We always seem to look forward to the warmer months ahead… the fun in the sun, lightweight clothing, sandals, shorts, ponytails, and pools! Erin O’Kelley, Miss North Carolina USA 2007, is an exquisite young lady who graces our summer edition with her outstanding good looks and an incredible personality to match. We took her from a glamorous beauty queen to a stunning bathing beauty (who better to show off what’s hot this season). The fun and fresh trend this time of year is easy and free-moving—everything from the swimsuit to the hair is light, airy, and non-constricting. Following in Erin’s footsteps, you too can change your look from curly to straight in a flash with these quick styling techniques.
THE CROWNING TOUCH
Erin’s look is all natural here, with only a staggered part to dress up what is otherwise a straight-ahead look that imparts a timeless, All-American girl-next-door wholesomeness. Nothing is allowed to distract from that impression.
ROLL OUT THE BARRELS
Erin’s long, straight hair is barrel curled into ringlets throughout her head. Each curl enhances her beautifully highlighted locks, while her lowlights add dimension. Simply brush through hair with hands to break apart curls, but allow some ringlets to remain together. Hairspray is lightly misted over the entire style. From underneath, scrunch the roots to add height to this look.
A CLEAN SWEEP
This softer, more casual look is an easy transition from the “barrel-curled” style. We simply smoothed the curls out with a soft bristol brush, leaving a few twists around her neck and collarbone to draw attention upward. The use of polishing milk helped us control loose ends and tame the curls into a touchable, side-swept effect. We also used a mega-shine, mega-hold hairspray to preserve the tresses around her face.
BRUSHED ASIDE
Using the side element of our previous side-parted design to create this one, we merely teased Erin’s hair underneath, then brushed it up and away from her face to show off her incredible eyes. We pulled her lingering curls out with pomade to form a flexible wave and fastened it into an unrestricted ponytail. Finally, we finger-lifted the roots in front while applying hairspray.
PARTING SHOT
For this flirty, fun, face-framing hairdo, we completely brushed out all product, then made an ear-to-ear part to separate this section of hair from the foundation of the style. The residual locks were then parted off from ear-to-ear on the upper nap of the head, teased on the crown, and then smoothed over and secured with a petite covered hair band. The leftover front section is parted precisely down the middle and tucked behind her ears.
BRAIDED WITH PANACHE
Braids in the summer are durable and appealing… if you wear them with panache. Erin’s features are liberated when her mane is pulled off her face. To add structure to a basic braid, we heavily teased the hair at the front to create height and smoothed it over into a French braid guided to one side. We used mega-shine spray to add hold and luster.
CREDITS Model: Erin O’Kelley – Miss North Carolina USA 2007 and Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2001
Bikinis: Tribal Island Wear – designer Alexandra Grotta, tribalisland.com
Hair & makeup: Michelle Prince – Master stylist, professional makeup artist
Assistant: Cari Robertson – A Show of Hands Salon, Asheville, NC
Photography: Kristianna Nichols, KristiannaFN@aol.com
Kristianna Nichols is one of the country’s new beauty experts. She is a former Mrs. America, NFL cheerleader, professional model, and commercial actress. Kristianna has had her own TV talk show and was a popular entertainment reporter for the NBC affiliate in Indianapolis. She has hosted many TV shows, from “Mainstreet USA” to “On The Move.” She is the president and CEO of Noble Tress beauty company and the inventor of “Kristianna’s Crown.”
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