The best way to update your hair after the dark days of winter is with a fresh new cut and colour. We enlisted Jie Matar, celebrity hairstylist and owner of Salon Jie, and Vanessa Bianchi, grand master colourist at Civello and an Aveda educator, to give us lowdown on the most stylish, wearable and trendy ’dos for spring.

HAIRCUTS
This season, Matar is inspired by feelings of freedom and wellness—and this liberation should translate to your hairstyle. Think statement fringes, shorter cuts and natural styling for women of all ages. Here, two ways to transform your coif as spring beckons.

Bold bangs
A long fringe that covers the entire forehead is a great way to make a fashion statement as you begin to spend more time enjoying the warmer weather. For those who aren’t ready to commit to full bangs, Matar says a side-swept fringe is “very in.”

You don’t have to go all out right away, agrees Bianchi. “Bangs like Dakota Johnson’s, where you still have a little bit of forehead peeking through, are totally OK,” she says. A soft fringe with a side sweep is also much easier to grow out—should you decide bangs aren’t for you.


Rosie Huntington-Whiteley with a collarbone lob
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Collarbone lob
The lob—or long bob—hairstyle, characterized by its textured blunt ends and slight A-line shape, has been the haircut of note over the past few seasons. This spring, the style has risen up to the collarbone. “It’s always very trendy to have shorter hair since it gives women a feeling of equality and confidence,” says Matar.

Why does this particular haircut have so much longevity? “It can be very professional-looking,” says Bianchi. “Bringing that length up is sexy, but it can be serious at the same time.”

HAIR COLOURS
Hair-colour trends are driven by what’s hot in the world of makeup—and right now, matte makeup is all the rage. So, when it comes to hair, explains Bianchi, “one way to complement that look is with cool, ashy tones.” Here are two of the latest trends for spring.


Jessica Biel sporting a brond colour
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Brond
Brond is, predictably, a colour somewhere between brown and blond. It’s a cool-colour shade made popular by Jennifer Lopez, Chrissy Teigen and Gigi Hadid—and they’ve been rocking the look for quite some time. Both brunettes and blonds can attain the shade for spring; for the former, the key is adding ash-blond highlights, and for the latter, adding copper lowlights.

Jessica Alba sporting a balayage collarbone lob
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Balayage
Balayage is a hand-painting technique that adds sweeps of sun-kissed colour to the hair. “It’s different from ombré in that it’s not just end-focused,” says Bianchi. “There’s still a bit of depth at the roots.” It’s a great choice for low-maintenance women who prefer the ever-popular lived-in look.

The best thing about the technique is that it can be applied to any hair colour or texture—even pastel. Talk with your colourist about how much highlighting you’re comfortable with; if you’re worried about a harsh growing-out line, a little balayage around the face does wonders as an introduction.

See our celebrity-inspired haircuts and hair colours for spring 2016 here .

Read more:
How to avoid a bad haircut
Growing out bangs? These tips will help
Natural beauty brands for your hair