Girls with a lot of natural texture and massive amounts of hair know how hard it is to get a polished look without it looking overdone. Short hair especially is hard to perfect because it's so easy to overuse product, get product buildup, then have completely unmanageable hair. To get the buildup off your strands, use a clarifying shampoo, then follow up with your normal washing/conditioning routine.
Try a product like Aveda's best-selling Control Paste ($22 for 1.7oz). It will give you a polish to your hair styles without making it too shiny, and will also give you a pliable hold. Bonus for this product is there are no synthetic fragrances, so you smell natural and amazing! | 
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| Not everyone wants a soft, feminine haircut. That’s totally okay! You can pull off edgy hair styles and still keep up with current trends by easing up on the product or changing the type of product you use. If you’ve used a glue or wax in the past to get a really piece-y, choppy finish, changing that to a balm or whipped pomade will lighten things up a bit and keep you from looking too harsh (try Aveda’s Light Elements Defining Whip - $24 for 4.1oz). |
| Michelle Williams is pretty much always a fashionista, so you can look to her for some great hair style inspirations. The lighter blonde color all over brightens up her face and having it cut short with her face shape opens up her neck and jaw line and makes the overall look feel more accessible. Heavy bangs subtly layered across her forehead keep the cut from feeling severe and the finishing touches from her stylist round the shape out instead of making it look boxy or choppy. The style is soft and approachable, but still chic. There is natural volume to it, but it doesn't look huge or high maintenance. This hair style is definitely wearable! | 
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| For bob hairstyles for 2011 this cut is a gorgeous option. Chloe Moretz's short bob has full curls at the ends, which gave it a lot of body and volume without having to sacrifice much length. A deeper side part swept across her forehead adds a little mystery and makes it feel romantic. Subtle highlights give the finished hair a glow, and the products used aren't wearing it down at all. It appears to be healthy and full of life; a soft version of past Hollywood starlet hair styles. |
| If you're feeling like you don't want to part with the piece-y look, try adding some volume. The 2011 year is all about hair styles with volume – a lot or a little, or anywhere in-between! Since you chose a short haircut, adding that volume and getting it to stay shouldn't be all that hard. Try using Nick Chavez Beverly Hills Volumizing Extra Hold Spray (approx. $23 for 10oz). If you don't want to spend that much, look for a lightweight volumizing hairspray with good hold. You definitely don't want a thick heavy hairspray bogging down that lift! A little volume can make a huge difference for many short hairstyles for 2011. | 
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| Edgy, no extra volume, piece-y…you want it all. That will work too as long as you create some great texture in your hair to prevent it from looking like it's plastered to your head. Style like you normally would, but instead of making sure every strand is in its rightful place, try breaking it up with your fingers and only using a light hold hairspray to control any fly-aways. Just because you have a classic haircut, doesn't mean it can't be trendy at the same time! To get added texture, experiment with Sebastian's Texturizer (approx. $16 for 5.1oz). |
| If you're the type of girl who likes to be at the front end of the 2011 trend for short hairstyles instead of the backside, you'll want to find short haircuts that give you volume, texture, a soft touchable finish that looks effortless and fresh with color. It's okay to want it all, but have a plan before your stylist starts chopping away! Being familiar with your face shape, body type, the undertones of your skin, and the available time you've got for styling will make a world of difference since there are limitless options. If you're not sure what hair styles will look best, ask a professional. Their business is beauty and they're typically unbiased. Not getting a good answer from your stylist? Get a second opinion. You do it all the time with the doctor, mechanic and other service people, so your hair stylist should be no exception. Asking relatives and close friends can be tricky since their instinct is to tell you that you'll look good no matter what! You can also do a virtual hairstyle. Check out the reviews before you choose a site at Latest-Hairstyles.com. | 
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| Looking for more versatility in a haircut but want to keep it short? Ask for hair styles with longer pieces in the front that you can pull back if you want to. Having that extra bit of length in front serves a few purposes. Not everyone is comfortable with having shorter hair in the front and those longer pieces can help you adjust to a shorter style. Depending on your face shape, they can also help frame your face to create a softer appearance for you. The longer pieces also allow you more styling options with curling, braiding, accessories, etc. If you'd like to add a hairpiece for a night of long hair, there are pieces available that you just clip about halfway up the back of your head. Having longer pieces on top will help make a more seamless transition from your hair to the hairpiece. There are a ton of online companies that sell hair extensions, wigs, and other hair pieces. It's an investment where you get what you pay for, so know what you want and ask questions before you buy. |
| Waxes and pastes are also great products for those with short haircuts. You can purchase one that costs a little bit more to get better results, knowing that it should last you a very long time! In the professional product realm, quality is everything. Because you're getting better ingredients with fewer fillers, you can be assured that using just a very small amount is going to give you a great result. Actually, using less is almost always better! If you aren't following the manufacturer's instructions closely, you may not be seeing the best results from the product. Try using a small amount and you can always add more if you need to. Starting out with too much, however, can leave you with greasy looking or sticky hair. Yuck! Jonathan Product Dirt Texturizing Paste (approx. $14 for 1.7oz) gets great reviews. | 
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| Go all the way up with extreme volume and texture in your style. It takes a brave soul to wear it and if that's you, this is the perfect hairstyle. Use a product like Kenra's Platinum Texturizing Taffy (approx. $16 for 2oz) to get that great texture and weightless feeling without all the product buildup. Depending on your hair's needs, you may also have to use a hairspray or root boosting product to really hold your hair in place. Try to find a product that gets great reviews for being lightweight because the whole point is to keep it looking soft while enjoying the volume and texture. You definitely don't want crunchy or crusty looking hair! |
| It's fun to get spiky sometimes, so if you're feeling it, go for it! Instead of making every strand a spike, soften up the fringe area a little bit. It doesn't have to be perfectly smooth, but give yourself just a little softness around your face then rock the rest out. Use a product like Alterna's Sculpting Putty (approx. $19 for 2oz). You want to use a product that gives you definition and hold, but that's easy to manipulate. | 
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| Hair color changes for 2011 can also make an impact. Color is always a fun thing to play with, especially when you have shorter hair, because it grows out so quickly and you can completely change your look without having to suffer through the trashed hair look. If you've always done the light-on-top look, experiment with a lighter color underneath that peeks out in strategic places from a darker color on top. You don't want it to be symmetrical and perfect – you do want it to be fun and spontaneous! You can go extreme with color selection or you can start out with more subtle variations of your base color. Talk to your colorist about your choices, what will look good against your skin, and what the maintenance will be. You can also visit sites like LorealParisUSA.com to see what the experts have to say about professional techniques! |
