The Experts Have Spoken—These 12 2023 Hair Trends Are the Only Ones That Matter
I've been thinking a lot about what 2023's hair trends will be. Last year, we saw '90s-inspired blowouts make a comeback (we're looking at you, Dyson AirWrap), and with long post-lockdown hair reigning for a while, so many went for the chop, whether it was for the mixie (a hybrid of the mullet and pixie cut) or the boy bob. Colour-wise, we saw the revival of '70s blonde, and with so many celebrities going red in 2022, hair salons were seeing every shade being requested in the chair, from glossy copper to deep cherry. After a couple of years of being deprived of our beloved hairdressers, it was only right that we took the plunge and experimented with our hair, right?
So what does 2023 have in store? So many influences feed into hair trends and what we ultimately head into the salon for. We're still here for a certain effortlessness when it comes to our hair, whether it be through a hair-colouring technique like balayage that grows out beautifully in between appointments or the perfect haircut that suits our face shape with minimal styling. On the other hand, hairstyling tools have become must-haves, with TikTok tutorials filling our For You pages to achieve bouncy and glossy hair.
To find out which hair trends will dominate 2023, I asked the top hairstylists, colourists and all-round experts in the UK to share their predictions on which hairstyles and hair colours will reign next year.
1. Candlelit Brunette
If you want to take blonde hair darker or brunette hair lighter, then no other hair colour can hold a candle to this trend in 2023. "Candlelit brunette has a brunette base colour featuring golden highlights," says Seniz Alkan at Neville Hair and Beauty for L'Oréal Professionnel. Worn by the likes of Hailey Bieber, Zendaya and Kaia Gerber, this golden colour quite literally glows amber in the sun. Combining rich and warm tones, it complements all skin tones and is low-maintenance, too.
"Across the board, so many of my clients are going darker, and everyone is showing Hailey Bieber as inspo," adds Sara Casiddu, colourist at Hari's for L'Oréal Professionnel. She recommends reverse balayage to achieve some darker lowlights through the lengths of the hair. "The reverse balayage is a big trend and one that's set to stay. From blonde to bronde using lowlights, keeping the face framing lighter but warmer, and finishing with a glossing service at the end to add shine," she says.
Shop the look:
A colour-depositing mask is a great way to tweak your hair colour or maintain your desired hue in between salon visits.
This leave-in treatment will boost both colour and shine, enhancing your highlights with a 'fresh from the salon' finish.
2. The Bixie
The mixie cut took centre stage last year, but for 2023, we'll see the bold short haircuts continuing, predicts Robert Eaton, creative director for Russell Eaton Salons and technical director for Wella Professionals. "Haircuts with strong shapes are going to be a key statement in 2023," he says. "Expect a wide range including short crops, bobs or simply haircuts that work with natural curls and movement."
Domenico Casella from Neville Hair and Beauty for L'Oréal Professionnel agrees on this hair shift. "The bixie, which is a mix between the bob and pixie haircut, will also gain momentum amongst the bravest of us," he says. The hybrid haircut allows you to experiment with a shorter length and can grow out seamlessly into a bob (see Florence Pugh). We're turning to Charithra Chandran and Bella Hadid for bixie inspo.
Shop the look:
This lightweight styling cream lends itself to both smooth, sleek looks, and more lifted and tousled ones.
3. Uptown Blonde
Blonde is back in a big way for 2023, but this time around, it's high-maintenance, polished and expensive-looking. "When you think of glamour, you think Hollywood blonde," says Zoë Irwin, creative director at John Frieda Salons. "We've grown up with Hollywood blonde, but now, the association of glamour has shifted. It's now the '90s yellow blonde," she says, explaining that creamy yellow blondes are in big demand right now. "It's uptown because it is a high-maintenance look, so after a couple of months, a root will appear, so it becomes an entire new type of colour look. To maintain this, you'll need to be in the salon every three to four weeks," she adds.
Giuseppe Stelitano, creative director at Trevor Sorbie for L'Oréal Professionnel, has also noticed this '90s blonde trend and how it can also be less high-maintenance if you can't make it to the salon every couple of weeks for root touch-ups. "The highlights can be way more personalised, working more to frame a guests face or keeping some of the depth in the roots as guests still want low-maintenance colour," he says. "It can be bespoke— just a touch-up or lots more blonde applied but a bigger amount of colour contrast between shades."
