Hairstyles may come and go but “colour is always in” says Josh Wood, the visionary colourist behind countless catwalk creations for Prada, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Marc Jacobs and Celine, as well as the Global Colour Creative Director for Redken. His prediction for 2020: “Colour is going to be all inclusive. It’s become such a big conversation, it overtakes what the ‘trends’ are and it’s more about bringing out one’s personality using hair colour and getting a colour that really suits you.”

If that means reaching for the pink hair dye, go for it, but Josh says, “There are classic techniques we use in the salon which will still update your colour: balayage (a freehand, paint-on colour technique that gives a blended natural look) has been around for a long time but still gives an effortless highlight. A technique that adds to any base colour is usually a winner for most clients and flatters most.”

BRIGHTEN YOUR HAIR COLOUR

When I noticed my own dingy roots approaching ‘dull-as-dishwater’ on the colour spectrum earlier this month, I headed to Buller + Rice in E17. The Tottenham outpost is the second eco-salon from Anita Rice and Stephen Buller. Rice predicts that 2020 hair is all about “natural roots and a filtered hue effect over balayage. Bronze or copper overtones over lightened hair and an overall less-aggressive approach, using smaller amounts of lifted hair and more precise placement.”

This includes the ‘Scandinavian’ hairline, as she calls it – a natural baby blonde used to frame the face. For afro hair, she says, “The look is about brushed-on lights and a softer approach, so the colour gives an impression like the light is hitting it.”

Two of the main detractions from adopting coloured hair are time and money (especially when bank accounts might still be looking a little lean after the festive blowout). Anita’s solution is to use purpose-cut foils, which reduce wastage, on her clients and then “shadow the roots with toner to blend the seam, then glaze the roots for longer-lasting results”. The result is very natural-looking regrowth that doesn’t require regular maintenance.

JESSICA PUNTER
A London-based beauty editor who champions products that enhance, heal and tread lightly on our dear planet