We are sad to announce that long time PRiME contributor, celebrity hair stylist and entreprenuer Paul Labrecque has submitted his last article for Prime Women. He has written a number of wonderful pieces on hair styles, hair color and hair care for our readers and will be greatly missed. Please take a few moments to read his parting message to all of us below. As usual, Paul’s advice is spot on. We wish him all the best.
To all the readers of Prime Woman,
Over the past three years it has been my pleasure to help you with hair dilemmas, style advice and the journey of your beauty discovery. Style to me has always been a very personnal journey, and though I shared with you the insight of my thoughts in our ever-evolving lives, they were never intended to limit or harness your own creative journey.
We all spend hours looking at the perception of beauty.
As I leave you all, I want you to remember that these perceptions are also created by minds and people in offices somewhere – probably also living out a fantasy of what they wished to be. We seldom see a speck of gray, a shadow of a wrinkle, or a bulge of skin, thus making this perception of beauty so unattainable for most.
I hope that all my readers know that beauty and fashion come from within, nothing is definitive, and style is created by everyone. As a hairstylist, we have always called this street fashion, and living in two great cities for the last 35 years, I have seen and been inspired by so much of it. Created and worn by beautiful people just like you.
In talking about hair, I will leave you with a few things that I have learned over the years.
Shape
Know your face shape, if it’s round or square or pear shaped, own it.
Having softness cut into your hairstyle at the widest parts of your face will make you feel the sexiest, so leave a few wispy and broken pieces that add to a hairstyle’s sexiness.
Color
For color, you have to look no further than staring into your own eyes:
Mine are blue. They are cool, and when I look into the mirror they have specs of silver running through. What this tells me is that my skin tone looks best in cooler colors. A little silver is okay, so I can embrace aging. Lucky me.
If your eyes are brown with specs of amber, a coppery red would be fab for highlights. Or, maybe your eyes are hazel with undertones of yellow. How fabulous you would look in buttery blonde!
Length
Short hair is not for everyone, but if it’s for you – wear it. Remember perfectly placed hair looks too “tried.” That toussled hair sets you apart, so cut in the texture. If you feel too exposed at first, then wear a little more makeup. Short hair is every bit as feminine as long hair.
The antithesis of this is long hair. It used to be that 40 was the cut off. I always tried to tell the reader that their is no magic number. That length is yours and yours alone to determine. Keep only in mind hair quality, and what looks fitting to a face that is ever evolving. Layers are a great way of adding movement and reducing frizz.
Conditioning
As we age, because gray hair is less elastic and more prone to frizz even when we color it, keep your chemical treatments to a few, and your conditioning treatments to the max.
Challenges
To all my dear readers who in their prime have had the hurtles of cancer, remember eyeliner can become your lashes, wigs and great bandanas can keep you feeling sexy. And yes, looking your best is a means to keeping your mind strong. Don’t be too proud to reach out. You can find me online and I am here for you.
And so this is it for now. I’m signing off for the time being while I travel and pursue new avenues.
I leave you with my favorite 3 words in beauty. Simple, Sexy, Sophisticated.
When your beauty regimen appears untried, you will always be the woman who will turn heads.
Sincerely,
Paul Labrecque
www.paullabrecque.com
