We know what summer hair is supposed to be: uncomplicated, sexy, fresh. But achieving the perfect wind-tossed, beachy look isn’t easy when humidity turns your carefully crafted hairdo into something resembling an angry muppet or when UVA rays wash out your colour, leaving your hair dry and damaged. Here’s how to get your mid-summer hair mojo working.

Back to the beach

There’s a reason why spring/summer catwalks feature gorgeous surfer-girl waves and casual,
messy updos every year: They are universally flattering and capture the effortless mindset of the season.

Messy knot

Give Proenza Schouler’s textured, tousled French twist a try. Paul Hanlon, Frédéric Fekkai’s lead stylist for the Proenza Schouler show, described it as “the hair a girl would get from falling asleep on the bus.” (We see it more as an easy, chic updo.) Backstage, Hanlon added fullness by combing a generous amount of Fekkai Coiff Oceanique Tousled Wave Spray through the hair from root to end. Using a diffuser, he finger-combed hair dry before loosely gathering

Beachy waves

When it comes to the
relaxed waves and loose curls seen on the catwalks of Emilio Pucci and Luisa Beccaria, the key is not to make them look too perfect, says celebrity stylist Oribe. “You want to work with your texture and create movement rather than go for the ‘perfect’ wave,” says Oribe. “Use a curling iron on random pieces of hair and, depending on your texture, brush through the curls. Run your fingers through your hair with a bit of product—like Oribe Gel Sérum Radiance, Magic and Hold or Crème for Style—to hold the style. The curls shouldn’t look too contrived. It’s not about perfect Shirley Temple spirals; it’s about moisture and natural movement.”

Post-dip ‘do

Ursula Andress and Halle Berry may have the siren sea exit trademarked, but how do you keep your hair looking cute fresh out of the pool and style it so that you still look great later? Hairstylist Kevin Murphy says that plaits with loose ends are the answer—they look cute with a bikini on the beach and can be used to set your
hair in waves. (We love the soft waves from Alberta Ferretti.) “Part your hair all the way down the middle to create two equal sections,” he says. “Loosely braid each side and secure with an elastic band, leaving some hair free at the ends. Go for a swim and leave your hair in braids. Once you’re out of the water, let the hair in the braids set by allowing it to fully dry. When hair is dry, remove the elastic bands and loosen the plaits gently without undoing the wave too much. For strong hold, add a beach texturizer, like Kevin.Murphy Hair.Resort, and gently scrunch it through the plaits. The final look will be a textured wave that’s smooth around the top of your head and at the ends.”

Keep your hair colour in check this summer with these tips on the next page …

It’s time to brighten up in a big, bold way. Alain Larivée, Canadian creative consultant for John Frieda, says that the blond trend of the moment is platinum. Not a look for the faint- hearted, but it’s a guaranteed showstopper. (See Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani and model Abbey Lee Kershaw.) “The colour is very pure, with a sandy, iridescent hue,” says Larivée. “From root to tip, it’s equal-tone, one-dimensional colour.”

All-over colour isn’t just for blondes. “Vibrant red is huge right now,” says Larivée. “It’s the hot colour—a strong, double-pigmented red.” Just look at Rihanna (whose bold-red shade is now simply referred to by the masses as “Rihanna red”), Scarlett Johansson and Blake Lively, all of whom are having a rouge moment. Larivée predicts that this bold colour trend will carry through until fall, when we will start to see more of a coppery hue emerge from salons. But for now, “Make it bold, and make a statement.”

Larivée says that although brown hair with dimension is always flattering, the shade most on trend is a uniform ash brown. “Jennifer Lopez has been wearing her hair like this lately,” he says. “It’s hard to get right—brunettes have natural red pigments in their hair and you need to counter them by using blue or green.” (Suffice to say, this is a salon-only option.)

If you want a more natural colour, Larivée says that the local playground is the place for inspiration. “Children have the best natural high-lights, a beautiful range of multi-level colour.” The balayage style of highlights best mimics this. Ask your stylist for slightly chunky highlights to give a natural ombré effect. Aim for light ends, caramel-coloured mid-lengths and darker roots. Says Larivée: “I call it summer-camp colour.”

Read more
Easy summer hair styles
Expert hair advice from the pros
Short and sweet: Short hair care tips

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