Autumn officially begins on March 1st (can you believe summer is already over?). The start of a new season is the perfect opportunity for a hair update. This year, the trends are easy to maintain, featuring inspiring glossy colour, the draped fringe, and a 90s-inspired blowout. Editor Trudi Brewer shares her favourite looks if you are considering a hair change.
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DRAPED FRINGES
An extension of face-framing layers, the draped fringe gives curtain bangs a fresh, new feel. Think fuller, face-framing layers that are slightly longer and softer. This look works whether your hair is up or down, giving off that just-styled-but-still-natural vibe. A draped fringe adds volume and movement without feeling too heavy – ideal when you want a hint of glam, but still need that laidback wearability. Matilda Djerf and Kaia Gerber’s styles are the perfect inspiration, proving it’s great for all face shapes.
To maintain: A lightweight mousse adds volume, and a round brush is your best friend for achieving the volume you need to give this look a swooping, veiled appeal.
Umberto Giannini Curl Whip Curl Activating Vegan Mousse, $24
Weightless is the reason we rate this frizz- eliminating, volumising mousse. It boosts limp hair and tames bouncy curls without leaving hair feeling stiff or crunchy.
Dyson Vented Barrel Brush, $59
For short to medium-length hair and awesome for giving your fringe lift thanks to the round-tip bristles that also offer scalp comfort. The vented barrel is heat-resistant up to 150˚C.
The Ripped Bob
Bobs are always in style and make a comeback each season for their clean, structured shape and chic, low-maintenance vibe, which work with just about every hair type and texture. This season, the ripped bob is a more interesting, layered take, thanks to softly separated ends. Created with a texturising technique that chops the hair vertically. This creates a lived-in, shaggy aesthetic, which offers a versatile, low-maintenance look, adding volume and movement, making it ideal for straight or wavy hair. Halle Berry rocks this look with ease.
To maintain: If your hair is fine, prep hair when wet with a mouse or a volumising cream. For thick hair, try a hair oil to smooth frizz and add shine.
Moroccanoil Volume Volumizing Mist, $50
This mist is light-as-air, but builds amazing body. The argan oil is infused with Dead Sea salts that help to fatten every strand. Ideal for fine, dull-looking hair that lacks body. Mist into damp hair, concentrating on the roots.
Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil, $49
Not only is this addictive, but it’s versatile. For pre-styling and finishing hair to tame frizz, or as an overnight treatment. Enriched with vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants and the Mirsalehi honey, which adds gorgeous shine.
Golden TOFFEE
Golden hues dominate autumn colour, with toffee tones, giving brunettes a glint like honeycomb.
It instantly softens deeper hair, removing that matte overtone and replacing it with healthy shine. A golden-toned brunette works best on naturally light brown hair, so be sure to ask your stylist for a colour in a light-medium brunette, with lots of golden reflections. Jennifer Lopez is a great example of how adding gold, toffee-hued warmth can make your skin glow.
To maintain: A colour-boosting shampoo or conditioner will refresh your brunette locks. When styling coloured hair, don’t forget to use a heat protector to keep it in top condition. Dry shampoo is also a girl’s best friend. It allows you to stretch out your wash days, which preserves your colours' vibrancy.
Josh Wood Colour Hair Gloss, $52
Colour fade is always a risk under our harsh sun. This glossy tint lasts for six washes, and the eight shades help enhance those toffee tones, whilst deep conditioning your hair and adding mirror-like shine.
Pictured here is Caramel.
CoLab Dry Shampoo+ Extreme Volume, $13
A cult-beauty buy, this dry shampoo does more than clean and refresh the hair. It boosts lifeless strands, adding volume to give that back-combed effect without the tangles. But wait, there is more; it leaves zero white residue - genius.
SUNFLOWER BLONDE
Sydney Sweeney embodies the right shade of Sunflower Blonde, on-trend for autumn. Stylists describe sunflower blonde as a bright, warm blonde tone with a golden, sun-kissed glow – the kind of colour that keeps your skin looking radiant during winter. To get this look, ask your colourist for a warm blonde with golden undertones.
To maintain: Invest in a good purple shampoo to prevent brassiness, and a hydrating leave-in conditioner to help strengthen hair and prevent split ends and lightening-induced breakage.
Schwarzkopf Blondme Blond Sealing Balm, $44
Perfect for everyday use, this luxe-y hair cream was made to keep blonde hair strong, thanks to the Bond Repair technology that strengthens every strand while leaving it looking smooth and frizz-free.
Olaplex No. 4P Blonde Enhancer Purple Toning Shampoo, $61
Refresh blonde and grey hair with the highly concentrated, sulfate-free, purple pigments that work into a rich lather to neutralise brassiness and boost brightness - after one use. Use on wet hair, leave on for 5 minutes, then rinse.
Nineties Blowout
Did a bouncy blow-dry ever go out of style? Not in my world. This look works on any length, from mid to long layered cuts and is ideal for added volume. Prepping is everything for a full-blown blowout, with frizz control paramount. The trick is to blast-dry most of the moisture from the hair, then work in sections to ensure the roots are bone-dry, which is where hair gets its lift. A ceramic round brush will smooth, add volume and curl the ends. When working with the brush, over-direct each section to ensure you get the lift at the roots. Always set your style with a cold blast on the dryer to seal in the volume and shine. Kelly Rowland effortlessly pulls off the best ’90s blowout.
To maintain: Good tools make a good blow-dry. Invest in a quality ceramic brush; the barrel size you choose depends on your hair length: small for short hair, medium for mid-length hair, and large for long hair. A heat protectant is essential to prevent heat damage, and don’t ignore the power of a great volume boosting hairspray to hold your style all day.
Umberto Giannini Blow Out Frizz Styling Cream, $22
If you want your blow out to last for days, this is the cream to make that happen. The vegan keratin bond repairs, smoothes and fights frizz extending your bouncy blow dry.
Schwarzkopf OSiS+ VOLUME UP - Volume Booster Spray, $40
This lightweight, anti-static spray is brilliant for boosting volume and holding body all day. It adds grit and texture and tames flyaways, giving hair a full-looking finish.
Here’s some inspiration for the new season.