Vancouver’s Top Hair Trends of 2019

Written by Emma Warford

 

Nothing says “I’ve got my shit together” more than a banging new haircut and colour. We all know nothing gives a little pep in your step like a fresh new cut, feeling like a million bucks while dancing your way out of the salon. Or, if you don’t normally leave the salon dancing, maybe you’re not going to the right one.

Start off your 2019 with a new style, and peep these hair trends that are sure to carry you from “Hey, I woke up like this … and that hair is looking goooood!” to late night drinks where you check out your hair on the way to the washroom. The emphasis here is ease, natural looking colours (think the ubiquitous balayage) with roots for days. Cuts are blunt, styling is loose and effortless, sleeping on your hair will (hopefully) only make it look better (if you’re not a drooler).

Slept-in Waves

If your dream 2019 hair is beachy waves that ooze California-girl cool, look no further than Artel Cambie master stylist Kimiko Stella. One look at her Instagram will convert you to her cult following.  Kimiko describes her clients as liking “some loose waves in their hair … to get that beach vibe, with a touch of glamour.” Kimiko’s client Becca Euverman puts it perfectly, “I have always had trouble styling my hair. Kimiko made me feel like I’d stolen the hair from an angel-mermaid. It’s totally effortless and beautiful.”

Balayage for months (and months, and months…)

Balayage is the epitome of cool girl colour, the effortless effort that will let you skip salon visits without sacrificing the colour you want. Jordan Hollas knows that his clients don’t “want to be locked into a rigid schedule of colouring, [so by] working with a [client’s] natural tonality and a softer technique, we can create hair colour that’s both high impact and low maintenance”. No one exemplifies Jordan’s philosophy more than his client Jen dela Luna, when she describes his process as him “already [being] two steps ahead, thinking about how my hair will grow, how the colour fades, and makes that transition look seamless. My grow-out looks so effortless that people think I got a new service done, but in fact it’s just Jordan’s ability to look after my hair both in the short term and long term.”

Cut it and forget it!

Artel stylist Raquel Bortignon describes every woman’s dream of a “wash and wear” haircut, the bob! Raquel loves to use a mixture of blunt cutting for length and texturizing for effortless movement that allows for clients to rock their hair sleek and straight or boho-beachy. Raquel champions this much-loved hairstyle because it “can go with any lifestyle and [she] loves to work with the clients natural texture, thickness and their ideal daily hair routine to create fashionable, beautiful low maintenance styles.” Kirsten Taylor loves going to Raquel and details that Raquel “gave me exactly what I was looking for  – a cut that was sleek and precise but still had texture and movement. She has elevated the classic bob into a fresh modern version.”

Blinded by the Blonde

Artel Salon owner, Eliza Trendiak, eats sleeps and breathes BLONDE . She’s done every hue imaginable from bangin’ Gwen Stefani-esque white blonde to softer golden tones and everything in between. More recently she’s been seeing clients move away from “ashy” or “grey” blonde to more natural tones…think sun-worshipper who just spent 3 months on a yoga retreat in Bali kind of blonde. But she’s particularly loving the current trend of “clients be[ing] open to the idea of a beautiful creamy or sandy blonde which is so fun to create as a stylist.  The key is to always keep it bright with the “money-pieces” framing the face.” Longtime client Leanna always goes for “the same cool blonde with no yellow and not too grey. Eliza always understands my vision and is able to get me to my dream blonde level. I am absolutely loving my current blonde, it’s fresh, bright, and exactly what I was looking for!”