Your cheat sheet to shedding stubborn pounds without breaking a sweat
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Hellin Kay
"Just as fashion tricks like wearing black or pinstripes make you look slimmer, the right hairstyle can also make your face seem thinner," says star coiffeur Oscar Blandi. "If you have long hair, don't wear it longer than your chest, and create movement with layers that frame your face."
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Hair Slim-Down
Hellin Kay
"Avoid straight lines in your haircuts when you're trying to look thinner," says Blandi. "Rather, create a soft curve around your cheekbones and eyes. We have a tendency to look at the nose and eyes, so when you soften this part of the face, it becomes more attractive and appealing."
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Hair Slim-Down
Hellin Kay
"If you have a round face or you're gaining weight, a straight-across mod bang is the worst thing you can do to yourself," says Blandi. "It's a misconception that bangs will make you look slimmer. Your face really starts from your eye line; you can eat and eat and you won't see your forehead getting wider. Instead, cut bangs gently around your face and cheekbones and watch out for bangs cut too short."
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Hair Slim-Down
Hellin Kay
"If you want to look slimmer, definitely don't go for blunt haircuts like the Louise Brooks–style bob that Katie Holmes and Rihanna have worn," says Blandi. "Instead, opt for a longer, shaggy bob with softness and movement."
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Hair Slim-Down
Hellin Kay
"If you pull your hair straight back, your face looks rounder because the temple is the widest part of your face and the place where you actually gain weight—between your cheekbone and your jawline—is now exposed," says Blandi. "To soften the look, pull some hair down around your cheekbones to create a frame around the face."
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Hair Slim-Down
Hellin Kay
Similar to the half-updo, "if you pull hair back into a severe ponytail, you'll see the gained weight in that telltale jaw and neck area," says Blandi. "When wearing a ponytail, make sure it's soft and high, then play around with what type of fringe looks best with your bone structure."
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Hair Slim-Down
Hellin Kay
"If you want to look thinner, don't wear hair flat, straight, and long," says Blandi. In this look, Lopez adds length to her face by teasing hair up into a high vertical bun. The added height makes her face look slimmer: "It elongates her face and adds visual interest," says Blandi.
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Hair Slim-Down
Hellin Kay
"Color softens up the haircut," says Blandi. Gossip Girl actress Lively is a great example of how highlights can add depth and shape. For Lively's pumped up waves, prep hair with a volumizing shampoo and conditioner and blow-dry with a round brush. After coating strands with a light-hold spray or mousse, curl sections using a large barrel curling iron and brush through. For a va-va-voom finish, backcomb underneath the set using a wide-tooth comb and mist the surface layer with a high-shine spray.
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Hair Slim-Down
Hellin Kay
"The Old Hollywood Veronica Lake look adds weight because the curls are very hard," says Blandi. "Soften the look with subtle waves. It's about proportion. For instance, if you're very short, very large curly hair will add width in a negative way. But if you're taller and wearing, say, an A-line skirt, hair that's worn too tight to the head gives you a bowling-pin figure."
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Hair Slim-Down
Hellin Kay
"Stay away from short haircuts—longer hair is always going to look more slenderizing," says Blandi. But if you've got naturally short hair like Jessica Alba's or just fell victim to a bad haircut, you're not stuck. "Extensions are amazing," says Blandi, noting Alba's recent one-night return to long locks. "We live in an age when you can do anything you want with your hair because of them."