With red carpet season well underway, I've rounded up my top tips on the looks to watch out for and the trends that are popping up at every press junket. Here are the styles everyone's sure to be rocking this spring/summer…
The Ear Tuck
Less a hairstyle and more a styling trick, but this kept cropping up at the BAFTAs this year. Tucking your hair behind your ears puts full focus on the face and the dress, but it’s a statement in itself. It’s paring back the hair to give a very sleek effect, and it intentionally puts all eyes on a striking outfit or bold makeup look. Rachel Weisz used this to full effect at the BAFTAs, wearing her hair in loose waves but tucked back and with a sharp parting. The finished effect was both sleek and glamorous, but it ensured that the focus was on her dramatic, frilly Gucci gown. Zawe Ashton also used the technique as she wore a vivid hot pink dress, and Thandie Newton pared down her ruffled ballgown by opting for straight, sleek hair, a centre parting and, of course, the tuck, striking a perfect balance.
Quiffs
A retro look that’s not for the shy, but this look made ripples on both sides of the pond! Quiffs give volume, height and drama to a look, without adding width, so it’s perfect for outfits that want to show off the shoulders and décolletage, or outfits that have dramatic sleeves etc., and you want to keep the hair out of the way. Cardi B is the perfect example of that, with her eye-catching vintage Mugler gown she needed to make sure her hair wasn’t a distraction, so a sleek quiff is the ideal way to handle that. Margot Robbie’s Chanel was lauded for its wide shoulder detailing, and again, her side swept quiff allows the dress to take centre-stage, whilst Katy Perry’s wet-look version ensured all eyes were on her candyfloss-esque Balmain ballgown. But you don’t need a maximalist dress to sport this look in style; Claire Foy wore her quiff with a very simple dress for an almost Grecian-inspired look.
Wet-Look Texture
Wet-look hair is a style that is bold in itself, and best matched with a low-key outfit. It can be a tricky look to get right, but if done properly, it looks effortlessly cool and seriously stylish. Miley Cyrus added wet-look texture to her roots but matched it in with loose, blown-out Hollywood waves and a sexy black tuxedo for a beautifully balanced look. Kylie Jenner went for more of an avant-garde style, opting for wet-look strands placed across the face to balance out her dramatic Balmain outfit. To get the look, you should start with damp hair and apply a wet-look hair gel, combing it through the hair and setting in place with a glossing hairspray. The key is not to over-apply the gel as you don’t want the hair to be heavy or crispy, but still have fluidity and movement, and that irresistible wet-look shine.
Sleek Ponies
Much like the wet-look style, this is another pared-back style that adds drama to a sleeker or simpler look. Irina Shayk wore a very sleek low ponytail with a tuxedo for a really sexy look, whilst Lily Collins went for a more dramatic, maximalist outfit so her ponytail was a gorgeous balance. Amy Adams kept hers very sleek and elegant, wearing the style with a simple maxi dress and minimal jewellery, for a timeless look.
Ethereal Up-Do
Perfect for brides-to-be or when you just want to feel extra-pretty, this is a beautiful look that I think we’ll be expecting to see more of over the spring/summer season. I think of this style as swept back off the face, but with a little volume and a little looseness to it that looks fresh, dreamy and fairytale-fabulous. Of course, it was worn by our very own real-life Princess, the Duchess of Cambridge, who wore this dreamy style with an equally regal McQueen ballgown, but other A-listers opted for the style too. Millie Mackintosh was exuding Midsummer Night’s Dream vibes with her choice of dress matched with this fairy-princess up-do, and Poldark star Eleanor Tomlinson also looked romantic and oh-so feminine with additional soft strands around her face. To get this look, don’t be too precious when styling the hair up, don’t be afraid to add a little height where it’s needed. And to get that ruffled, romantic texture, spritz a makeup brush with salt spray or hairspray and apply it in gentle circular motions to the texture and hairline to encourage looseness without static.