

To achieve this look for long & straight haired women, curl your hair with a curling iron before putting it in a ponytail (the curls don't have to be perfect because you're going to put them in a ponytail).

To achieve this look for very curly haired women, before you put your hair in a ponytail, blow dry your hair straight first, then smooth with an anti-frizz syrum. You don't need to flat-iron because you want the hair to still have body.

To achieve this look for short haired women, you can utilize clip-in hair extensions. When selecting a hair extension, choose a color either the same shade or lighter than your current hair color. Your hair naturally lightens towards the ends so a lighter tone will look more natural whereas if you choose a color that's too dark, it will look unnatural.

If you have a specific hair type you need a suggestion with feel free to email me for more direct advice at emily@emilyroop.com

Celebrity Hair Styles

Straight sleek hair is out. Volume is in.

Celebrity's such as Carrie Underwood, Jessica Biel, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Lindsay Lohan are just some examples of the celebrity trend that has been moving away from the straight sleek hair look and more towards the volumized hair look. Whether you're looking for Carrie's ringlets or Lohan's messy natural look, some must haves are a large barreled curling iron and a shine serum (I like to use Silk Touch by N-VIE - it's great for the hair but you can also use it on your skin).

For the curling iron, I would suggest a 1-1/2 inch because it's nice and versatile. You can create different looks depending on the size of sections that you use. A smaller section will create a tighter more defined curl such as Underwood's, a larger section will give you a looser wave such as Lohan's or Biel's. Also, if you brush the hair out after using the curling iron, it softens the look.

A good shine serum is important for anyone living in a city like Vancouver or New York (for anyone with long hair), because it makes the hair soft and controls fizz in our rainy weather.