4 winter hair trends

The bouncy blowout

Forget the beachy look. This winter, hair is getting a sophisticated upgrade. “We’re slowly heading back to more refined, classic styles,” says Toronto-based celebrity hairstylist Dylan K. Hanson. “The look is full, soft-and very chic.” Unlike the casual vibe of hair in seasons past, the polished ‘dos showcased by designers like Oscar de la Renta, Valentino and Giorgio Armani can take you from office to evening. Here’s how to replicate the prettiest styles.

1. The bouncy blowout

The look: Long, smooth and voluminous.

The lowdown: “The soft blowout was in a bunch of runway shows and is more on trend than ever,” says Hanson. “It’s all about having body in the hair as opposed to being flat and super-straight.” To get the look, apply a volumizing mousse or a smoothing cream or oil to damp hair and then roughly blow-dry until it’s about 75 percent dry. “The last 25 percent is the best time to do precise brushing,” says Hanson. Working in sections, use a large round brush with natural bristles to lift your hair up and away from the scalp as you dry it. Then, direct the air down the hair shaft to smooth out the rest of the section; whether you flip the ends in or out depends on your haircut and the look you’re after. Once dry, tame flyaways and add shine with a second, smaller amount of smoothing cream or oil on the outermost layer.

Photo courtesy of Schwarzkopf Professional Essential Looks

The playful crop

The look: Short and wispy with a boyish influence.

The lowdown: This season’s short hair takes its cues from the masculine, androgynous trend on the runways. “This cut is fairly short but it’s still soft-not spiky or punkish-looking,” says Hanson. “People with small, refined features can look great with it.” If you’re confident enough to try this style, ask for a cut that’s evenly layered and slightly wispy; Hanson says Halle Berry and Ginnifer Goodwin are the best celebrity examples. To style, apply a smoothing or shine-enhancing cream to damp hair and then blow-dry or scrunch with your fingers. “It should look soft and playful, not overly-gelled or crispy-looking,” says Hanson.

Photos courtesy Schwarzkopf Professional Essential Looks

The sharp shape

The look: Defined, straight-across ends.

The lowdown: With the movement toward more classic styles, we’re seeing a change in the way the ends of the hair are cut. “Instead of choppy, spiky and pointy, the shape is thicker and fuller at the tips,” says Hanson. “They’re more defined, no matter what the length.” He suggests looking to the hairstyles of the ’50s and ’60s for inspiration, and asking for a cut that goes straight across instead of shattering the ends. The technique works equally well on straight and curly hair. “If the ends of your curls are too choppy, they just break apart more easily, so this will give you less frizz,” says Hanson. To style, skip texturizing products in favour of smoothing creams and oils for a polished, modern finish.

Photo courtesy Schwarzkopf Essential Professional Looks

The pretty ponytail

The look: High or low, sleek or full-anything goes.

The lowdown: “Ponytails were all over the runways,” says Hanson, “and the placement was high, low and in the middle.” But these styles are more sophisticated than casual. One of the most flattering takes on the trend is voluminous and ’50s-inspired. Use a brush to backcomb the area around the crown and then pull the hair up into a high ponytail, securing with an elastic band. “This builds up volume at the roots so that the ponytail doesn’t sit so flat on the head,” says Hanson. “To make the tail look bigger, you can also backcomb it or curl it.” Lightly mist with a finishing spray to lock in the style.

Photo: Biserka Livaja/Schwarzkopf Professional. Lucian Matis runway; hairstyling by Schwarzkopf.