Looking for haircut or hair colour inspiration? We sought the help of the hairdressing elite to compile your ultimate haircare guide for any hair length, hair colour and hair type
What’s hot in hair right now? From choppy pixie cuts to embracing your natural hair texture, individualism to innovative hair colour techniques, we asked the experts for their top hair tips for the haircuts and hairstyles they predict big things for.
Short hair
The look: “The look of the moment is the short choppy haircut, as worn by actress Elizabeth Debicki (Jed in The Night Manager),” says top hair stylist Paul Edmonds . “It’s a modern day Audrey Hepburn.”
The cut: “This effortless and feminine look at the back is short into the nape of the neck, which is really sexy, with a choppy cut through layers on the top and the sides,” says Paul. “For every woman who aspires to have a crop haircut, length should be kept long enough to tuck round the ears if you want a softer look or for something more fashionable, you can sleek the front, back and the sides for your glam evening nights out. The key is that the length is left at the front which gives movement and softness; it also makes the cut more versatile for styling.”
The styling and products: “This style is great for finer hair types. The front can be worn relaxed and loose. Wash with Shu Uemura Muroto Volume Shampoo , £24, to give lift at the root. The Himalayan salts provide essential minerals and volume to the hair. To open the face and to glam up for the evening, the front of the hair can be swept back; I would recommend using Shu Uemura Kengo Feather Styling Cream , £22 for texture or Shu Uemura Detail Master Fixing Spray , £22, to hold in place. Use your fingers to give you the shape lifting where you need to get volume at the root or, if you want a smooth finish, try using a round bristle brush (as this will smooth the cuticle to make it glossy).”
Mid-length hair
The look: “This year, it’s more about individuality,” says Roi Nadin, Head Stylist at George Northwood .
The cut: Hair trends for mid-length hair are currently going through a bit of a transition at the moment according to Roi, with the emphasis being placed on finding a cut that fits you rather than you fitting the cut. “At the SS16 Alexander Wang show, Guido made it so that all of the models came out with different hairstyles, which is really rare - some had a fringe, some didn’t and the textures were completely different.
“In the salon, we’ve brought in the idea of Curated Cuts, in association with Redken - a collaboration between the stylist and client to create a haircut that fits in with how the client dresses and how she lives and thereby allowing her to design the haircut herself to suit her needs,” explains Roi. “It’s very refreshing,” he adds. “Over the last few years, there was such a set look but now people are more rebellious, more grungy - going from an Edie Campbell mullet to long layers.”
The styling and products: The first step lies in understanding your hair’s natural texture advises Roi, in order to find the haircut that will best enhance it. “Everyone needs to put down the tongs and get more into rough drying, as many people don’t know what their hair’s actually like if they leave it,” he says. “If you do use a tong though, use the biggest one and wrap only a few pieces around it. A good example of that is a grunge look - not messy beachy, more, ‘I woke up like this - this is me.’ A really great product for this is Windblown from Redken , £13.65.”
Long hair
The look: Luxe grunge.
The cut: “The nineties are making a comeback and are influencing hairstyles as seen on the catwalk,” says Sam Burnett, top hair stylist and Owner and Creative Director at Hare & Bone . “In styling the Sophia Webster AW16 show, I drew on inspiration from my Luxe Grunge collection which is all about juxtaposition; the idea that a shape can be both square and round at the same time. In playing with these elements, you can guide the eye to different features in the styling. Grungy texture with super luxuriously executed colour partnered with choppy fringes and layered up volume are easy to integrate into your current style.”
Grungy texture with super luxuriously executed colour partnered with choppy fringes and layered up volume are easy to integrate into your current style
The styling and products: “Less is more when it comes to long hair,” advises Sam. “For best results with styling, I recommend washing the hair every 2-3 days as hair is more manageable with natural oils,” he recommends. “For work, keep it chic and no fuss with a simple low ponytail.”
If you prefer it loose though, embrace natural, off-duty texture. “I love the beach ready waves look,” says Sam. “To achieve this, apply KMS Hairplay Sea Salt Spray , £16.50, to damp hair and divide into two sections. Take the first section and twist hair tightly in an anti-clockwise direction. Just before it begins to twist back on itself, pull up over your head to create a milkmaid inspired look and pin in place. Make sure to also pin at the base of the twist to secure it and stop it from unravelling. Repeat on the other side. Leave to air dry and once ready, remove the pins and shake through to reveal beach ready waves. To add more texture or volume, spray hair with dry shampoo for a subtle lift.” We’d recommend COLAB Sheer + Invisible Dry Shampoo in sweet-smelling Tokyo, £3.50, for adding some extra oomph to your finished style.
The faux fringe
Ever wanted to have a fringe, but without the commitment? Well, now you can thanks to the new Faux Hair Service at Hari’s. Working with real hair pieces that are colour matched to your natural hair type and then cut into a fringe, long-gone are the days of dodgy clip-ins that blew off at the first sign of a breeze. They aren’t cheap, but they’re extremely high quality, ensuring that they make for a long-lasting investment. Surprisingly sturdy, despite being secured with just three (comfortable) fastenings, not only do they look like real hair, but they also feel like it too. Plus, they’re also extremely low maintenance, requiring only washing when very dirty and can be easily stored away in a hairnet for safe-keeping - ideal for those who want to experiment with a touch of forehead foliage without the faff, while also being bang on trend (pardon the pun) too.
“Spring summer shows such as Saint Laurent and Vera Wang, showed models wearing varied examples of fringes,” says Craig Taylor , Creative Director at Hari’s Salons . “Saint Laurent models were wearing their fringe in many different guises that were suited to them. Vera Wang models were more uniformed - long, heavy and square. At the Armani, Rebecca Minkoff and Acne shows, faux fringes were cut on models and attached like hair accessories for a dramatic, strong look.”
