Get your summer hair ready for autumn

Fall is in the air, and likewise in the hair! SHADOW ROOTS

Women are looking for ways to update and soften their summer blond locks without losing out on the time and investment it took them to achieve a light colour. Enter the trend of shadow roots.

This trend allows you to embrace your natural root colour and blend it into your highlight in a seamless and effortless way. Add a cropped cut to the mix, styled with a little body and texture, and your seasonal update is complete.

The technique involves using your natural base colour (or darker) to deepen, soften and blend out the demarcation line of grown out highlights. It’s also a way to “smudge” the lines of fresh highlights to make them look softer and more lived-in.

It’s extremely customizable, and lends itself to deepening the background foundation colour while maintaining colour dimension through the midlengths and ends. To create the colour effect pictured here, I started by applying foil highlights around the face, and strategically throughout her hair.

This allowed me to brighten her three inches of re-growth and create a balayage-like blonding effect.

I followed by applying a shadow root in a medium-brown tone for a natural and smoky looking transition. CROPPED WAVES

While long hair is beautiful, it’s not for everyone. This cropped shape is great option for women looking for a fun, chic and feminine style.

The graduated shape in the back provides lift and fullness, while the squared-off side pieces adds a fresh and modern esthetic. To achieve this, as seen on A-list celebrities, follow these steps:

1. Spray KMS Therma Shape 2-in-1 Spray over the surface of the hair for heat protection and hold.

2. Take a one-inch sub-section of hair (six to eight vertical pieces from the top of the hair) and wrap the mid-lengths vertically, around a curling wand. Be sure to leave the ends out to achieve soft bend rather than a curl.

3. Use your fingers to break up the curls and finish the style with KMS Hair Play Dry Wax, for dimensional texture.