From the New “It” Bob to Ultra Glossy Colours—9 Hair Trends That Will Dominate This Winter

With the year (and it's subsequent hair trends) nearing its end, I'm curious to know what winter hair trends will take off towards the end of the year and into 2025. Last season's hair trends paved the way for warm hair colours like terracopper and auburn, while spring and summer's hair trends welcomed cowgirl bangs and taupe brunette.

So, what do winter's hair trends have in store? Winter is a great time to opt for a new short haircut or try a rich hair colour to update your hair for the season. "Winter hair is powerful and statement making, with contrasts of texture and tone defining the season ahead," says expert hairstylist and hair trend forecaster, Tom Smith. Below, he shares the trending haircuts and hair colours that we'll all want to try this winter. Scroll ahead for the hair trends he predicts will be big news for winter 2024, as well as the best products to get each hair colour and hairstyle looking its best this season.

Winter Hair Trends 2024: 9 You Need to See

1. Dolce Vita Crop

The dolce vita crop is one of the biggest short hair trends for winter. "Inspired by Italian Businessmen in the '60s, La Dolce Vita Crop is a softly androgynous and power-signaling style," explains Smith. "Swept strictly off the face or softly tousled, this look is strong yet unfussy," he says. Ideal for a practical and business-like look for those wanting to be taken seriously, or softened and combined with a statement earring for a more high-fashion look."

It's a bold look, so this is a great trend to tap into if you have a short hairstyle already and want to make a statement. "For a secure and confident wearer this oozes power and authority," says Smith. "For those who wish to show off their cheekbones, tuck the length tightly behind the ears. Higher foreheads can keep the look softer with some light face framing in the fringe area, while those who want to lift their face can sweep all the hair back with volume on top," he says.

In terms of products, Smith has some key hairstyling products and tips for this hairstyle. "Blow-dry clean, damp hair with a heat protecting volume spray such as Olaplex Volumising Blow-dry Mist (£28) or Evo Root Canal (£25), brushing back from the face without any parting," he says, adding that you can use a pair of straightners to add bends or flicks at the ends if you like."Once dry, position the hair into place and mist through a styling powder like Evo Haze (£25) to give maximum control at the root without the obvious look of product. Position as desired and finish with a mist of strong hold hairspray," says Smith.

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2. Pyro Red

With copper tones heating up during autumn, in winter, Smith predicts we'll see the return of pyro red—a bold statement-making hair colour that is bound to turn heads.

"Red and copper tones always come back to have their moment in the colder seasons and winter 2024 is no exception," he says. :There’s a powdery and slightly sherbet quality to the vivid reds this year, they have an airiness that makes them feel fresh and youthful while retaining the attention grabbing nature of true red."

In terms of who this hair colour suits, Smith says this is down to your confidence as opposed to skin tones or eye colour. "The suitability of a non-naturally occurring shade depends less on your skin tone and eye colour, and more so on your personality and confidence. This shade will attract attention and compliments, so required a bit of boldness to enjoy wearing," he says. "That being said, deeper and richer skin tones tend to look phenomenal with this acidic red tone."

Red is notoriously tricky to maintain, so look for colour depositing masks and colour-protecting products to keep your red fiery for longer.

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3. Wet-Look Waves

Wet-look hair may typically be reserved for summer, but we're seeing a resurgence for winter 2024, particularly on longer lengths but it's also a trend that can work for shorter styles too. "This is different to the strict and stuck-in-place wet-looks we saw on the runways," says Smith. "Ideal for event hair, rather than day to day, it’s the perfect season for an elevated option for nights out and special occasions."

Wet-look hair is surprisingly easy—the key is to avoid gels or products that make the hair feel wet or drippy. "Create the texture you desire first using a curling iron or dry with your natural pattern if you have it," says Smith. "On clean dry hair apply liberal amounts of a shine serum—like, a lot. Layer on a wax spray for additional hold around the face and to keep texture in the mids and ends," he says.

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4. Heritage Blonde

We saw brighter blonde hues take hold in the summer, and now we're seeing more subdued tones arise for winter 2024. "When a trend really takes hold it’s often true that a contrasting alternative also begins to grow in popularity as those who rebuke the former make a statement with the latter," says Smith. "The rise of sunflower blonde—an attention-grabbing, bold and glowy shade—has encouraged an uplift in those opting for a more subtle and earthy alternative in the form of heritage blonde. Finely woven and neutral in tone, this is for the more understated and showcases blonde tones in a more casual and natural looking way," he says.

Smith explains that this is a great lower-maintenance blonde shade thanks to the soft regrowth, as well as having a more natural-looking effect overall. "This can sometimes only need to be redone every three or four months in the salon and so is a surprisingly low-maintenance option," says Smith. "The tone is muted and neutral and so suits a variety of skin tones, and the mix of deeper and brighter shades make it a great choice for those with deeper or fairer skin, although it will look it’s most natural (if that’s your priority) on fairer skin tones."

The key to keeping this hair colour looking expensive is by using purple or violet shampoos to avoid the tone turning brassy. Smith advises alternating a purple shampoo every other wash day to keep your hair colour looking luxurious for longer.