Afro hair
The look: Natural, untreated and textured.
The cut: Haircuts to increase the manageability and style of your own natural texture - a trend picking up momentum due to the rise in demand for less time-consuming hair services. “People with afro hair have made a shift with their needs,” says top hair stylist Errol Douglas . “They no longer seek chemical treatments, relaxers and texturisers. People are embracing their natural curls.”
The styling and products: “Afro hair loves moisture. Keep it in top condition with regular hydrating treatments,” recommends Errol. “A lack of protein in the hair can cause breakage - minimise this by using a keratin based treatment to help bind the curl. This is also fantastic for eliminating frizz!” Errol’s top product pick? “ Keracare Silken Seal , which is a finishing product that seals the cuticle surfaces to a silky, brilliant smooth finish. It is available in salon for £18.50.”
MORE GLOSS: 20 ways to simplify your afro hair care regime
Hair colour
Blonde hair
For blondes, subtlety is key this season. “I’m a big fan of beautiful, natural looking blonde hair, so Babylights is a favourite of mine for spring,” recommends top hair colourist Jack Howard . “By applying micro balayage or micro foils (this basically means taking super delicate tiny sections to colour in different shades of blonde), you get a really natural looking blonde with not a stripe to be seen. Mix it up with classic balayage and you have a totally 21st century look. Merged techniques really individualise colour and are bespoke to you: think Khloe Kardashian blonde, Kate Hudson and Ashley Olsen. On trend blonde hair needs to look healthy so you can go super blonde if the condition is right, but straw-like dry hair is a no-no – condition is everything.”
Brunette hair
Brunette? Try adding a dose of multi-faceted shine using some clever colour techniques. “Brunettes often stick with one all over shade when colouring but this means a flat brown when you could have a shimmering three-dimensional colour,” says Jack. “I’m using a technique called Tricolour for brunettes because it mimics how your hair would look naturally. By using 3 shades of brunette, each one going 1/4 to 1/2 shade darker from front to back, it gives a natural brunette with tonal definition and depth. For me, cooler and neutral browns are the trend - I can’t think of one brunette I know who likes red in her hair. Think Audrey Tautou, Jane Birken and the brunette Victoria Secret models.
“For darkest brown and black hair, for me it’s all about brown on brown. So, no orange or caramel, just neutral lighter browns in a darker brown base. I call this French brown, it’s beautiful but not try-hard. Think Kim Kardashian’s recent addition of some brown extensions that look super soft.”
Redheads
For red hair, look to the red carpet for inspiration. “The hot look for redheads is ‘Ronze’, a combination of classic red and a bronze brown to get the most natural looking shade you could imagine,” recommends Jack. “It’s an all over colour as seen on Amy Adams, Emma Stone and Jessica Chastain.”
MORE GLOSS: The best makeup for redheads - red hot makeup tips from the pros
Highlights, lowlights and balayage
“Hair colour has never been as exciting as it is right now in terms of trends and micro trends,” says Jack. “There is so much choice and it’s not so much the colours, but rather the ideas - and there are plenty to choose from."
Jack’s pick of the best hair colour buzzwords of the moment
Confused by hair colour? You’re not alone, so we asked Jack to provide his pick of the most on-trend techniques available to ensure you arrive at your appointment completely prepared and informed. “They’re all about placement rather than colour,” says Jack. “It’s up to you to choose which shades to use them with.”
Strobing/New York Lights
“Much like the makeup term, it’s about adding lighter pieces around the face to highlight your cheekbones and eyes. I’ve done New York Lights on Poppy Delevigne who looks effortlessly natural.”
Contouring
“Again, another makeup term - it’s about visually changing the shape of your face with the use of colour to highlight and shadow targeted areas - dark areas are used to narrow and shorten and lighter tones will elongate the face.”
Micro Balayage
“Super tiny pieces of hand painted colour that can add depth or lightness. I love it on blondes but also adore it on brunettes.”
Underlights
“Fun if you have a professional image during the week but want to show off your wilder side at the weekend, underlights are pastel and crazy colours placed cleverly so they don't show until you pull your hair up. We used to call this hidden colour.”
Sombre
“The softer version of ombre, going from darker at the roots to lighter at the ends. It’s super soft and should be more than 3 shades lighter from root to tip. Great for dark blondes, redheads, brunettes and darker browns.”
Lived in colour
“A rooty feel best suited to balayage clients who don't want classic balayage all the way to the root - you place the colour away from the root so it looks slightly grown out when you leave the salon, it has a lived in feel so isn’t for the lady who loves a foil.”
Classic Balayage
“A freehand highlighting technique where colour is hand painted on the surface from root to tip. Have it in place of traditional highlights for a more natural, low maintenance flattering colour – much less uniform and definitely not stripey.”
And for a splash of colour…
Denim is the new blonde, brunette and black. Ideal for those who have an experimental streak, the shade is having a major moment and a new colour menu from L’Oreal Professionnel and Percy & Reed looks set to make the trend fit any hair colour and hair type. With a selection of three colours to suit any skin tone, clients can pick Stonewash (ideal for cool-toned light hair), Indigo (great on dark blondes and brunettes) or Midnight Ink (a gorgeous blue-black that’s suits those with dark skin or dark hair beautifully). If you’ve ever thought about stepping outside of your hair colour comfort zone in an easy but eye-catching way, this could be your perfect match.
Visit percyandreed.com for further information.
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