7 Big Hair Trends Everyone’s Wearing

Whatever your hair length or texture, adding a fringe is an easy way to update your style for the season. Where winter favored heavier, curtain-style bangs, the new season calls for something softer and lighter. Enter the butterfly fringe, a face-framing shape that begins around the cheekbones and blends seamlessly into the rest of the hair. “It’s the quickest way to update long hair by adding movement and dimension without compromising length,” says Belle Cannan, celebrity hairstylist and owner of London’s Salon Sloane. Worn with glossy waves or a full-bodied blow-dry, this fringe nods subtly to ’70s glamour but with a sharper more modern finish.

Forget that carefree, undone texture typical of summers past – waves have gotten a high-fashion overhaul for 2026. “Tousled beach waves are disappearing,” notes Livermore on the shift. “Instead, the look is a precise, uniform bend with a glass- like finish that shines like runway hair,” says Cannan. It’s a direction recently seen on the red carpet, notably on Margot Robbie during her Wuthering Heights press tour, whose romantic yet high-shine, structured S waves (sometimes styled half-up with delicate braiding) exemplify the trend (and is one of the most requested styles in Cannan’s salon). “The key update is structure,” Cannan explains. “Make your waves more defined so they fall in a cascading shape.” If you do prefer a more tousled finish, keep it intentional. “It has to feel polished, not accidental,” adds Cannan. And work with your hair if you have natural curls: “It’s less about curling irons and more about the right product regimen,” says Livermore. “Once you get that right, you’ll have consistently good hair days.”

If there’s one non-negotiable this season, it’s shine – and lots of it. At the heart of the look is hair health, beginning at the scalp, stresses Livermore. “When your scalp is balanced and properly cared for, it becomes more receptive to treatment. That’s when you see hair that looks stronger, denser and, ultimately, glossier.” The aesthetic spans everything from minimalist, ultra-long lengths (reminiscent of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy) to sleek ponytails and sculpted updos – all unified by that high-shine, light-reflective finish. Rather than relying on heavy styling, this mirror-like, liquid sheen is achieved through a combination of targeted treatments, glossing formulas and lightweight serums that enhance hair’s natural surface. Importantly, this isn’t limited to straight hair textures. On curls and coils, the focus shifts to definition and frizz control while amplifying shine.