Shop the look:
Keep your blonde looking fresh with this shine-enhancing shampoo.
Combining the blonde-boosting benefits of purple shampoo with Olaplex's reparative bond-strengthening formula, this shampoo is perfect for maintaining hair health after colouring.
4. The Bob
It's no surprise that the bob makes it into the top hair trends year after year. After all, it's less of a trend and more of a timeless haircut. Whether it be cut to the cheekbones or jaw-skimming, a bob is a haircut that will always be bang on-trend—not to mention totally chic. However, we can expect fringes to add a modern touch for 2023, says Casella. "Any kind of fringe goes; baby, long, parted in the middle… The fringe is what will make the bob look different next year," he predicts.
Shop the look:
Keep your lengths looking effortlessly tousled by spritzing through a texturising spray.
This volume-boosting spray adds instant lift to roots—perfect for reviving hair in-between washes.
5. Liquid Brunette
The brunette equivalent of uptown blonde, liquid brunette sees impossibly glossy hair that's healthy and shiny. "Super-shiny and glossy hair is going to be a key look in 2023," says Eaton. In-salon glossing services and at-home treatments are key for maintaining that high-shine finish, helping to add depth and gloss to your natural hair colour or add dimension and lustre to coloured hair too.
Shop the look:
This TikTok-viral styling treatment leaves hair with the glossiest (and waterproof) sheen that makes your hair super shiny. It also comes in a formula for curls.
For instant shine, smooth this lightweight serum through your lengths. It adds a brilliant glossy finish while simultaneously smoothing flyaways.
6. The Shag
It seems our adoration for '70s-inspired cuts isn't going anywhere for 2023, with hairdressers predicting that the shag haircut will be continuously popular next year. Hari's creative director, Craig Taylor, is in agreement. "The '70s Coup Sauvage/shag through to the '80s mullet that has become the neo-mullet/wolf cut, which is still a strong request because of its flattering combination of face-framing layers and versatile length," he says. "This allows the cut to work on most hair types and face shapes. It is low-maintenance, as it encourages and enhances the hairs natural movement, too." Helena Christensen and Selena Gomez show us how to make it modern.
Shop the look:
A hair mousse will give your shag haircut so much volume. This one is light as air.
After an effortlessly tousled look? Enhance your hair's natural curl with a salt spray.
7. Auburn Hair Colour
Red hair colour isn't going anywhere for 2023—and hair colourists agree. "Something else I'm starting to see requested a lot in the salon is auburn red shades," says Stelitano. "From red to copper, more guests who have previously had balayage in the summer but now in colder months want richer and warmer tones are choosing these hues. There is definitely a lot more going on with red and guests experimenting with these shades, especially after Kendall Jenner went copper a couple of months ago," he says.
Shop the look:
Red hair is notorious for fading quickly, but this shower filter helps to remove the build-up in our shower water, which can make hair colour look dull and lifeless.
Specifically created for all shades of red hair, this rich conditioner uses colour pigments to boost and brighten.
8. The Mullet
With '70s haircuts continuing to prove popular, Mason Josh, senior stylist at Hari's for L'Oréal Professionnel, predicts the mullet to continue in popularity in 2023. "The big trend I am increasingly seeing in the salon stems from the previous trend of 'done but undone' hair," he says. "A mullet at a basic level is a super-layered haircut, with the layers really short and contrasting with a longer length. I am seeing people want a real 'wash-and-go' type of style that they can dress up or dress down." Low-maintenance hair? That's something we can get on board with.
Shop the look:
If your idea of low maintenance doesn't involve styling products, let your shampoo do the hard work for you. This one adds lift and movement to even the finest hair.
9. Bamboo Blonde
Jordanna Cobella, Wella ambassador and creative director of Cobella Salon, tips bamboo blonde as one of the biggest hair colours for 2023. "Taking inspiration from the calming natural materials such as bamboo and their intricate texture, this light golden blonde features two-dimensional tones of warmer beige and light oat milk, seamlessly interwoven in the hair," she says. "Much like the tweed blonde trend that dominated in A/W 22, bamboo blonde is incredibly popular because the tones are so fluid there are no evident lines," she adds.
