If you, like me, read a lot of the glossy magazines, you'll have noticed that a number of female celebrities have said goodbye to their long locks in favour of a shorter cut.

And while this could be your short cut to hair heaven, you need to make sure that your style says fashion forward rather than frumpy.

The shorter hairstyle has been adopted by a huge number of stars over the decades, including the unforgettable Marilyn Monroe. But styles change with the seasons, and while Marilyn's style may be called timeless by some, if you tried to imitate her hairstyle today, you're likely to end up looking more like your Nan.

This is because while the fashions of the fifties and sixties were all about sleek, shaped hairstyles, the trend now is for a much more relaxed and messy style altogether. Have a quick search through some of the glossies, or on the internet, and you'll see what I mean; your hair needs to look like you've put some effort in, but you're not worried about having every single hair pinned into place.

Hair Type

Your first consideration when having your locks lopped off should be what will suit your particular hair type. As everybody’s hair is slightly different, this is best decided between you and your stylist, but it’s best to have a basic idea before you head to the salon.

If your hair is very fine, it may be wise to look at how the stylist can give your hair some extra body and volume by chopping layers in.

Use products specifically designed to thicken your hair, such as Kerastase Resistance Volumactive Masque.

Thick hair

The opposite obviously applies if your hair is very thick. By cutting thick hair shorter, you can end up with an unmanageable mop top if you’re not careful. If you have thicker hair and want to wear it shorter, ask your stylist to thin it out – this will make it much easier to style and leave you less prone to bad hair days.

Razor cutting ( thinning the hair with a razor blade) gives your hair a choppier style than a standard scissor cut. Your stylist will be able to assess your hair type, as well as other important factors like face shape, before advising you on what’s best for your hair.

Keep it looking salon fresh

Now it’s all very well having your hair cut short, but what can you do to make sure that your new style stays fresh and funky once you’ve left the salon? There are a few good products on the market that can help you to keep your new style looking sharp and sassy.

The slightly messy, ruffled-up look is always a winner, but you need to use a product that makes you look like you’ve just got out of bed, as opposed to looking like you’ve been dragged backward through a hedge. The best products are those that give you a bit of hidden help – products that do their job but make your hair look completely natural.

A light matte holding product that will give your hair extra ‘oomph’ without leaving any trace is Tigi’s Hard To Get Texturizing Paste. By working a small amount of the paste through your hair you can separate out individual pieces, to take you from prim and proper to punky and funky in a matter of seconds.

Or, if you really want to look like you’ve just rolled out of bed, then Tigi’s Bed Head Wax Stick is perfect – it can be used on layers or on the ends of hair to give your new style a fabulous finish.

Whatever hairstyle or product you choose, I hope your short cut leads to happiness.