A good stylist should consider your face shape before snipping away

With the New Year upon me, I decided to do something a little different with my hairstyle. Honestly, there are so many talented stylists in town that it’s hard for me to name just one, but the experience I had a couple weeks ago left me feeling like a fabulous celebrity!

Scott Reynaud owns Jupiter Salon (1100 Tchoupitoulas St., 304.4752) a one-chair salon that only takes five clients a day, allotting time for Scott to give incredible private, individual service (in my case, cut and color in a three-hour block of time!). Trained in the United States, Vidal Sassoon in London and the infamous Dessange Salons in Paris, Scott told me that the French train you to cut hair as a tailor would cut a suit. Meaning his haircuts are designed for your face shape, not Jennifer Aniston’s. When I walked out with my newly layered hair, I felt not just sexy but a little renewed and relaxed from all the personal attention.

Here are some tips on finding the most flattering haircut for your face:

The Most-Flattering Haircut on Everyone
Shoulder-length is universally the most flattering hair length. Think about it: No matter how tall or short you are, no matter how plump or narrow your face, no matter how frizzy or curly your locks, you will look good in shoulder-length hair.

Who Can—and Can’t—Go Long?
Long hair means below the shoulders. Women who generally shouldn’t go long are short people (you’ll forever look 12) and women with long, narrow faces. Women who look fabulous in long cuts tend to have oval or square faces (think Demi Moore and Gwyneth Paltrow).

The One Long Cut That’s Universally Flattering
The V-cut is long in the back and shorter along the sides. (No not a mullet!) Envision the sweeping layers of Goldie Hawn, Courtney Cox and, yes, Jennifer Aniston. This cut works because the length is in the back and not around the face. Lip-and chin-grazing layers on the sides add to the sexy allure.

The Basic Do’s and Don’ts for Short Hair
Short hair comes in a variety of lengths, so it’s good to consider your best and worst features. First, consider your height. Super-short hair on very tall women can look too masculine or very powerful (depending on how you see it). Short hair on round faces makes the face appear fuller; a more flattering look would be styles that fall below the chin. If your jaw is pointy, you don’t want hair that falls right at the chin. Got great eyes? Consider short hair with side-swept bangs that hit right at the eye line.

Why It’s Important to Consider Hair Type
What kind of hair do you have? Dry, coarse, curly, thin, stringy, limp, oily, wavy, fine? If you have thin, stringy limp hair, it will look fuller the shorter it is. Coarse and curly need to weigh hair down with length: The shorter you go, the higher the frizz and fluff factor. As for bangs, if you have curly, coarse hair, cutting in bangs is an invitation to frizz. Straight hair can fall flat, but cutting in layers adds body.

Big Bang Theory
Smaller forehead? Consider long bangs that start further back on the head. Bigger forehead? Bangs balance out the look. When bangs are longer at the temples than in the middle, they are very flattering. Remember, a good haircut can mask your less-flattering features and promote your best assets!