Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Oscar trends most likely to be seen around CLT

(Full disclosure: This mainly has to do with hair and makeup, as dresses are entirely their own category. Though, not sure about anyone else, I preferred a lot of the "after-party" gowns to what was worn on the red carpet. But that's another story...)


Soft, unstructured and sweet. These are elements from the 2014 Oscars that local experts believe will carry forward, particularly in Charlotte.

 There’s always at least one beloved or trending element - hair, makeup, dress style - that gets recreated by the masses after the red carpet gets rolled back up.

Old Hollywood glamour is expected to be a big request with everyone from women attending special events to teens for the upcoming prom season.

Sandra Bullock, Kate Hudson and Jennifer Lawrence were the celebs named most frequently by local stylists for representing the night’s best.


“Everything was sweeter this year, very soft and ethereal looking, almost like it could have been from ‘Frozen’,” said Tonya Reid, owner and stylist at T. Reid & Company in Dilworth.

A refreshing change from the perfect doughnut buns and sky-high ponytails of past seasons were the long, relatively simple styles at the Oscars, Reid said.

“I noticed the trends are changing, things are not as severe.”

The hair
“Every year, post-award season, we definitely see more and more photos coming in of celeb styles from different red carpet looks,” said Terra Hines, stylist at Varji & Varji Salon & Spa in SouthPark.

The Academy Awards appear to be the event that bring out elegance in the stars, Hines said, noting  Margot Robbie was another who wore their hair in a way she believes will be replicated around Charlotte in the coming months.

“The biggest trend that I noticed this year were the stars wearing their hair down, curled and either pinned and tucked to the side or tucked behind an ear,” she said.



This trend isn’t entirely new, Hines said, but a recurring classic. Last year, she had several clients request similar side-swept, curled looks, particularly the style Jennifer Lopez wore at the 2013 Golden Globes, she said.




But the loose, long curls and wavy styles will be considerably different among the younger crowd, Hines said, after requests for lots of braids dominated prom season in Charlotte. “When it comes to prom last year, the largest influences came from “The Hunger Games” styles.”

Reid doesn’t believe braids have come to an end, but will be a way for the prom set to give texture to the side-swept styles. “Or you could put a pretty brooch or something sparkly (where the hair gets secured at one side), which could really play it up,” she said.

"Or y could take that side of the hair and do a chain of knots or loops ... There are ways you could make it a little more interesting,playful and youthful."

For those with shorter hair, local experts said Jennifer Lawrence's red carpet pompadour up-style impressed on a number of levels.

Chelsea Below, a stylist with Shine Salon in Elizabeth, said the volume in the front JLaw’s 2014 Oscar style “was really different” and gave great inspiration for a formal, but playful and temporary, change.



“We’re seeing a trend toward shorter styles. That (could) be a challenge with prom to see how to change it up.”

And volume isn’t just for those with shorter hair, Below said, but all lengths and ages. “We’re seeing a lot more volume than a couple years ago. Instead of sleek, straight hair, there’s move volume, waves, (in styles) up or down.”

Jennifer Misenheimer is one of two stylists at Escape Hair & Skin Studio in SouthEnd who mainly does special occasion styles,  such as prom and weddings. Hands down, Lawrence wore the next hottest trend with her tousled crop, Mishenheimer said.

“It’s between a bob and pixie cut, between the shoulder and jawline,” she said. Unlike a traditional bob, the perimeter of trending crop cuts remains one length with choppy, textured layers.

JLaw also disproved the misconception that updos are impossible with shorter lengths, Misenheimer said. “There are a lot of interesting new twists to put waves in and tease short hair."


“With the shorter haircut, we’re starting to see a lot of clients warm up as celebrities do it. There’s been long hair for awhile, and it will stay a trend, but my more fashion-forward clients are going towards these cuts.”

Especially for those who dare the seriously short styles, Misenheimer said, hair accessories are expected to grow in popularity, thanks to Lupita Nyong’o’s “fabulous” jeweled headband.



The Makeup
What was noticeable about Oscar makeup is that it wasn’t, said Kenna Ehman, a stylist and makeup artist at the Hearst Tower location of Modern Salon & Spa.

“In general there were a lot of very soft nude lips, not a lot of blush, but very natural,” she said.

Proving popular was an abundance of “really accentuated” lashes - real or false - with smokey eyes using natural tones of shadows or cat eyes using only liner and no shadow, she said.

“Very pretty but not over the top, it looks like they did their own hair and makeup even though you know they didn’t,” she said. “It’s very re-creatable, which is awesome.”

Misenheimer agreed, citing Bullock again as an example. “You didn’t see very bold looks, everyone was looking more natural, with softer looks.”

And the men?

"I'm not sure about men with hombre hair," Misenheimer said with a laugh.
"But if anyone can do it, Jared Leto can," she said of his subtle two-tone locks.



Another surprising trendsetter for men was Johnny Weir and his pompadour, Misenheimer said.



"Johnny looked quirky and right on trend." She's noticed a number of male models who have updated the style of shorter/shaved on the sides with a longer, often slicked-back length over the top turning to blow-outs for yes, more volume.

Expect to see more pompadour in edgier men's fashion, she said, and even on the local hipster scene.

Honorable mentions

Color has to be considered, Misenheimer said, citing Liza Minnelli's cobalt blue streak and Kelly Osbourne's continued work in pastel lavender.

"How bold is that to wear something like that to the Oscars, where it's all glamour? Those two were great."


While pastels have been popular in hair for some time, Misenheimer said she expects to see more bold colors like Minnelli's, as a nod to the returning  90's styles, particularly in Charlotte.

"I've got clients wanting streaks and panels of bold colors. It's right on trend."

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