Make sure it’s not just your wardrobe that gets a new season do-over. The desire for frizz- free, nourished and glossy -looking hair is stronger than ever. We spoke to Maria Dowling, Founder & Creative Director at mariadowling Salon, to find out exactly how we should be managing our new season tresses.
CUT: Less is more when it comes to length. “This season is definitely still all about the lob,” Maria tells us. “Even though some are favouring a shorter bob, in general the lob still reigns supreme. Celebs are still wearing their lobs in waves and clients are still asking for this,” Maria tells us.
Noon By Noor, Sacai and Zimmermann showed some of the best examples of mid-length hair on the catwalk. Locks were wavy, but elevated from an undone wave to a slightly more polished version of a soft curl.
Noon By Noor Autumn/Winter 2019/2020
COLOUR: While summer was all about Sea Salt sprays and highlights, autumn is about richer colour, gloss and glam. “What we have seen on the catwalk this season is the bouncy blow dry (see below). It’s back and it’s bigger than ever. We predict it’s going to overtake the beach wave look this season,” Maria tells us.
“For autumn winter we’re also smudging and bringing down the roots. Smudging brings depth to the root area and removes the hard lines we get when the regrowth starts. It allows us to make the root even darker with our highlight clients.”
“Ombre is being toned down to become more subtle and we’re still seeing a lot of ash silver with the root smudge in the salon. For winter we are adding in slightly warmer tones, moving away from the bright, cool summer colours.”
Borbonese Autumn/Winter 2019/2020
MAINTENANCE: “You want to make sure the colour lasts as long as possible, red tones can wash out quite quickly depending on how often you wash your hair,” Maria says.
“With any semi-permanent colour you should also minimise the amount you wash. We always advise that less is best. With so many great products on the market, there isn’t a need to wash your hair as often as before. Texturising sprays and dry shampoo help remove the oiliness and will give hair a boost.”
PROTECT: “Kerastase Thermique products are all really effective heat protectors that you apply before your blowdry and don’t make the hair feel stiff,” she advises.
“Don’t let the hair dry naturally, it will increase the wave (if your hair has a natural wave which many of us do) then you will have a bigger job with the irons. I recommend doing the majority of the straightening work during the blowdry. If you don’t want to blowdry with a brush, try finger drying the hair and straightening the hair with your fingers to smooth it out before using the irons. The irons cause the most amount of damage, so if you can minimize the use of these hot tools, it’s better for the hair.”
Zimmermann Autumn/Winter 2019/2020
STYLE:
1. Olaplex #6 – “A leave-in smoothing cream that you apply to wet hair to strengthen, hydrate and moisturise. It really is as good as it claims!”
2. Kerastase Elixir Ultime Hair Oil – “Use on wet or dry hair to treat, protect and strengthen, it’s packed with precious oils to control frizz, boost shine and reduce split ends. We use this a lot in the salon.”
3. Dreamcoat Anti-Humidity Spray by Color Wow – “Something we’re trying in the salon at the moment and super impressed with its ability to keep the hair smooth, sleek and super silky even in extreme humidity.”
- By Elaine Lloyd-Jones
