Trend Forecast for 2022 By Kristie Kesic

“Blondes are out”, “Playground Highlights”, “Expensive Brunettes”; these are just some of the 2022 colour headlines. Hair colour trends are still being heavily influenced by social media influencers and celebrities, but the reality of a “trend” is that they only last a hot minute.

I went to some of the best colourists is Australia, who own the coolest salons in their towns to get their take on what colours we should be looking out for in 2022 and more importantly, what colours we should leave behind in 2021.

When Hailey Bieber changed her platinum sun kissed locks to a deeper, more natural blonde, the internet suddenly exploded with cries of “Blondes are out!” To me, blondes will never be out, that’s just not possible. What I believe will change is the tones and aesthetic our new blondes have. Magazine publications and celebrities describing colours like ‘expensive brunettes’ is a great marketing tool, because it gets the consumer thinking it’s a brandnew colour or technique; but reality is it’s just baby lights or soft balayage pieces to create dimension in an otherwise flat brunette. Something colourists have been doing for years now.

So, in saying all this, what are the colours or tones we should be looking out for in 2022? I asked Sheree Knobel, Owner of Bixie Colour, Redken Artist Australia, and ultimate colour queen, and Chantelle Castle, Owner of Viva La Blonde, the West Coasts’ original and best blonde salon.

SHEREE: ‘Pastel highlights! So, your same gorgeous livedin highlights, but in pastel tones of pink, champagne, or soft lavenders. These tones are totally wearable with your natural colour and fade out beautifully so why not have some fun’! “Do mix it up and play around with your glosses. Play with tone”.

CHANTELLE: “I think we are seeing a returning of lighter pastel blondes across a variating tonal spectrum, really light but glossed in beiges, pearls, honeys, with less lived in darker colours “.

Now let’s look at the year that was 2021

Trends are like fashion and each one goes full circle. I mean, never did I think the 90’s Spice Girl Ginger Spice statement piece would be back, but it was one of the hottest looks in 2021. I made peace with that and ended up loving it for a short moment (on the right person). However, I’m ready to move on from that. While we’re on the 90’s trends, I recently read that there would be a resurgence of the 90’s contrasting stripe foils. One thing I can assure you will never walk out of my salon is the contrast stripe foils. You know exactly what I mean and that is one trend that 100% needs to stay buried in the past.

I asked Sheree and Chantelle for their opinions on what they thought was fun, but we should now leave in 2021?

SHEREE “For me, I think the strong, chunky, stripy money piece must go. I absolutely love doing them, they’re so fun, but I found that every client I did one on only kept it for a few weeks as it grows out fast & the regrowth was INTENSE, so let’s leave that trend behind”.

CHANTELLE “Thick bleach face frames need to be left behind”.

So we’re all on the same page, it’s Safe to say the strong money piece is recommended to be left in 2021.

I think it safe to say it’s always going to be about personalisation. We’ve seen it all before, and rather than seeking out a trend or waiting to seek the approval of what a social media influencer says is the colour must have, it’s more about listening to your clients’ needs, and allowing your client to be their own true trendsetter.

Heres to a wonderful 2022 filled with beautiful colour and happy clients.