Shop the look:
Keep blonde lengths in good health with this cult bond-building mask and shampoo from K18.
Maintaining softness in freshly coloured hair is notoriously difficult, but this intensive leave-in mask makes the process so much easier.
10. Cocoa Lights
If you want to add dimension to your brunette hair, then look no further than the cocoa lights trend. "Think of faux tortoiseshell and highly polished walnut wood, and you have this rich brunette trend," says Cobella. "Featuring a mixture of golden, creamy tones contrasting against a warm chocolate, cocoa lights is the luxe hair trend for 2023. To make my clients' facial features pop, I like to add lighter tones of cognac or caramel around the perimeter of their face, drawing attention to their eye colour and cheek and jaw bones," she adds.
Shop the look:
Adding shine to your hair is the ultimate way to make your hair colour pop—and this beauty editor–adored hair oil leaves hair with an expensive lustre while nourishing your hair.
Likewise, adding volume and shape to your hair is a great way to draw attention to contrasting tones. This spray does just that—and doubles as a dry shampoo.
11. Palm Springs Pink
Amongst the more neutral hair colour tones, we're seeing an injection on fun come spring and summer in the form of pastel pink. "In 2023, I think we'll see more clients experiment and embrace more romantic nurturing neutral tones such as pastel pinks and marshmallows," says Cobella. "Palm Spring pink is a great way for clients to express their confidence and sensuality. What I particularly love about the Palm Spring Pink is that clients can experiment with this shade without the worry about long-term commitment, especially as Wella Professionals Shinefinity service doesn’t lift your natural base colour," she says.
Shop the look:
If you want to dip a toe in the trend, this at-home colour-depositing hair mask allows you to try out pink without the commitment of permanent hair colour.
Get bright bubblegum pink hair in just 20 minutes with this multi-tasking hair dye—it also doubles as a mask so helps to smooth and strengthen hair.
12. Lunar Blonde
Think of a golden full moon, and you have some the moonlit blonde hair colour trend. "Ethereal and light-reflecting are the two buzzwords for this pure blonde look," says Cobella. "Reminiscent of moonlight, this creamy, clean blonde tone isn't as icy as a traditional platinum blonde, as it contains a small amount of gold woven through the hair," she says. To prevent it becoming too icy, Cobella recommends asking your hairstylist to add a touch of golden toner to your hair colour. And, as with any light blonde hair colour, it's important that you care for your bleached lengths. "Between salon appointments, it's important to look after the health of your hair with regular bonding masks such as Wella Professionals Wellaplex No3 or Fusion Repair Mask," recommends Cobella.
Shop the trend:
Bleach can take its toll on your lengths, so choose a repairing mask to keep your hair in pristine condition.
Olaplex's multitasking hair oil softens dry texture, smooths frizz, and works to repair damage caused by bleaching.
Up Next, 5 Hair Colours That Don’t Do Thin Hair Any Favours—and 5 That Absolutely Do
This story was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
Eleanor Vousden is the beauty editor for Who What Wear UK. She was previously deputy editor at Hairdressers Journal, health writer at Woman & Home and junior beauty editor at beauty website Powder. She has also contributed to Wallpaper and Elle Collections with written and styling work.Working as a beauty journalist since 2015 after graduating in fashion journalism at the London College of Fashion, she has been highly commended at the BSME Talent Awards for her work on Powder and also contributed to the title winning Website of the Year at the PPA Awards.Eleanor’s journalistic focus is to provide readers with honest and helpful beauty content. Through words, video and live broadcast, she has interviewed several celebrity makeup artists, hairstylists and top dermatologists throughout her career, as well as celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Scarlett Johansson. She has a particular interest in finding solutions for acne and eczema, which she has experienced firsthand. She has also amassed a large collection of fragrances and can never say no to a new candle.When she’s not writing or testing the latest beauty product or treatments, she’s on the seafront in her hometown of Brighton and Hove, where she lives with her partner and her miniature dachshund.
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