There is no denying it. A good hair day can make you look and feel in top form. Who doesn't want healthy-looking hair, great hair colour and even the latest hair tool to achieve a salon-worthy style? But good hair days can sometimes be few and far between. Just as a good hair day can change our mood for the better, a bad hair day can have the opposite effect. Whether it's hair that is parched and lacklustre, hair colour that's in need of a reboot, or a haircut that just isn't inspiring you anymore, sometimes changing up our hair routines is often the key to getting out of a hair rut. After all, there is nothing like a new haircut or colour at the salon to put a spring in your step.
Enter our Good Hair Report, which is your download on how to get your best hair yet. Ahead, you'll find everything you need to reboot your hair game. From haircut trends (that also happen to be timeless, FYI) to hair colours that will put you one step ahead of the fashion set, you'll find plenty of inspiration here.
Great hair doesn't stop at the salon, however, so you'll also find the trending hair tools to get to grips with, hairstyles to try and the very best hair care to ensure your crowning glory remains just that. Keep reading to guarantee more good hair days to come.
"Bobs are a classic haircut that never truly go out of style," says Suzie McGill, artistic director At Rainbow Room International. "For autumn/winter, we will see bobs becoming thicker and blunter in appearance, styled super sleek and smooth to enhance hair shine and paired with an eyebrow skimming full fringe," she says.
"We will also see the return of A-line, elongated bobs that come back on trend time and time again," says McGill. "These should gradually get longer towards the front, where they will also appear fuller and sharper in appearance. A great thing about this haircut is that due to it having an angle, it works for all face shapes and it’s a particularly great choice for those with rounder face shapes who are looking for a haircut that gives the illusion of a lengthened face." Why not brave the chop this season?
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A perfectly styled bob starts with a great blow-dry. Dyson's Supersonic Hairdryer is not only lightweight and a joy to use, but it dries hair quickly and leaves lengths glossy.
To achieve a shiny finish, run a pair of straighteners through the lengths of your hair for a smooth and sleek look. Or give your bob a nostalgic '90s twist by flicking the ends of your hair under.
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All hair types and textures can benefit from a good-quality hair oil. This one from Beauty Pie contains seven of the best: macadamia, jojoba, peach kernel, rosehip, wheat germ, olive and rice oil.
What is "the Sachel" haircut? It's a hybrid between the shag and "the Rachel" nineties haircut that Jennifer Aniston made famous during Friends. "'The Sachel' is where the shag meets 'the Rachel,'" says BaByliss ambassador and celebrity session stylist, Syd Hayes. "If you’ve been growing your shag, this is the perfect moment to rock the modern Rachel—keep it modern by keeping the shape around the face a little longer, but still featuring those sliced layers," he says. "Apply R+Co Zig Zag Root Teasing and Texture Spray for added oomph."
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Hayes recommends reaching for a texturising or root-lifting styling spray to give oomph at the roots.
Babyliss's latest hair gadget has four interchangeable styling attachments, which allow you to create multiple looks from curls to bouncy blow-dries and straight and sleek looks. To create "The Sachel," we're opting for the round brush attachment to enhance those bouncy '90s layers.
That said, you don't need to styling device to create this look. A trusty round brush is all you need. Simply wrap your hair around the brush as you blow-dry, allow it to cool for a couple of seconds and release for bouncy lengths.
There is no denying that red hair has made a huge resurgence in 2022, and right now copper hair is having a moment. "Shiny, luxurious coppers are one of the colours of the season," says McGill. The perfect tone for the season, think bright copper meets brunette. "This shade is softer and more subtle than the bright copper orange or the red hair trend and has an almost brunette coating to it but it still looks fiery," she says.
"This hair colour is so beautiful and instantly adds a glow to your complexion. It's best when the hair looks as healthy as possible with extreme shine, therefore, having regular treatments in the salon and using colour-saving shampoos is a must to keep the colour looking vibrant," she adds.
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Copper and any bright hair tones, for that matter, can be prone to fading quickly, especially if you're often exposed to the sun. A colour shampoo will help ensure your hair colour looks its best for as long as possible—it's like an insurance for your hair.
Want to dip a toe into the copper hair trend? Apply this after shampooing your hair and leave it on for 3–10 minutes for a temporary copper hue that lasts between 4–10 washes.
You've heard of glazed nails (all thanks to Hailey Bieber's viral nail look), but for this season, our hair is being given a similar treatment. Wella Professionals digital craft expert Jordanna Cobella predicts that we'll see brunettes take on dark olive and violet tones to their hair. Think rich brunettes with a glossy yet subtle cool undertone, that may appear almost blue or violet in a certain light.
"Brunettes will see an autumnal refresh with calming dark olive and violet tones added to remove any warmth while adding depth and a pop of unexpected colour," says Cobella. "Glazed olive brunette looks its best when the hair has a luxurious shine, so try Wella Professionals Oil Reflections Luminous Oil (£18.50) to add a mirror-like shine to the hair with long-lasting hydration and moisture."
