Spring is the perfect time for deep cleaning, a wardrobe overhaul and a fresh look. The easiest way to change up your appearance? A flirty new haircut, style or color! We asked the pros which looks stylish women are requesting this season and how you can make one of these gorgeous hair trends work for you.
Soft Bangs
Amy Abramite, national artist and creative director for Chicago’s Maxine Salon, predicts you’ll be seeing a lot of Dakota Johnson-inspired bangs this spring.
“The texture is soft and piece-y and the shape is shorter in the center and angles longer toward the brow,” Abramite says. “They can be worn parted in the center to open the face, or as a full fringe for more coverage.”
To get Johnson’s long layers, Abramite suggests styling hair with a large barreled curling iron for a casual wavy texture. “Her color technique is a classic thinly woven foil highlight with warm caramel tones to add dimension, bringing attention to the layers and movement of the fringe,” she says.
Pixie Cut
At Andreas Hogue Salon in Northbrook, women are chopping their long locks for a Mia Farrow-esque pixie. This cut is one length around the head and clean around the neck and ears, with lots of texture used to create movement.
Shoulder-Grazing Bob
No matter what you call it—the lob (long bob), blunt bob or wavy bob, this Taylor Swift-inspired shoulder-length style is spring’s most requested hair look. Taking the shoulder bob one step further, many women are styling the bob into beachy waves.
Andreas Hogue, stylist and owner of the eponymous salon, points out, “This look is very popular in Hollywood, and many of our clients want to try it for themselves because it’s easy to style and maintain at home.”
Abramite also receives numerous requests for this much buzzed-about look. To create the style, she creates a deep side part for a dramatic swept bang creating maximum coverage across the forehead. The waves are achieved by using a medium barrel curling iron with the ends left out for a separated look.
“Sombre” Color
Last year was all about ombre. In 2015, expect “sombre” color. “It’s the latest version of ombre, but it’s softer and more subtle,” says Hogue. “The color softly transitions from dark to light (scalp to ends) and works for all hair colors. There are many techniques used to create the look. I prefer to use multiple pony tails during the coloring process positioned through the head, which diffuses lines and achieves the soft, natural-looking transition of color.”
Loose, Low Ponytail
While in New York for Fashion Week, Brenda Bonomo, stylist and salon educator at Glencoe’s Pascal Pour Elle, spotted this loose, natural style. At the salon, the look is recreated by wrapping hair around a waving iron. A texturing product, such as Resurrection Style Dust, is applied to the roots to create an effortless, undone look.
Long Boho Waves
For those with long hair, Boho waves (a la model Chrissy Teigen) are huge for spring. Face-framing layers create a side fringe that sweeps hair away from the face. “The waves are created with a small-barreled curling iron in a twisting pattern known as a rope wave. It puts a crimp in the curl, making it look like a glamorous finger wave when brushed out with a paddle brush,” Abramite explains. “Teigen has beige balayaged highlights for a natural highlighted effect, and her side bang has an accentuated balayaged piece starting skinnier towards the root and getting wider as it travels down the hair for an extra pop of color.”
