A celebrity hairstylist has revealed his trend insights for the year ahead – and shared some of his top secrets and tools for creating A-list worthy shine.
Michael Brown, an Australian hairdresser to the stars, counts the likes of Jesinta Franklin, Miranda Kerr, Sofia Richie and Jennifer Hawkins as clients and says there are nine key trends to look out for in 2020.
Among them are Beyonce’s ‘money piece’ look, natural curls, low and high ponytails and creative styles using fabric as an accessory – but bouncy curls and heavy extension use are definitely on the way out.
Michael Brown (right), an Australian hairdresser to the stars, counts the likes of Jesinta Franklin, Miranda Kerr, Sofia Richie (left) and Jennifer Hawkins as clients
THE TOP NINE HAIR TRENDS OF 2020
1. DEFINED CURLS
According to Michael, those with naturally curly hair are set to be in the spotlight this year as defined curls are going to be ‘big’
According to Michael, those with naturally curly hair are set to be in the spotlight this year as defined curls are going to be ‘big’.
‘Anyone with naturally curly hair can tell you that it’s hard to achieve those picture-perfect curls at home, but with the right tips and tools you’ll never want to straighten those gorgeous curls again,’ he said.
‘Making your natural curls defined is all about keeping moisture in your hair to prevent drying and frizz. A great way to do this is by using leave-in conditioner.
‘Use a diffuser for achieving beautifully defined curls. These beauties prevent frizz, maintain your natural curl pattern, maximise the volume of your waves AND save drying time.’
How to style perfectly defined curls
– The best way to style your curls is to use a diffuser. The VS Sassoon Frizz Defense AC Dryer’s diffuser keeps natural curls from separating and not splitting as it evenly distributes heat with a less direct air flow
– A diffuser is like a cup – place the curls in to keep them intact (unlike a usual dryer that blasts and separates hair)
– Gently place curl sections in the diffuser, section by section until you’ve done the whole head. The best way to do this is by either tilting the head or by flip hair over the head
2. ASYMMETRICAL BOB
The asymmetrical bob caters to all face shapes and hair textures and needs very little maintenance
This year the asymmetrical bob is set to continue rising in popularity – a cut that is shorter in length and cut so that it’s uneven, with one side longer than the other.
What’s more, the asymmetrical bob caters to all face shapes and hair textures and needs very little maintenance.
‘When styling the asymmetrical bob, you have two choices: sleek and smooth or textured and tousled,’ Michael said.
3. LOW/HIGH PONYTAILS
‘I am a big fan of the pony. It’s easy to style – you can choose between textured and sleek looks. Wearing it high can be playful, whereas low can be super chic,’ Michael said
It’s no surprise that this trend is on the rise, with social media feeds across the world constantly being flooded with glamorous pony-inspired looks.
‘I am a big fan of the pony. It’s easy to style – you can choose between textured and sleek looks. Wearing it high can be playful, whereas low can be super chic,’ Michael said.
‘Whether you opt for the perky, fun high pony or the elegant low pony, either look can be elevated using a cute hair scarf or clips added. This is one of the most stylish ways to show off your personality through your hairstyle so don’t hold back.’
How to style a ponytail
– There are two things that I always need when styling a ponytail: VS Sassoon’s Frizz Defense Straightening Brush and a can of dry texture spray! The brush tames frizz and seriously smooths hair, making it the perfect tool for creating super smooth and sleek ponies, yet keeping a bit of body
– To create volume, use this tool in the opposite direction of hair flow to create more volume. This is great if you have a textured look during the day but then want sleek and chic for night
– For a textured look, start by brushing the brush through hair to de-frizz. Spray dry texture spray through hair (not just on top) and with fingers, sweep back into either a high or low pony. This will give body and texture
– For a modern approach, leave out 2-3cms of hair from top middle part. This will help frame the face and add texture
Product favourite: Evo dry wax is like wax but in an aerosol… genius! Great hair definer, and it can smooth hair in place for any up-do’s like ponys. Great for stray hairs, rather than using hairspray which will just go dry and crispy later on in the wear. Great for the ultimate slightly wet textured look.
4. WISPY BANGS
This fringe is a light introduction into the world of bangs and allow you to flaunt a square shape which is both fun yet easy to control.
This 2020 trend is far easier to maintain than traditional bangs and is a great way to decide whether you want to go all the way.
Miley Cyrus, Alexa Chung and Dakota Johnson are all fans of this simple yet memorable style.