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If you want to embrace cooler tones in your brunette hair, then opt for blue-toned shampoo and conditioner. Blue counteracts warm tones such as orange or brass, so it leaves your hair colour cool-toned.
A hair oil will amplify your hair colour while leaving it in great condition with a glass-like finish.
This coloured glossing hair mask injects lacklustre brunette tones with a rich chocolate tone.
There is no doubt that hair bond builders' have been gaining momentum in recent years, which became popular through in-salon treatments such as Olaplex. Now, there are many at-home options available that promise to transform hair breakage and colour-damaged lengths. "As hair grows further from the scalp, it suffers accumulating lifestyle damage and the internal structure breaks down, the cuticle lifts and the hair shaft thins down towards the ends," explains hairdresser Michael Van Clarke. "Bond builders seek to repair some of the molecular connections like the disulphide bonds, and fill voids that have opened up."
But not all bond builders are created equal. "Since the market niche was created, it has ballooned with hundreds of competing products using the bond-building tag to attract buyers," explains Van Clarke. "This also attracts marketers to play semantics, and many products claiming bond repair simply use silicone or plasticisers to varnish over the cracks."
The best way to find out if a product is actually repairing bonds is to check if it contains silicones, which act as a temporary plaster. "If they contain silicones (such a dimethicone or cyclopentasiloxane), it will look lovely today, but they dehydrate and age the hair quicker over time," says Van Clarke. Try these ones ahead to ensure you get great results.
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"LifeSaver Prewash Treatment uses a more natural approach with a cashmere amino acid that is virtually identical to human hair, and so is absorbed deeply to repair bonds and fill voids," says Van Clarke.
K18's leave-in treatment repairs the polypeptide bonds within the hair, helping to repair fragile hair from the inside out.
Living Proof's bond complex addresses three types of bonds (hydrogen, ionic, and covalent) to restore damaged hair.
If you live in an area with hard water (which tends to be higher in minerals as it passes through limestone or chalk), you may notice a difference if you shower in an area with "soft" water, or find that your hair feels and looks better when washing it on holiday. Deposits in "hard" water can make hair look dull, feel rough and even distort your hair colour—making it fade more quickly in-between salon appointments. Blonde hair can become brassy and fresh highlights can become dull quickly if you live in a "hard" water area.
Thankfully, brands are addressing this problem with a number of different treatments. Filters can slot onto your shower to directly filter out these minerals that may otherwise cling to the hair, while in-shower treatments and styling products can help lift residue from the hair that leeches the life out of lengths. The result? Hair that is left feeling clean and bouncy with a vibrant shine and colour.
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This filter connects directly on to your shower to prevent "hard" water buildup from reaching your hair. Hair is left feeling cleaner, and you may find your irritated scalp become soothed after a couple of uses.
Hard water can affect blonde hair and make highlights or balayage distorted and dull. But these powder sachets help to draw out chlorine, minerals and metals from your hair to reveal a brighter hair colour tone. Simply apply after shampooing and rinse.
Top hairstylist Adam Reed first introduced me to L'Oréal Profesionnel's Metal Detox range, which helps to remove and prevent copper in our water from clinging to our hair. The latest from the range is this hair oil which helps to restore vibrancy and shine to compromised lengths.
Hayes has coined "Botticelli waves" as one of the emerging styling trends for autumn and winter, and we're here for it. Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli often painted women with long, ethereal waves which give the trend its namesake, and now we're turning to this renaissance hair trend for 2022.
Whether you are blessed with naturally curly hair or not, everyone can experiment with this hairstyle trend. Have naturally straight hair? "Turn those beach waves into something more structured," he says. "Use the Babyliss 9000 Cordless Waver to keep your waves looking incredible," he says. You could even plait your hair in smaller sections overnight and undo them come morning for effortless Botticelli waves. And if you are blessed with naturally curly hair, turn to products that give definition and shine, and like the hairstylers ones below to enhance your natural texture.
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If you're blessed with naturally curly hair, embrace your natural hair texture by choosing hair products that define and add shine to your curls.
Not blessed with natural curls? This cordless hair waver from Babyliss gives mermaid waves in seconds.
If your curls have tighter curl pattern, then choose a chopstick hair styler to give extra definition and bounce to your natural hair.
And finally, if you just don't have the time that you would like to give to your hair, allow me to introduce you back to hair accessories. Whether you opt for headbands, clips, hair slides or bows, hair accessories are a game-changer for making you look like you put a ton of effort into your hair, when in reality they take mere moments to add to your hairstyle.
A simple ponytail is given a luxe update with a gold cuff hairband, or a wide headband is a life-saver on mornings when not even dry shampoo can save your roots. My personal favourite is adding a velvet bow to any hairstyle, which not only makes you look put together but also adds a little Parisian flare to your outfit.
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Both chic and timeless, we'll be wearing this gold ponytail cuff on repeat.
A plush velvet ribbon instantly elevates and everyday ponytail.
The humble headband is given an autumnal update in tan leather.
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