Are you tired of going to the hairdressers and asking for the same haircut and colour, over and over again? Or have you never had the urge - or nerve - to dye your natural hair colour something a little more daring? The autumn/winter 2018 catwalks and guests including Adwoa Aboah, Hailey Baldwin, Cara Delevingne and Zendaya at the 2018 Met Gala did not hold back in championing a look-at-me approach to switching shades. All bright and bold, they were so tempting that we’re really not willing to wait until then to give it a go. Oh no. There’s no time like the present.
While pretty shades of rose gold, pastel pink, peach and lilac may have been some of the most popular salon requests in recent years, this year has seen a rise in requests for bolder primary colours. And last month's catwalks - think Miu Miu and Marc Jacobs - to see the return of bolder bright hues.
Olivia Crighton, owner of Glasshouse Salon in Hackney agrees, "For the past few years, it’s felt like pastel shades have had a real moment. However, I’ve noticed a move away from pastel and towards bolder, move vivid colours. Coppers and reds in particular seem to be making a comeback - everything from burnt oranges, to auburn and rich coppers. It feels as though there’s a demand for these kind of shades this year as we move away from softer, pastel tones."
For the autumn/winter 2018 catwalks, British colourist, Josh Wood was enlisted to dye the hair of models at Alexander Wang, Miu Miu and Marc Jacobs in a range of vivid hues. From a cherry red hair stain, to outfit co-ordinating shades of deep purple, lime green, scarlet red and royal blue.
Thinking about trying the trend? We spoke to the experts to give you a helping hand. Firstly, do your research, Wood recommends "looking at what has worked for others with similar skin tones before experimenting". However when it comes to opting for a vivid hue, don't worry about switching up your wardrobe too.
Then, think about how long you want this colour to last. For a non-committal change, Wood suggests using a simple wash-out colour such as Redken's shades EQ Gloss. Working in a similar way to a conditioner, it offers a safe way to try new tones without any commitment. Meanwhile, Olivia Crighton suggests the ammonia, paraphenylenediamine (PPD) and para-toluenediamine (PTD) free No Limits Semi Permanent Hair Colour which also offers a wash-out option.
What about something a bit more permanent? Our expert colourists recommend heading straight to the salon for professional advice on the perfect tone, subtle highlights if you're going for a balayage effect and lastly, for a stress-free transformation that you'll leave the salon loving - not regretting.
Finally, when it comes to looking after your newly-dyed hair our experts recommend using a sulphate-free shampoo that is protein based to maintain the colour and condition of your hair. Try Organic Colour Systems’ Power Build range, Redken One United, or the Redken Colour Extend range - "in-particular the Magnetic Mega Mask which you should use once a week. This will help seal in and protect your colour, as well as deeply conditioning the hair".
Miss Vogue's one tip when it comes to your striking new hair? Don't feel the need to switch up your wardrobe too. Forget wearing head-to-toe black and embrace your colour-clashing locks. Take inspiration from the likes of Ashley Williams and pair bubblegum blue hair with striking animal prints, clash red hair with candy pink clothing and don't think twice.
If you're feeling inspired why not enlist one of Miss Vogue's favourite London-based hair salons known for their experimental hair colour transformations:
- Not Another Salon, 188 Brick Ln E1 6SA, notanothersalon.com
- Bleach London, multiple locations, bleachlondon.co.uk
- Blue Tit, multiple locations, bluetitlondon.com
- Butchers Salon, 63 Hackney Rd E2 7NX, butcherssalon.com
- Glasshouse Salon, 1 Westgate St E8 3RL, glasshousesalon.co.uk
