Bold, Instagram-ready hair trends have dominated over the past few years – think unicorn colours, hair down to the hips, wigs and blunt cuts – but the latest trends are all about subtlety and nuances of the cut, style and colour which help achieve a sophisticated, effortless finish.
But what are these nuances? We spoke to celebrity hairdressers John Vial and Belle Cannan, cofounders of Chelsea-based Salon Sloane, to explain more…
Cut
When cutting hair, says John, the natural texture is everything, and your stylist absolutely needs to take this into consideration – is it naturally blunt, soft, layered, is it graduated or is it a combination of them all? This will then influence how the stylist cuts your hair and what styles can be realistically achieved.
For example – most hair should be cut wet, but curly hair should always be cut dry. Fine hair requires a more blunt cut, as this will ensure maximum shape. By contrast, thick hair needs to be layered to remove bulk. Or perhaps your hair is somewhere in between – in which case, your stylist needs to take a personalised approach.
Colour
Belle insists that the nuances of colour make all the difference between average-looking hair and luxe-looking hair. When it comes to colouring your hair, tone is everything – find out what tone you are, spend time experimenting with what complements your skin tone. Be prepared to tell your stylist what colours you love to wear, and even show them pictures of outfits where you feel the colour particularly suited you.
Look for salons who will create a bespoke colour for you, that factors in both your skin colouring and also your lifestyle. For example, it is much harder to keep strawberry blonde and ash blonde looking fresh that it is a golden blonde, so if you're choosing one of the former, you have to be able to commit to more upkeep.
Style
When it comes to styling your hair, John recommends researching modern techniques that will take your blowdry from overly primped princess to a luxurious, low-fi look.
For example: if you're wearing a wavy style, make sure the ends stay straight – this will make the blowdry look modern; too much volume and lift at the root on a beach-wave look tips you into old-fashioned territory and poker-straight hair can look flat and too 90s without a slight lift at the root.
John gave us two very simple, at-home styling tips to keep hair looking modern:
Always point the nozzle of the dryer down on the hair to make it extra glossy
When using a tong, wrap the hair two inches from the roots and work down to the ends, as opposed to beginning from the ends.
Condition
Hydrated, glossy and healthy-looking hair is a huge trend right now. So it's time to start taking extra care of your hair – use a nourishing hair mask like the Philips Kingsley Elasticizer at least once a week and make sure to use a good thermal spray like ghd Heat Protect Spray before using any styling tools.
If you want to take the condition of your hair to the next level, you might want to invest in a salon treatment. Salon Sloane have recently launched a new, innovative treatment called Hair Filler. It's a regenerative treatment that includes the purest form of 100 per cent Hydrolysed Keratin – a substance comprised of hair-enhancing protein and minerals – which penetrate the hair shaft and 'fill' in the gaps left by breakage on weaker strands and over-processed hair.
The treatment also works to repair the cuticles and refill the keratin which has reduced over time, so hair is left shiny, soft and strong. Salon Sloane recommends a course of three for best results and prices start at £60.
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