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Australian hairdressers break down the hot girl hairstyles trending this summer

IMAGE VIA @madisonbymadison22/INSTAGRAM

WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT

“People are embracing their natural texture and the little nuances in their hair that make their style individual.”

As the new year fast approaches, it’s imperative we get our ‘hot girl’ ducks in a row. Our side tables are curated, we’ve all got IBS and it’s time to start growing out our bleached bits in favour of a new ‘hot girl’ ’do. The world is collectively moving on from the disaster that was 2021, and every meaningful split needs a post-breakup hair transformation to match.

Personally, I’m relieved the at-home hair salon is temporarily closed for business. I’ve never been particularly good with my fine motor skills but the 200-plus days at home made me believe I was Melbourne’s answer to Brad Mondo. Lockdown led some people to unearth incredible hidden talent (like 30buckmullets) and for others, it was more of an unhinged wielding of scissors. I was the latter (my ‘curtain fringe’ has seen some stuff).


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For those who can commiserate with an at-home hair hack job, this one’s for you. After seeing an array of rainbow colours, beachy textures and beautiful shags splashed across my Instagram feed, I decided to employ the experts to tell us how we can achieve that hot girl hair our social media feeds are taunting us with. Read on as Sydney and Melbourne-based favourites ‘Mullet Mommy’ Laura Spinney and hair artist Madison Finn break down the summer’s biggest hair trends.

Back to your roots

 

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A post shared by Madison Finn (@madisonbymadison22)

“Last summer, people were so keen to shed their skins and go drastic,” Laura explains. “And when people want to take back control of their lives, they generally alter their appearance. Hair is the easiest and quickest way.” While last summer was about the icy scalp bleach and all-over statement colour, this season people are returning back to their roots.

“Clients are wanting a base colour that’s a bit more chilled and put together”, Madison tells me. “I feel like because of all the drama and drastic change in the last year, people are wanting to return to a base that’s a bit more calming.” Does this mean boring? Definitely not. But it does mean easier upkeep, softer colour and less overall damage to the hair.

Technical colour placements

 

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When it comes to fun colour, it’s popping up in unexpected places. “Vibrant and technical colour placements are overriding the usual ‘lived-in colour’ and blondes,” Laura explains. “People are playing with vivid colours and fun positioning, teamed with strong cuts.” Think peek-a-boo bleach, coloured tips and subtle streaks.

Madison confirms my front bleached bit suspicions. “The hot girl strands are still happening but we’re definitely moving away from them. My clients are loving colour and bleach placement throughout the head instead of just at the front.” Tie-dye highlights, here we come.

Natural movement

 

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When asked about the biggest hair trend for 2022, Madison’s answer was simple. “Mousseing your fringe! It’s my new big favourite thing to do, especially when your fringe is getting too long. I use the Evo Macgyver multi-use mousse and scrunch it in to give it body, texture, and a touch of curl.” For those growing out their fringes, mousse is a handy way to ease the process.

Laura’s clients are all about easy cuts with natural movement and waves. “A lot of my clients are cutting off their mullets and shags and going to a short bob shag with lots of movement,” she tells me. “I’m getting a lot of requests for hair ‘that I can just shake out of the beach’ – so short, textured and low maintenance.” Thank goodness – the shaggy ’70s are here to stay.

Warming up

 

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Hair shades are getting warmer and redhead hotties are finally getting the credit they deserve. Auburn, orange and copper-coloured hair is suddenly everywhere – and for good reason, too. There’s a shade suitable for every skin type and it’s fun without being too wild.

 

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A post shared by Madison Finn (@madisonbymadison22)

“In terms of hair colour trends, it’s all about peachy, golden undertones right now,” Madison explains. “Warm blondes, hot reds and vibrant oranges are my favourites; all-over colours that can fade beautifully with the sun.”

Lived-in cuts

Most long hair owners will remember cutting it all off in favour of a ‘blunt lob’ circa 2017. For me, my just-below-the-collarbones cut needed to be razor-sharp, shiny and as close to Selena Gomez’s as possible (I was a big fan). While the bob is a timeless style, Laura tells me her clients are favouring soft, natural texture over the blunt cut.

“I think the classics will always be the best – and we break rules after we learn the classics – but in Australia, it’s rare stylists just do precision cuts all day. Blunt cuts, square bobs and minimal movement are taking a back seat for now and people are embracing their natural texture and the little nuances in their hair that make their style individual.”

Find more summer hair trends to try here.

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