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5. Crown Curls

Crown curls are about to be a major winter short hair trend for natural hair textures. "The ethereal softness we saw over the summer months and into autumn is fortifying into a bold and regal tower of texture," says Smith. "With a curved silhouette and lots of volume this celebrates curls and their 3D power," he says.

"This style can be adjusted to suit a variety of face shapes by lifting all the hair away from the face, or retaining some softness and face framing," says Smith. "If you feel your face is longer, focus on volume from the width of the silhouette, while if you feel your face is shorter or wider, ensure maximum volume on the top. All types of curly and coily hair can achieve this look."

Smith has some tips for getting the most out of your hair's natural texture. "Shake out your hair once air dried (or blow-dried with the help of a diffuser) and comb and pat into place. For looser curl types, add a volumising texture spray such as Sam McKnight Texture Spray (£27)," he says. "For tighter textures, use curl creams and shine serums to add a layer of hydration and gloss without fear of losing volume."

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6. Monobrown

Last year, Smith predicted that 2024 would be the year of the brunette, and this year has seen the rise of several darker hair trends. While balayage and highlights have been trending the past couple of years, this winter brunettes are going back to a cleaner slate. "For winter 2024 one thing unites the brunette hair trend—a totally monochromatic finish," he says. "Various references for tones of rich, neutral or cool deep brunettes are building each week, but they all share a clean, even and high shine base colour, with no obvious contrast or dimension."

Smith adds, "this is great for those with naturally deeper hair, but fine for those with fairer hair naturally if you can dye your eyebrows to match and embrace a porcelain doll complexion. It can be a beautifully striking look in either case. Just be sure you’re willing to use the correct products to maximise the shine and gloss in your hair which is needed when reducing contrast or dimension in the colour technique," he says.

If you're ready to embrace monobrown, Smith has some tips to ask your hair colourist. "Ask for a simple uniform brunette shade with an additional layer of a matching gloss for the required intensity and shine."

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7. Bell-Bottom Bob

With all things boho making a comeback in 2024, it's hardly surprising that '70s-inspired hair is following suit. The bell-bottom bob remains a trending short hairstyle throughout 2024, however, for winter, Smith is predicts that we'll see two iterations of the trend: one with flicked ends and the other a soft flick silhouette at the end of the lengths.

"The flicked-out shape is rapidly gaining traction," says Smith. "For those not willing to embrace the full bell-bottom silhouette, we have a surge of more textured versions flooding in for a more wearable alternative. The shape and haircut required is very similar, but the texture is more ruffled and leaves the shape appearing choppier and more undone."

If you want to go for dramatic, Smith has some styling tips to get the flicky look. "A super sleek blow-dry begins with hydration, heat protection and anti frizz benefits in the form or an Olaplex duo – Olaplex No.5 Leave In (£30), layered with No.6 (£28). Then smooth using a straightening iron to form the desired flick at the end. If your hair length hits your shoulders it will remain in the desired silhouette quite well, while if it’s shorter, you'll need to finish with a good amount of strong hold hairspray, both on the inner and outer curve of the ends," he says.

If you want to go softer, you can instead tong the hair for a softer effect. "Style with a soft wave then shake out," says Smith. "It can be worn loose or with one side tucked behind the ear. The ends should still pop out a bit but in an understated and more subtle way."

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8. Terracopper

"Another trend that was only getting warmed up in autumn is terracopper—except it’s getting bolder! It was a shade that is just a little bit more intense than a naturally occurring redhead, but its getting bolder as we move into winter," says Smith. "The addition of red tones takes it further from natural looking and makes it extra vivid, glowy and intense," he says.

Smith recommends using cooler water as well as keeping the temperature down on your hot tools to minimise your hair colour fading. Plus, you can also use colour-depositing conditioners and masks to keep your hair colour vibrant.

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9. Sunflower Blonde

Last but not least, we're seeing sunflower blonde reign for a third season—this isn't going anywhere for winter 2024. "For the third consecutive season this intensely golden shade will continue reigning as the most popular blonde shade," says Smith. "Reducing in contrast, the glow of a golden blonde is attracting more attention and lighting up a room. This is the absolute epitome of ‘blondes have more fun’. A joyous shade that will brighten up grey days ahead as the weather cools," he says.

"For those who like to stand out, this shade suits various complexions and eye colours. Avoid if you have very fair rosy skin, but this can work with both deeper eyes and brighter eyes," says Smith. "This colour comes with a fair bit of maintenance in the form of regular salon appointments to keep the shade fresh at the root, but is contrastingly relatively low maintenance at home as the hair holds on to the golden tones quite well."

This hair colour is all about vibrancy and shine, so look for products that will enhance this sunny hair colour. "It’s crucial to retain shine in the hair for the golden glow to look intentional and so upgrading your conditioner to a moisture mask is easy way to do this," says Smith. "Avoid violet or purple toning products as they will make the golden tones more subtle, but feel free to use golden or beige toned conditioners to help enhance the glow."

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