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Spring 2021 Hair Trends

Mar 14, 2021 | style/mode

Instagram/Jordan Avery Z/Instagram
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Allure: From “soft-serve mullets” to warm shades of blonde and red, this is your guide to the cuts, colors, and styles you’re about to see everywhere this season.

If you didn’t shave your head on New Year’s Day in a symbolic release of the dumpster-fire year that was 2020, you’re in luck: There are so many spring hair trends to try in 2021! And even if you did get a little scissor-happy, there are some amazing shorter hairstyles and length-neutral colors that are just begging to earn a spot on your head.

Style-wise, one thing is very clear: Prepare to revisit the haircuts of your (or your mom’s) youth. Retro looks are having a major moment, and that’s especially true of ’90s-inspired hairstyles like flipped-out ends, swoopy updos, and even mullets. The experts we spoke to have been seeing a huge surge in the volume, bangs, and shapes we loved so much before the turn of the century, and they’re excited to revive them in a modern way.

Spring hair colors are bound by no rules — if it’s a crayon color, it can be a hair color — but stylists are definitely seeing certain shades pulling ahead this season. For more natural hues, there’s a clear trend toward warmer colors, suggesting that platinum blondes and cool-toned reds may be dipping in popularity. Meanwhile, vivid fantasy colors are still going strong, with celebrities like Hilary Duff and Taraji P. Henson leading the charge.

Here, you’ll find the inspiration you’ve been looking for for your spring hairstyle or color. You know how it works: Tap your browser’s “File” menu, then hit “Print” before you make your way to the salon. (Just remember to mask up first!)

 

A model with a long softserve mullet hairstyle

Soft-Serve Mullet

Hairstylist Jordan Avery Z‘s take on the mullet is proof that the infamous hairstyle can look incredibly cool — even pretty. “The soft-serve mullet is great for someone who wants to add a little texture and volume to their style with a delicate edge, as this bi-level cut focuses on the contrast between the disconnected silhouette and soft perimeter,” she tells Allure. Bonus: It grows into a beautiful, long-layered shag over time. But be sure to communicate with your stylist to find a shape and a product routine that suits your vibe and daily reality, she says. Ready to give it a go? “You can ask for soft, tailored bits around the ears and face with shortness through the crown.”

 

Hayley Williams with pastel orange hair color

Orange

Straddling the line between fantasy and naturally feasible color, this gentle shade of tangerine is a gorgeous way to go into spring. Colorist Brian O’Connor recently took fellow Good Dye Young cofounder and Paramore Hayley Williams singer back to her signature orange look, but with a softer, almost pastel twist. If you prefer something more vivid, that’s more than OK too. “A hair color I think is going to be popular for spring is any version of orange,” O’Connor tells Allure, sharing that the brand has seen a huge increase in orders for their Peach Fuzz and Riot shades of dye recently.

 

 

Emma Chamberlain wearing a blonde hairstyle with flippedout ends and a bucket hat

Flipped Ends

Stylist Laura Polko says this style — seen here on Emma Chamberlain is more than just an ode to ’90s flipped-out ends — it’s also practical camouflage. “I love this look because it’s a stylish way to hide dead ends,” she says. “This is super simple to do with any heat tool, whether it be a blowdryer, curling iron, or flatiron.” Polko, who works with NatureLab Tokyo, recommends using the brand’s Perfect Shine Oil Mist so the ends are extra-shiny and won’t piece apart before using heat. We’re also big fans of Davines Oi All in One Milk for this purpose, and it’s another conveniently sprayable formula.

 

Instagram/Lucy Hale

Golden Bronde

Believe it or not, this beautiful color is not a finished look, according to Lucy Hale’s colorist, Kristin Ess. “This is phase two out of three in the lightening process!” Ess recently told Allure. “We always take it slow when we want to jump to a new lighter color because doing it too quickly can cause major damage, especially on someone who has dark hair and has been red recently.” But this warm, golden bronde — an even blend of brown and blonde — can easily serve as a goal shade for the season. It’s so flattering and low-maintenance, there’s no reason not to stick with it through spring and beyond.

 

 

A selfie of Sarah Hyland with auburn red hair

Coppery Auburn

Warm hues are having a huge moment this spring, and that means a broad spectrum of red shades are popping up everywhere — including on Sarah Hyland’s head, where she recently went from brunette to coppery auburn. Colorist Nikki Lee recently told Allure that, while it’s not always easy to bring brown hair to this perfect shade of rich, rusty red, the result is almost always flattering. “I love a copper red as it is a change that can work on more people than you think,” she said.

 

 

Gabrielle Union wear a small bun with curtain bangs
Instagram/Gabrielle Union

Curtain Bangs

Several experts we spoke to said curtain bangs, seen here on Gabrielle Union, are the hair trend of spring 2021, and it’s not the least bit surprising. “Curtain bangs take any hairstyle to the next level and make a messy bun more elevated,” raves Covet & Mane founder Dafina Smith, who says they’re great for round faces because they have a lengthening effect.

“Curtain bangs have a softer shape that goes from short to long, and they’re perfect for those who are afraid to commit to a full bang,” says Franck Izquierdo, co-founder of IGK. “It’s a great way to add style to longer hair.”

