Colour and texture interplay for party and holiday season hair.
This summer, hair styling is an easy mix of undone feminine styles and soft textures. We show images from Servilles summer collection which tap into this relaxed vibe and also showcase how colour has become the fastest on-trend way to update your look.
For party fun, experiment with temporary colour before committing to something more permanent. Various spray-on, wash-out colours and the likes of Kevin Murphy's Colour Bug rub-on range allow you to try the trend without being left skunk-striped.
With pastel hues and graduated dark to light looks having been successfully incorporated into colouring for several seasons, it is no wonder colour play has now amped up for fashion looks.
If you dare, Servilles recommends: "Add in bright pops of colour from neon pinks and greens to bold yellows and reds to pastel lilacs and apricot." Personalised shades can be created with more permanent colouring. The lighter the base shade, the easier this will be.
Start summer with a good cut that requires minimum fuss, something that goes from day to night without too much hassle and is able to be styled in several ways.
Servilles Academy creative educator Kyla Rose has been working with short haircuts of varying lengths, with strong fringes and bold colours. Shapes are rounder with more volume on top which provides styling options. Longer length bobs with long fringes are also versatile.
For two key summer looks for medium-to-long hair two senior Servilles stylists explain how:
Shake me down: Low-key surfer-girl waves or the sexy dishevelled bedhead look is always a favourite for summer, says Sarah Anwar of the Albany salon. Just spray your chosen preparation liberally on to naturally dried/damp hair and scrunch between your fingers. (She recommends using Kevin Murphy motion lotion for a beachy wavy style or L'Oreal PlayBall Beach Fizz Spray.)
For a more styled look you could curl it softly (using a Cloud 9 wand) and to mess it up just a bit use some of our favourite dust products (try Haze by EVO or Kevin Murphy Powder Puff.)
Tie me up: Braiding is still a huge trend, but braids have become messier and are seen positioned either on one side or as pigtail braids, says Ivan Lee of the Mission Bay salon. Braids are perfect for the beach or just daytime casual and are great at keeping frizzy hair in check, he says. To get a bit of volume in your braids apply a single layer of a volume mousse to the roots and a light serum to the ends before blowdrying. Then add a serum to the ends for shine and smoothness, before braiding either side. To achieve the look in the braided hair picture on this page, Lee said he simply loosened the model's braids, breaking them up a bit to give them a slightly windblown look. (He recommends using L'Oreal Mousse Volupte & Frizzy Logic by O&M to achieve this finish.)
STYLE CLASS
We asked leading stylist Sara Allsop for some tips on getting the most out of your styler. The co-owner of Dharma salon in Mt Eden is a ghd guest artist.
Her top tip is to ensure you have prepped your hair well with a product that offers both heat protection and assistance in achieving your desired style, be it curly or straight. Make sure your hair is completely dry and section it up before starting. For curling she recommends a curl hold spray and for a straighter style she says use a smoothing cream or serum.
For a party, what is a fun new look you are loving this season?
I think waves and braids - texture for both. Dirty it up with powder and add "noise" to a braid by loosening up some strands.
What are some new styling tricks that are easy to achieve at home?
At NY Fashion Week we saw a greater use of the styler as opposed to the usual tong set for prepping. Mostly barrel curl prep, where you create a curl and then either using a large roller or your fingers to wind the hair back on to itself to create extra movement and or volume. Keep it in the rollers or barrel curl until completely cooled and the style lasts longer. Another trick we use a lot is a little back combing at the roots of each section before waving or straightening which gives a lot more volume and thickness to a style.
What are the commonest mistakes people make in using their styler?
Over-processing or over-straightening or not brushing out curls or waves.
Do you have any specific advice for particular hair types?
If you have fine hair make sure to use heat protectant products, such as the ghd Heat Protect Spray.
Curls or straight, in buying a styling tool is there a particular type to look for?
I love the ghd Gold Classic styler, you can do everything with it.