Looking for the finishing touch to your summer holiday look? These summer hairstyles are the on-trend inspiration you need.
From the easy way to achieve flawless beach-ready braids to why you might want to embrace the urge to cut your hair short this year, read on for all the inspiration you need for your summer hairstyles.
1. Curl meets slicked-back
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Want to get your hair off your face but find that a super slicked-back style really doesn’t suit your features? Our beauty director agrees! Luckily, there’s a few easy tricks to make a bun much more wearable this summer. Firstly, don’t slick-back all your hair as you might do for a school sports day. Instead, add texture to the lengths of your hair by creating fairly tight curls – allowing for a messy up-do that looks more deliberate and bouncy. Don’t totally do away with your parting either – this can make the style look really harsh from the front. Instead, smooth down your roots after defining your natural part.
2. Pull-through beach braids
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Braids are a classic summer style: effortlessly pretty, while keeping your hair secure and less likely to knot than a ponytail as you sunbathe and swim. If you struggle with plaits though, try this social media-approved hack for pull-through braids instead. As in the video, start by separating your hair into four low ponytails (two on each side). Then, starting on the left side, take the back section and create a small opening just above the hairband. Next, take the front section and pull it through the loop. Move the hairband down and continue the process, until you have your full braid and are ready to tie it. Repeat on the other side.
3. Emphasised texture
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Are you always jealous of the people at the beach that seem to have done nothing to their hair, but it still looks flawless? They’ve probably embraced the ‘your hair but better’ haircare trend. When the weather heats up, it can be the perfect time to step away from your style changing hair tools (that can cause additional hair damage) and a chance to embrace your natural texture. However, it’s not just about jumping out the shower and letting your hair air dry – that’s a recipe for frizz and dryness, especially as the sunshine can dull shine and exacerbate dehydration in all hair types. To maximise your natural style, it’s all about adding moisture – whether it’s a hair repair mask for fine hair, or curl creams that define every coil. Healthy looking hair in an instant.
4. Short and sweet
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If you hate the heat and heaviness of having your long hair down during the warmer months, this season’s biggest hair trends are going to make you want to embrace the chop even more. Every hairstylist our beauty director has spoken to has predicted at least one short style is going to top their ‘most asked for’ list – especially bobs with layers for extra movement so they don’t have to look perfectly sharp all the time. Think French girl laissez-faire attitude, with styles that are shorter at the nape and have a loosely rounded shape that naturally gives some more texture. And, for anyone who is feeling like a big transformation, fringes are making a comeback too.
5. The big clip
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Hair accessories are going nowhere after being the talk of both last summer and winter, and this time, it is the claw clip that’s had a makeover. The ultimate ‘I want to keep my hair off my neck and out of the pool’ necessity now has fashion impact, with insider’s loving a classic flower in their hair approach as a charming nod to noughties fashion. Best of all, the placement doesn’t matter – so wear it how you wish. Placed at the back of your head it can help you achieve a quick and decorative up-do, or opt for on the side to keep sweaty or wet strands from straying into your face. Match the colour to your outfit and it will quickly and easily pull a look together, taking you straight from the beach to the restaurant and back again.
6. Protective styles
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Wearing protective styles in the summer, such as box braids, knotless braids and cornrows, for hair type 4 (coils and tight curls) is a smart way to shield your natural hair from sun exposure, humidity, heat, and salt water. The styles also look incredibly chic. Just make sure to start with clean, deeply conditioned hair, trim any damaged ends, and stretch your hair to reduce tangling. Then, use gentle scalp cleansers and the LOC method (layering moisturising products in the order of liquid, oil, cream) to keep your hair really hydrated. Plus, don’t keep the styles in too long – no more than eight weeks – to avoid breakage and buildup.
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