How to style your whispy bangs
– To achieve this look, you need a dryer that makes hair frizz free, smooth & conditioned
– When styling you’ll need to decide whether you want your fringe to be fluffed up or flat and square
– If opting to fluff, use a large round brush to fluff up your wispy bangs while blow-drying the hair
– If you’re after a flat and square look, use a small round brush to blow dry it. This is more of a high-impact statement look
5. VOLUME
‘Who doesn’t love old-school volume?’ Michael said.
‘While the new decade will see girls everywhere in pursuit of big, beautiful hair, the fact remains that getting voluminous hair can be difficult for many of us.’
How to style for extra volume
– Start with your washing routine – ideally you should be using volumising shampoo and conditioner.
– The best way to achieve old-school volume is through styling your hair using a large round brush and a dryer
– When creating volume with a dryer & round brush, it’s important to dry hair sections upwards and then out – not just a downward action.
– The more opposite and upwards from the roots of hair that you start drying, the more volume the hair will have
6. THE MONEY PIECE
Made famous by Beyonce (left), this trend involves framing locks of hair around your face subtly highlighted in a balayage fashion, making your features ‘pop’
Made famous by Beyonce, this trend involves framing locks of hair around your face subtly highlighted in a balayage fashion, making your features ‘pop’.
Beyoncé debuted the trend this year, and it has grown dramatically in popularity over recent months.
‘This trend frames the face beautifully. Lighter blonde hair picks up light differently than brunette does, so a wave in light hair shows up amazingly,’ Michael said.
7. FABRIC FUN
Over the past year, more designers than ever have also been using fabrics and ribbons to create statement looks on models during runway shows
Hair accessories have taken over our feeds this year but expect fabric and creative ways to use it to be the next big thing.
Over the past year, more designers than ever have also been using fabrics and ribbons to create statement looks on models during runway shows.
8. WET LOOK 2020
The wet look is completely elevated on textured hair, and has a softer, less harsh finish than the straight style has
The wet look has been making its way round the carpets and formal events and now those with curly hair have been trying out the look with amazing results.
The wet look is completely elevated on textured hair, and has a softer, less harsh finish than the straight style has.
‘When styling, the key to perfecting the trend is to add large amounts of curl defining products to weigh your hair down, which is then dried in place to maintain the ‘wet and wavy’ look. Rather than using a comb, let your fingers do the work,’ Michael said.
‘This trend can be fiddly and time consuming when trying to keep these textured wet look waves in place, but there is a trick to help set the wet look in place.’
9. SOFT WAVES
This timeless and seemingly effortless style has been popping up on a variety of recent runways, and we know this glamorous look will be a favourite 2020 hairstyle
This classic trend will never go out of style which is great news for women with medium to long hair.
This timeless and seemingly effortless style has been popping up on a variety of recent runways, and we know this glamorous look will be a favourite 2020 hairstyle.
WHAT STYLES ARE OUT OF FASHION THIS YEAR?
According to Michael, it’s all about glamour and movement in 2020 and there isn’t much in between.
‘One of the trends this year being defined curls is staring to appear already in 2020, but what is definitely out this year is the bouncy curls, usually seen in the pageant scene,’ Michael said.
‘We have either tight curls, or very soft, loose, unstructured waves. With the mermaid wave (flat to the head, instead of the usual away from the face beach wave) taking over Instagram, we are seeing versions of these popping up on runways and red carpets.’
‘Over styled, big hair and lots of extensions are definitely out! It’s all about sleek glamour and then the opposite, unstructured light movement, preference being shoulder length hair.’
According to Michael, it’s all about glamour and movement in 2020 and there isn’t much in between
HOW TO CREATE GLOSSY ‘CELEBRITY ‘SHINE’
Michael says creating shine is all about the tools.
‘Once you have heat protecting and ceramic based tools, you don’t need as much product to create glamourous shine, the tools do all the smoothing for you,’ he said.
‘Adding too much product can weigh the hair down, and sometimes do the opposite to what they are meant to. Also, when doubling up on product, sometimes the hair products don’t gel well together.’
Have the essentials handy:
· A dry shampoo in case you need oil control at roots of hair or to add more volume in your hair
· An oil treatment or serum to add to unruly hair, or at the end of a blow dry
· A dry wax is so handy for more polished and sleek looks, like pony’s etc – it just gets things into place with a shine, and isn’t tacky like hairspray.
‘Use less hairspray! It dries hair, can be sticky and for waves it weighs hair down,’ he said.