Polko completely agrees that it’s a low-stakes, high-payoff take on fringe. “I love these bangs because they frame the face nicely without being too blunt,” she says, recommending that you ask your stylist for a fuller bang that hits just below the eyeline. “They’re gaining popularity because they’re not a full commitment, since they can be tucked behind your ear without clipping them back.”

 

 

Lili Reinhart with voluminous golden blonde hair wearing a hot pink top

Warm Blonde

With high-maintenance hair colors facing major hurdles during the pandemic, it’s no surprise that platinum — as much as we still love its icy vibes — is not the most popular shade of blonde at the moment. Instead, those who still want to be blonde are embracing and enhancing warmer, easier-upkeep looks, like Lili Reinhart’s golden version. “People are looking for lower-maintenance hair that reflects and celebrates their natural undertones. Clients are ditching the purple shampoo and letting their buttery tones shine through,” Smith tells Allure. “The blend of honey and golden hues adds dimension and creates a vibrant, natural look.”

 

 

Two images of a model with a short layered haircut worn two ways

The Shift

“Specifically for spring 2021, we’re forecasting a shorter-hair comeback,” R+Co director of content Adam Federico tells Allure. Specifically, he thinks we’ll see a lot of shorter hair with longer, varying, textured lengths through the top. “I like to call this haircut ‘the shift’ because of its ability to have versatile styling options, from something edgy and raw to extremely polished and sophisticated. The idea with this is that the haircut can be finished to suit the individual’s personality and meet them for who they are within that day.”

 

 

 

Taraji P. Henson wearing a purple braided protective updo

Purple Tree Braids

Taraji P. Henson’s style is a spring-trend double whammy. Purple hair thriving on celebrity heads right now (Chrissy Teigen loved a purple hair filter so much, she got a wig made, and perhaps you noticed Megan Thee Stallion looking stunning in the shade just a few slides ago), and this gorgeous tree-braids look takes it to the next level. “I love this look because it’s a moveable protective style, meaning it can be styled in different ways,” stylist Sabrina Porsche tells Allure. “The purple color signifies royalty and can be very freeing for someone who doesn’t usually dabble in different hair colors.”

 

 

 

A model with long peachy and blonde hair

Peaches & Cream

With warm shades of orange, red, and blonde all flourishing this spring, this incredible peaches-and-cream look marries them all in one breathtaking look. “We decided to do some unique color blocking placement, right next to her ears,” stylist Maggie Hancock previously told Allure of her client, on whom she used four different shades to create this effect. “She will return every seven weeks for her root touch up and re-tone.”

 

 

Demi Lovato poses against a wall with a pink bowl haircut

Bowl Cut

Three makes a trend — especially when it’s three huge celebrities. Bowl cuts starting inching toward their trend crescendo when Charlize Theron showed up in one, followed by Selma Blair. Most recently, Demi Lovato made it more-than-officially-cool when she combined the all-one-length short cut with the pastel pink that’s been everywhere for quite some time now. “I definitely think ’90s bowl cuts are coming back,” Taylor tells Allure. “Ask for a short front fringe that hits above the ears — or what works best for your face shape — and wraps around the head to meet at the back in a low V shape.”

 

 

Lizzo wearing long red loose curls and a red and white outfit

Long, Loose Curls

“Everything ’90s is cool again, so it was inevitable that the big, bouncy, natural curls made famous by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman would make a comeback as well,” says stylist Michele Cleveland. The layered look brings out the best in this texture, and can save you the trouble of heat-styling if this is close to your natural texture. “This classic style is a timeless favorite and will be a go-to for this spring and beyond.” It looks even more stunning in red, as proven by Lizzo.

 

 

Hilary Duff with blue hair

Cotton-Candy Blue

If you’re up for bleaching process that gives this cotton-candy blue shade its best results, your patience will pay off like it did for Hilary Duff. “In order to get her hair this vibrant cotton candy blue, I had to first pre-lighten her hair with Joico’s Blonde Life,” Lee previously told Allure, explaining that it took what felt like hundreds of foils to fully cover the actor’s head. “After processing, we did a quick pre-tone to kick out any unwanted yellow before applying the blue; this was an important step as the blue mixed with yellow could’ve gone green.” Lee used Joico’s Color Intensity True Blue, Mermaid Blue, and Peacock Green to achieve the color, followed by a deep-conditioning treatment with In Common’s Crystal Cashmere. To give this color a go at home without necessarily lightening up first, we love Overtone Vibrant Teal
Coloring Conditioner, which is basically color and deep-conditioning treatment in one.

 

 

A model with coppery brown hair

Ginger Spice

If the perfect balance of brown and blonde is bronde, then the perfect balance of brown and red is… bred? Let’s just call it “ginger spice,” like colorist Natalie Jean did after creating this stunning shade for her client. Remarkably, she started out with grown-out bleach from the mid-length to ends and dark-brown roots, so she started out with low lights to break up that darkness, followed by an all-over copper color. “Copper colors look great on anyone, if done right,” Jean tells Allure. “I believe knowing how to properly fill the hair and knowing that most copper shades have gold helps when the hair is super porous because it acts as a filler — which most blondes going copper need.”

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