A look at what’s new for hair hues.
The last two years have brought myriad changes, especially with personal grooming. One big change had many women coming to terms with their roots, that is the roots of their hair. When salons were shut down, there was a big shift in hair care routines— colour, cuts, or both. All of which made people reassess their hair care practices, even once salons reopened.
Cindy Duplantis, brand ambassador and celebrity stylist for Chatters, says that though during lockdown people let their roots grow in, afterward many decided to stay with their natural hair colour.
“Coming back to the salon, we did many looks to try to blend their natural hair into their previously coloured hair, so they can grow in their natural state completely,” she recounts. “Or they choose a colour, like balayage that essentially shows the roots, so it is a lower maintenance hair colour.”
Joannie Blais, Portfolio Colorist for L’Oréal Professionnel, agrees that “for some women, lockdown was the opportunity to finally make the big comeback to their natural colour.”
For the most part, Blais found that though customers were eager to return to the salon they were more relaxed about waiting to have their colour touched up, not concerned about waiting a week or two longer, and many opting for techniques that minimize the look of root regrowth and protect the colour.
“Consumers are looking to colour their hair where it does not demand too much care,” confirms Melissa Tedeschi, brand expert for Kérastase Canada.
Be it for brunettes or blondes, it’s all about softening the transition from roots to the rest of the hair keeping colour looking good longer between treatments.
“The biggest shift in hair trends is embracing your natural colour and a rooted look, like balayage for example,” says Duplantis. “For dark hair, I find that many are making their colour richer and [with] warmer tones. To complete the look, many are using colour glosses to enhance shine such as Redken Shades EQ.”
Tedeschi agrees saying that brunettes are now embracing their dark hues for lower maintenance and a natural look. “The trends today are oriented more on a tone-on-tone look.”
Blais adds that she’s seeing the use of dark colours with an “ash smoky tone” which creates a more natural looking colour.
For those wanting to go lighter, highlights are taking a softer approach too with colour starting farther from the root base.
“The look now is more of a melting placement which means the highlights begin mid-length to create a natural look,” says Tedeschi. Using highlights to create a contouring effect around the face is another popular look. “[It] gives a sun kissed look and a beautiful glow,” she says.
Warmer, golden tones are on trend for blondes. According to Blais, silver, ashy blonds are ou with golden blondes making a big comeback.
Along with the shift with colour trends came new maintenance products to care for coloured hair and prolong the colour.
“The biggest innovation this year is certainly Metal Detox by L’Oréal Professionnel” asserts Blais. “Metal Detox is a product that is used during the colour service that will aim to neutralize the metals in the hair, thus allowing a more … (uniform) colour result, a more equal lightening and healthier hair.”
Duplantis adds that there are at-home treatments, shampoos and conditioners that help hold the richness of the colour and points to products such as MATRIX Total Results Keep Me Vivid Shampoo and Conditioner or Moroccanoil Color Depositing Mask.
And just as hair colour techniques have seen a refresh, so have cuts. The big trend is layers which can be enhanced with colour.
“Layers are trendier than ever,” Blais says. “Whether it's the shag haircut, the mullet or the mix of both—the wolf cut—everyone can find their look. It's definitely these types of haircuts that I'm doing more and more in salon these days.”
Duplantis agrees that the modern-day shag is the cut of the moment. “This cut is gorgeous. It looks great on all hair types and lengths.”
Whether opting for something new or going for a tried-and-true technique, Blais says, it’s all comes down to personal choice and confidence.
“We must remember that the priority is the customers happiness, so no matter the technique used, if my client feels beautiful inside and out, it's mission accomplished.”