Low-maintenance hair colours for this winter

WINTER don’t care!Hair,

Hair colours that are low-maintenance but still pack a punch are a cold-season essential –here’s what you should be asking for at the salon, according to the experts…

HILE summer hair

Wcolours are laden with creamy, beachy hues, knowing what to do with your locks as temperatures plummet can be a tough one. We need something lowmaintenance, that doesn’t fade or grow harshly — which thankfully, is a far cry from the bright blonde tones we turn to in the heat.

We asked SALON64’s colour queen, Stephanie Economou, for her best advice on which colours and cuts we should be turning our attention to for the winter months. “During the winter months clients should be opting to go ashier with their hair colour," she says. “Our summer trends have quickly faded and our clothes tend to come in darker, cooler shades, so the hair needs to complement and enhance this. Even warmhaired clients are opting for reds that have a blue undertone!”

Over the past 18 months hairdressers everywhere have had to perfect the low-maintenance look for obvious reasons, and Stephanie admits that ‘lived-in’ colour has been one of the top asks: “Everything has become more understated — from how we dress, wear makeup, style our hair, and people are now even removing Botox and fillers because they’re too hard to keep up.

“We’re having to cope with going 12 weeks plus between salon visits, so our techniques as stylists have definitely adapted. I’ve been using a new balayage tool called Cooboard to help with this type of technique.”

Chocolatey browns and ashy blondes are perfect, cool colours for this time of year, and blend perfectly when your natural roots begin to come through. As seen on the likes of Shay Mitchell and Taylor Swift, these low-key colours look super natural, even when they’re fresh.

Having a solid at-home routine can be a game-changer when it comes to protecting your hair from the cold weather (which can cause dryness and brittle ends), so you’ll want to lock in as much moisture as possible for that blow-out finish.

Olaplex No.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask, Look Fantastic, £26

lookfantastic.com

blushmagazine.org.uk Winter HairStephanie’s guide to keeping your new hair in tip-top shape “I make sure my clients always have a professional purple shampoo (my personal go-to is Kérastase Blonde Absolu) and a strong hair treatment such as Olaplex no.3 and the new Olaplex mask no.8 mask. “For those clients who want something for their roots at home, I’d recommend the Color Wow Root Cover Up.” If you do find yourself reaching for the box dye, however, Stephanie advises that many of us have been doing ourselves a disservice until this point – and we had no idea! “Buy an extra box [of dye] for the skin test 48 hours before applying the colour. Once you open the colour it begins to oxidise, so if you’re going back to the same one two days later, it can give you uneven results!” BLUSH | WINTER 2021 19 Everything has become more understated — from how we dress, wear makeup, style our hair Look Fantastic, £21.15 Bain Lumiere Shampoo, Kérastase Blond Absolu lookfantastic.com