How Slick Hair Became the Supermodel’s Answer to Beach Waves

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There’s hardly a better signifier of a sunny day well spent than a finger-combed mess of windswept waves, but leave it to the street style set to spark a party-ready hair trend that adds a bit of polished yin to all that beachy summer yang: slicked-back hair that conjures up lazy poolside chic and ’80s-inspired power glamour in equal measure—while requiring little more than a fine-toothed comb and a dollop of gel to perfect.

It all began with Kendall Jenner and Joan Smalls, whose minimalist hair at Canneslast month looked like they had taken a quick dip in the Riviera before diving into their gowns, while Toni Garrn recently took the style into hard-edged Helmut Newton territory with a liquid off-the-shoulder dress in Monaco.

But for all its ocean-fresh appeal, the clean sweep feels just as right for an evening in the city: Josephine Skriver and Stella Maxwell wore the style on the red carpet in Manhattan this week, proving the look pairs just as nicely with clean skin and a floor-length dress as a smudge of eyeliner and an androgynous tux.

Just in time for a steamy Saturday night, here’s to summer’s coolest shortcuts to high-impact hair.

JUNE 11, 2016 8:00 AM by SOPHIE SCHULTE-HILLEN

The History of Flower Crowns and the Women Who Wore Them: From Frida Kahlo to Kate Moss

Few accessories have aroused such commentary, for and against, than the flower crown, so trendy of late among the neo-hippie festival crowd. Despite detractors, these decorative headpieces, whose history in mythology and art can be traced back to ancient civilizations, show no signs of fading from favor. Not only was actress Fan Bingbing a flower-crowned vision on the red carpet at Cannes this week, but, thanks to a new exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden, Fridamania (appreciation of the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, who often wore flowers in her hair) is raging.

It’s a look that has roots. In agrarian societies, tied to the land and the seasons, flower crowns had great symbolic meaning. Worn for practical and ceremonial reasons, they could illustrate status and accomplishment (Olympic olive wreaths). The language of flowers and herbs was well-known, with each carrying its own meaning (“There’s rosemary, that’s for remembering. Please remember, love. And there are pansies, they’re for thoughts,” says Ophelia in Hamlet.) Full of significance, floral headdresses were woven into the social and dress traditions of places as distant as Russia and Hawaii.

With increasing industrialization the flower crown became a romantic sign of the simple “country” life (longed for, in a stylized version, by Marie Antoinette) and increasingly appreciated for its decorative value. While brides continued the ceremonial traditions of flower-wearing, it was the earth-mother hippies who have most influenced the accessory’s current incarnation. Finding themselves partying rather than plowing, these flower children would truss their slept-in hair with wildflowers to signify their connection to nature.

View image slideshow here.

How often should you really wash your hair?

Once a week, every day – there always seem to be conflicting advice on how often we should be washing our hair. When it comes to answering this age-old beauty question, we turned to celebrity hairstylist Maranda whose client list includes Olivia Munn and Catherine Zeta Jones. "On a general note, it’s not good to wash your hair too often because you remove too much of the hair's natural oils,” she explains. “Hair will eventually get used to not being washed as often - it almost starts cleaning itself!” So how much is too much? Here’s what you need to know for you and your hair type.

Fine Hair

Many people tend to wash their fine hair quite often since it can get very oily and limp. However, Maranda suggests that it’s better to wash it every 2 to 3 days. To control that oil in-between washes, use a dry shampoo on your roots.

TIMOTHY'S SUGGESTION: Densite Shampoo paired with Lait Vital Conditioner (Kerastase)

Thick, Curly and Coarse Hair

Maranda gives the same recommendation for these hair types as well. Curly and coarse hair has a propensity for dryness and washing them too much can just make that problem worse. Besides, curls tend to get better a few days after washing.

TIMOTHY'S SUGGESTION: Discipline Shampoo & Masque (Kerastase)

Colored Hair

This hair type definitely dries out with too much shampooing so Maranda suggests limiting your wash sessions to once a week. “Just give it a rinse and apply some conditioner,” she says. “This will help preserve the hair color and prevent it from drying out.”

TIMOTHY'S SUGGESTION: Full Shimmer Shampoo & Conditioner (Shu Uemura)

5 Foods for Healthier Hair

We all know hair products are a quick solution for damaged hair, but if you really want to improve the health of your hair, it may be time to change up your diet. Here are the best foods to eat for stronger, healthier hair. 

Dark Green Vegetables
Dark green vegetables like broccoli, kale and spinach are high in vitamins A and C, which help produce healthy oils in your hair that strengthen and add shine, basically like a natural conditioner.

Walnuts
If you have dry hair, add walnuts to your diet. They’re high in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E that help hydrate your hair from the inside out.

Bean Sprouts
If your hair breaks easily, add some bean sprouts to your diet. They contain silica, which strengthens your hair and also prevents breakage.

Carrots
This root vegtable contains beta carotine, which can help your scalp produce hair-sustaining oil. 

Eggs
Not only are they delicious, but eggs can help combat thinning hair because they contain sulfur, which promotes hair growth and improves blood circulation to the scalp. Plus, they contain other healthy hair vitamins like biotin and B12.

Choose Beautiful

As part of its "Choose Beautiful" campaign, Dove visited five cities around the world (San Francisco, Shanghai, Delhi, London, São Paolo) and presented two entrance options for women based on how they view themselves. People could walk through the door labeled "Beautiful" or enter through the "Average" door.

At first, most of the women choose the average pathway, but as the video progresses, more and more women work up the courage to take the beautiful route.

One woman who chose the "Beautiful" door describes the experience as "quite a triumphant feeling. It was like telling the world, 'I think I'm beautiful.'"

Who knew the simple task of choosing an entrance could be so empowering? Watch the video for yourself below.