A round of applause for Alicia Keys. The mommy songbird revealed a new look yesterday via Instagram, and we are loving it. The diva, who was once known for her signature braids, has most recently been rocking lengthier tresses, but fans can say goodbye to both of those. The photos featured her new mid-length sleek bob and several other pics of the same ‘do in a funky, curly coif. I drool. You drool. We all drool for expertly sheared curly cuts. Sans the magical hands of celebrity stylist Tippi Shorter, the guru responsible for the look, how does one achieve a chic, multi-textured cut like Alicia? Here’s how.
1.Your stylist must understand how to work with multi-textured hair. You’ll want to possibly employ a cutter for this one – a stylist trained in modern techniques of cutting. He or she should also know how to professionally style natural hair. Most curlies are hiding 2 – 3 different textures within one head and your stylist should know how to address that.
2. Curly or straight? Figure out how you’ll be primarily wearing the style. Always have your stylist cut your style for straight hair, if that’s how you’ll be wearing it most of the time. It’s much easier to manipulate curls in a style that’s been cut to be worn straight. Vice versa is a nightmare, and you can’t hide mis-matched lengths with sleek tresses.
3. Consider how your pattern springs. Kinky hair can tend to grow upward. Curly hair grows out and wavy hair tends to loosely fall. If you’re intending on wearing your style in its natural state, cut while dry and minimally styled, because this is the way the cut will actually look once you’ve washed and styled it. If you attempt to cut it while it’s wet and drawn up or stretched out, you run the risk of tailoring your cut to a style that you don’t actually wear.
4.Get a tapered look: Don’t be afraid of a little buzz. Short curly ‘dos are even sexier with a neat, tapered neckline. It instantly takes you from shag to chic.
