Super-Hair.Net: Cutting Edge Hair News

Super-Hair.Net

Cutting-Edge Hair News

Toni Marsh has become the standard for Super-Hair in New Zealand -- suggested for our Hot List by a Hair Fan who saw her present the evening weather on the national channel TV-3. Her bangs are sturdy and tough to dislodge. But perhaps turning 40 persuaded Marsh it was time to trim her medium-long hair a bit. After she narrowly missed the AAA Cup playoffs (close enough to crack our Top Ten Tresses list), we were surprised to find Marsh with a slightly flared cut trimmed to her shoulders.

Did Marsh make a good change? Our one-week poll found 68 percent of Hair Fans don't think so (15-7). One voter reluctantly chose the shorter look based on "more body and softness" - but admittedly had a problem with Marsh's hair seemingly appearing more blonde. (Don't blame that on summer sunshine; the right picture was shot as New Zealand had a Southern Hemisphere June snowfall.) We think Marsh's cut reflects a safer approach to neatness. But the hair is still long enough to fall in her eyes, so it's no wonder she's using her ears for protection.

Thanks to all of you who take part in our polls! And we welcome any news tips you have on changing celebrity styles. Contact us at: SuperHair@Gmail.com .

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Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow may have the prime-time publicity. But for some Hair Fans, the real star of MSNBC is daytime news anchor Alex Witt. They're entranced by her thick long blonde hair - but one viewer noted during June it's not quite as long as it used to be. It's been trimmed to a couple of inches below the shoulders, after stretching to near the bust line. So is this trim a bust? Or was Witt wise with whacking a little?

Our one-week poll found a lot of interest in Witt's hair, and 76 percent of voters in favor of the new look (25-8). Several like the change because the ends are "softer and less ragged.... uniform and neater." But one voter declared the longer style "more sultry and headturning." (We also think the left picture shows hair that's so vulnerable, we'd want to reach toward her right eye and try to end Witt's perfect record.) And another one issued a passionate plea to Witt: "Do not cut it any shorter!"

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Courtesy People, Salt Lake Tribune

Elizabeth Smart probably never dreamed of becoming a U.S. national celebrity - but events beyond her control made her one. Her kidnapping, hostage-taking and rescue have become the stuff of books and movies. Smart matured to become a magazine "cover girl" (quite different from many her age), and a college-age speaker against crime. When we saw her in People in the summer of 2008 and realized she attended Brigham Young University, we decided she deserved a place on our Best Manes on Campus list. But when we finally posted her months later, Smart surprised us by displaying a big trim in her long blonde hair at an event in Utah.

Perhaps Smart made a "grown-up" change by cutting back to a bob, but is it a good change? Our one-week poll found three-fourths of Hair Fans like it (15-5) - with one admitting: "This is the first time I have ever voted for a short style, but on her it looks great!" Another supporter suggested Smart's long hair might be on the "baby-fine" side, explaining "shorter adds volume." But one commenter called the change "forgettable and plain jane," calling the longer look "classic beauty." Our pictures suggest the longer style actually might be easier to control, by using the ears and possibly some crimping.

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Courtesy Reporter Caps

Rebecca Jarvis is a would-be "apprentice" who made good. Her resume included financial writing, before placing second on The Apprentice (a version with real people, not the celebrities who tend to dominate now). Then she found work reporting on the markets at CNBC, and began attracting Hair Fans with her styles. Jarvis tends to keep her hair around shoulder-length -- but over the months she's trimmed the look shorter and let it grow longer. So we wondered: do you prefer Jarvis in an "up" or "down" market?

Our six-day poll left little doubt about the trend -- as 84 percent of you want Jarvis to keep the ends down and long (16-3). No one left a comment, but we found ourselves in the minority here. The shorter look seems thicker, firmer and tougher to muss; her longer styles seem downright weak at times (although she uses spray for hold in our picture). But either way, Jarvis is undefeated as far as we know - and part of a very competitive network in terms of good cuts.

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Courtesy ABC/"The View"

The last time we posted pictures of reality TV star Kim Kardashian, the question involved whether she should have added bangs - and most of you said no. Kardashian may have listened, because a spring appearance on The View showed no real sign of them. But then came a surprise, as a picture appeared of Kardashian with much lighter hair. We considered it caramel-brown, but the hosts called it downright blonde. Kardashian explained a photographer had her try on a blonde wig.

But of course, we couldn't resist asking: should Kardashian give this color change a long-term try? This eight-day poll was even more lopsided in favor of the status quo - as 86 percent want her to remain brunette (18-3). One Hair Fan claimed the natural color "goes with her eyes better." Another seemed to anticipate our next Kardashian question - "as long as it stays very long, too." We can't imagine her going shorter. But then, we couldn't quite imagine her with bangs.

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We'll confess it: we've admired the hair of Leeza Gibbons for decades, all the way back to her Entertainment Tonight days. She displays a great deal of thickness, and added wave or curl seems to make her styles indestructibly strong. Current infomercials for SheerCover show Gibbons's hair at its best, and even longer than the look which won her a Crown Award in 2001. But even in the same infomercial (as well as in recent talk show appearances), she shows a short chin-length cut - so we wanted to know which length you think is better for her.

Our one-week poll was close, but ended with 55 percent of voters preferring Gibbons with long hair (11-9). One voter wrote he/she likes "bangs in both cuts, but the shorter one looks like longer locks were hacked off." We agree with the assessment that the short cut is "choppy." And we hope to see Gibbons a lot more than in infomercials, with her always-inviting yet solid hair.

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Right photo courtesy Reporter Caps

A man we know marvels at the sight of CNN Washington correspondent Suzanne Malveaux. "She's pretty," he's told us several times. We can agree with that -- and we think a well-placed hairstyle helps, with curl seemingly bouncing off her shoulders. But recently Malveaux trimmed that look a bit. The cut is only an inch or two, but it makes "long hair" appear short with strands stopping above the shoulders at the neck. On top of that, bangs clearly have been added to the cut.

Has Malveaux messed things up, or made a nice change? Our one-week poll found 62 percent of Hair Fans preferring the shorter style (13-8). No one left a comment explaining why - but we'd note the new look probably is easier to prepare and keep out of her face. Much depends on the strength and the length of those bangs. Our photo leaves us thinking they're strong for holding - but have some drama about whether they're long enough to hit Malveaux's eyes.

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