The Hottest Summer Hair Trends

Gwen Nguyen, senior stylist and instructor at Suki’s, reveals nine ways to update your look this season

1. Keep it simple, timeless and au naturel

Gwen positively adores this look, advising that “you can add curls throughout your hair and then run your fingers through to break them apart” to create a more natural, effortless vibe. “The best part of this look,” she continues, “is that the curls don’t have to be perfect and can be any size.” Use smoothing creams and apply to wet hair to tame the curls and make them last longer.

2. Warm up your colour

Icy tones are out; warm tones are in. “For those with light hair, a soft golden honey is in and oh-so-flattering,” Nguyen offers. “For those with darker hair, burgundy chestnut tones are rich and warm.”

3. Stay on trend with the hottest colours

If you want to really shake things up with a new shade, Nguyen reveals that the season’s in-vogue colours are Irish copper (violet/copper red), which is vibrant but not overpowering, as well as nude blonde (beigey blonde).

4. Experiment with braids, buns and ponytails

More than trimming or dyeing, styling is the key to staying current. If you usually wear your hair down, the easiest way to mix up your look is by experimenting with braids, buns or half ponytails. Even if you want to play around with different lengths, you can create a faux-lob to see how you’d feel with shorter hair, no scissors required! Nguyen shares that one of her “favourite quick-and-easy looks is pinning one side away from the face and parting the hair deeply to one side for a more feminine, but asymmetrical look.”

5. Update your bob

This is a classic look made modern. “The wavy bob is the new ‘it’ summer trend,” Nguyen dishes. “The look is all about having the hair at collarbone length and adding some loose waves throughout—easy, chic and the ultimate in cool-girl hair right now.”

6. Go for bangs

That’s right, bangs are still, without question, in. Just look at Jillian Harris’s new ‘do! “I believe that there isn’t a perfect length for bangs,” Nguyen explains. “They must be customized to suit each individual. My personal favourite look is a slightly rounded bang with soft texture throughout, and sitting around the eyelid area.”

7. Accessorize

Right now, a lot of girls are wearing headbands with a bow. Easy to pull off, it’s a cute look when the hair is tied up and a bit wavy and/or curly. However, something as simple as adding a barrette (pictured) to your up-do or braid gives you a more distinct look by adding a focal point.

8. Use the right products

For that natural, fresh-from-the-beach look, there’s no better product than Bumble & Bumble’s cult favourite Surf Spray. To achieve that coveted, fresh-from-a-dip-in-the-ocean look, this product will give you added  texture and wave, without having to plunge into the salty blue sea.

9. Plan ahead for fall

Trending for fall, Nguyen notes we’ll likely see more of the really rich browns with a bit more burgundy and violet tones. What’s more, a lot of the blonde balayage looks will get toned down to be a little cooler and that there will be a lot of root smudges (natural base colours) with lowlights added throughout the blonde. Another option you might consider is icy pink; it may sound drastic, but it’s very muted, not too difficult to lift out of the hair, and can be accomplished with a single trip to the stylist.