This Spring and Summer, There’s Something for Everyone!

Rihanna goes back to black...

If you’re feeling bored with your cut or color, now is the time to consider a change. Spring is always a time of renewal, when we think about spring cleaning, changing up rich fall and winter colors for lighter, brighter spring and summer colors, going shorter, going lighter, adding highlights, cutting bangs. It’s a transformative time of year, and there is no one trend that dominates. For every Emma Stone who decides to go blonde again, there’s Rihanna who decides to go back to black.

But with that said, here are some of the looks we’re seeing repeated over and over in the magazines, on the style blogs, and on celebrities…

Krysten Ritter's baby bangs

BANGS: Baby bangs, blunt bangs, soft and wispy bangs. Whatever your bang, it’s one of the easiest ways to make a major style change yet still maintain the length of your hair, which so many women are loathe to let go of completely.

Actress Krysten Ritter has some of the most flattering baby bangs we’ve seen – they’re edgy, a little rock-and-roll, very urban, and a bit retro, too, especially paired with her black hair. 

Baby bangs at Versace

The trick with very short bangs is to be sure they don’t look as if you cut them yourself – or worse, that a three-year-old cut them while you napped, like the model from the Versace Fall 2012 runway.  This is when you want to consult your stylist and get a professional opinion about whether they’re the most flattering bang for your face, and then have them cut professionally to be sure they avoid the dreaded “kindergarten” look.

Blunt bangs at Marni

Blunt bangs are another style that isn’t the easiest to pull off – the heavy geometric quality isn’t flattering to every face shape, and they can be severe. They also tend to grow out very quickly, and are not easy to maintain yourself, necessitating frequent trips to the salon. 

Blunt bangs at Elie Saab

You’ll notice that both examples of this look are from the Fall 2012 runways (Marni and Elie Saab) and not real life; they flatter a model’s more exaggerated bone structure. Again, this is where a stylist’s expertise comes in; if they’ll look fabulous on you, your stylist will tell you truthfully.

Nicole Richie's wispy bangs

By far the most flattering bangs are soft fringes, or wisps. Seen here on cuts, colors, and face shapes as diverse as Nicole Richie’s softly layered golden shag, Alexa Chung’s ombréd brunette bob, and Florence Welch’s flame-colored waves, they’re versatile and can be worn piece-y, pushed to the side, or down. 

Alexa Chung's piece-y fringe

Florence Welch's soft fringes

It’s hard to go wrong with this style of bang, and they accentuate the eyes and well-shaped brows, hide a high forehead, bring balance to a disproportionate face, and are a great way to cover an aging forehead.     

January Jones' graduated bob

Emily Blunt's graduated bob

BOBS: The bob is one way to still feel like you have length while losing a lot of the weight from your hair, often freeing up more texture, trimming away damaged ends, and depending on whether it’s a “lob”, a graduated bob like those of January Jones and Emily Blunt, an asymmetrical bob like Ali Larter’s, or a cropped and sideswept bob like Cameron Diaz’s, it’s a cut with a lot of vitality and movement that offers plenty of styling options.

Ali Larter's asymmetrical bob

Cameron Diaz's cropped bob

Exposing the neck is a very elegant look, it creates height, and it is also cooler as the weather gets warmer and more humid. 

PIXIES: Actresses Michelle Williams and Ginnifer Goodwin have single-handedly made the pixie a go-to haircut again. 

Michelle Williams

Ginnifer Goodwin

More and more women are coming into my salon requesting truly short hair, and even more surprising is that they are maintaining it, not trying the style out and starting to grow it in immediately. 

Ruby Rose

Here’s Ruby Rose with another variation on the pixie, a bit more edgy than either Michelle or Ginnifer. The other advantage to these pixie cuts is that you can experiment with color and risk minimal damage since the hair is so short and grows out quickly.

Ashlee Simpson

RAZORED CROPS: Razor cutting is back in vogue, and it is being applied to cropped styles as varied as those shown here on Ashlee Simpson, Morena Baccarin, and Jennie Garth. 

Morena Bacccarin

It creates tremendous texture and allows the hair to literally be pushed into a variety of styles, with minimal product. 

Jennie Garth

It’s another styling option for the hot months, yet it looks sophisticated and fashion forward, and never too innocent.

Allison Williams 

Christina Aguilera

LONG LAYERS: No matter the season, long hair never goes out of style. Women will brave heat and humidity without ever considering a shorter cut. 

But layered looks are definitely trending, which remove weight around the perimeter and often through the interior, creating texture and movement, and adding interest when the hair is styled into a casual or formal up-do. 

Lily Aldridge, layered ombre

Jessica Biel, darker and layered

The variety can be seen by looking at the pictures of NBC news anchor Brian William’s actress daughter Allison, Christina Aguilera, Victoria’s Secret model Lily Aldridge, and Jessica Biel. It all depends on you hair’s natural texture, density, and level of damage.

COLOR, COLOR EVERYWHERE: Color is a temping way to freshen and brighten up your look for the coming months, but it also means a commitment to taking extra care of your hair. 

Emma Stone, back to blonde

Jessica Chastain, a richer red

Whether you go blonde (Emma Stone – sorry to see her lose the red!), blonder (Cameron Diaz), redder (Jessica Chastain), darker (Jessica Biel), back to black (Rihanna – much improved!), or try color blocking (Miranda Lambert) or ombré (Lily Aldridge and Alexa Chung), you need to conserve the vitality and condition of your hair.

Miranda Lambert's ultra-flattering
color blocked blondes

The more you color, the more you condition. The more your hair is exposed to the summer heat and the elements, the more you condition. The more your hair is exposed to the chemical in the pool or the salt water at the beach, the more you need to condition. You’ll wash your hair more during the summer, and if you color your hair, it will fade faster. Glazes will help protect your color and keep your hair brighter and shinier for longer.

Even if your hair isn’t color-treated, switch over to a pH-balanced, sulfate-free shampoo, and ask your stylist for a recommendation on the right conditioner for your hair. And leave-in conditioners are wonderful for everyone to help protect your hair when you are outdoors enjoying the beautiful weather. Treat your hair well, keep it hydrated, rinse out the salt-and pool-water, deep condition it as often as your stylist recommends, and it will look healthy and beautiful all through the spring and summer.

    

Until next week, ciao…