Blog #18- A Winter Wonderland of Fabulous Hairstyles for 2022 (plus a Spring/Summer Celebration, and a Fall Fete too)

Blog #18-

A Winter Wonderland of Fabulous Hairstyles for 2022 (plus a Spring/Summer Celebration, and a Fall Fete too)

Welcome back, guys and gals, to our continuing discussion of what we should totally be trying out with gusto as far as our hair is concerned in 2022. Today, we’ll be focusing on how to style your luscious locks once you have the hue and cut you’ll love all year long. So first up is…

1. The Big and Bouncy 90’s (or 60’s Volume)- perhaps because we’ve all spent SO much time on Zoom, Facetime, and whatnot for the past two years, we’ve realized that a little volume never hurt anyone. So big, bouncy blowouts like Holly Marie Combs’ Piper on the original hit show Charmed or going back even further in time, Christina Hendricks’ Joan Harris in period drama Mad Men sporting 60’s style volume are both great examples of this. Think mousse to thicken things up first, big round brushes, blow dryers, and maybe even your mom’s hot rollers to achieve these looks. 

2. Long, Straight, and Sleek as a Mink- because 2022 looks like it’s going to be all about opposites (so that every one of us out there can find something that works well for her), the kind of long, board straight, and classy look we saw on Miss Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) of TVD fame around 2009 is one of the more popular choices stylists are predicting. So if you’re like me and you’ve spent your life ardently wishing for Julia Roberts’ waves or Kyra Sedgwick’s curls when you’re naturally straight, throw in the towel and give this a go instead. 

3. Au Natural (Natural Waves, Texture, 80’s Curl, and Choppy Bends)- because 2022 is also all about you doing you, we can see the flip side of number 2 here. Air dry and fly, ladies with the natural waves, instead of using hot tools to straighten or curl. That will keep your hair healthier which is also “in,” and go for it, even if you’re a little naturally fluffy or wild-haired. Look at Jessica from American Pie all grown up below and rockin’ that gorgeous ginger. Just make sure that you use a good conditioner specific to your hair type.

If you have the kind of curls we associate with the 80’s and Julia Roberts in Mystic Pizza, go for a cut that helps with volume and face-framing to avoid anything that looks too heavy.

And if you’re naturally board straight like me, to introduce a little texture without a lot of damage on a daily basis, go for a shorter layer with pieces that pop out a bit more when you “wave” them with the straightener or curling iron (just a light quick flick at the ends- no holding it on there and counting in your head). Like the timeless Jennifer Aniston in one of my newer favs out there- Netflix’s Murder Mystery. 

4. Middle Parts (sorry Millennials)- even the millennial hairdressers are advising clients to go middle as opposed to side part these days, so while you should always do what you want to do regardless, especially if you have straight locks, a middle part looks flattering on everyone and it never hurts to change things up every once in a while. After all, who could go wrong when they mimic Milla Jovovich in Dazed and Confused (even if it’s not the 70’s anymore).

5. Wispy Bangs- on the bangs front, we have several good choices. Like Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) from WandaVision, you can opt for the soft, feminine, and wispy bangs that create movement and texture around the face, keeping heavy hair lighter. 

6. Versus Grown-Out Curtain Bangs- or you can stick with the trend of the last few years and choose curtain bangs, but let them grow out (or just ask them to be cut that way in the first place). Not only will it save you trips to the stylist and therefore time and money, they also give volume in front, shape too, especially the slightly winged look that’s shorter in the middle and longer towards the sides, something that really falls somewhere in between true fringe and short layers. Those work on all hair textures and they’re incredibly easy to style like Penny (Kaley Cuoco) in Big Bang. 

7. Versus Blunt Bangs- on the other hand, if you want something more daring and severe, especially if you already have bangs and want a bigger change, then you can opt for the heavier and straighter blunt bang favored by Lea Michele’s Rachel Berry on Glee. 

8. Versus Cascading Bangs- but if you have naturally curly hair (although these work on straight and wavy as well- just ask Rory aka Alexis Bledel of Gilmore Girls), choose the cascading effect here where the bangs are cut to about eyelash length which helps showcase natural curl patterns and can be styled in a myriad of different ways. 

9. Versus Tendrils (whew- so many ways to handle fringe)- and finally, back from our 90’s prom nights, we have this popular trend where roughly two strands are left out of an updo to add in a face-framing effect. They can hang straight, you can curl them to your heart’s delight, or you can even do braids, but no one did it better than Buffy Summers of vampire slaying fame.

10. Rounded Fros- because natural is all the rage right now, stylists are also recommending the rounded afro to highlight each and every curl and coil. Most suggest a rounded shape or lion cut to mold the curls into the roundest form possible. This one also helps to keep your curls healthy and lively. Just ask Tracee Ellis Ross from Black-ish who incidentally has her very own hair care line, so she clearly knows her stuff. 

11. And Cornrows- the key word here for 2022 is “intricate”- the smaller the braids, the better because the pictures and patterns that can be created here are literally endless. Find yourself a local hair artist and turn him or her loose to design something 100% unique for you. Rihanna has been highlighting this style for a while now, but Lupita Nyong’o from Us among other hits has featured my favs so far, some that look indie and artistic while others are classy and sleek. 

12. Small Accent Braids- however, if you aren’t the right ethnicity to pull off the previous two styles, you do still have some regular braiding options on the table. We’re still very much embracing Y2K, so small accent braids are a good way to tap into this nostalgia and add some accent pieces/texture into your style du jour. Like the second Charmed entry on our list, Alyssa Milano’s always stylish Phoebe (seriously- this girl tried out every haircut and style under the sun and then some during their eight year run).

13. Versus One Big Sleek Braid- or if you’d rather go all in, you can channel Prue aka Shannen Doherty instead (and now we have the entire Power of Three featured here) with one big, long, sleek, and tight braid which you can take all the way to the ends or stop short.  

14. Say Hello Again to the High Pony- not just for cheerleaders anymore, another style similar to the sleek braid is the high pony, an option J Lo has been showcasing for decades now or more recently, Miss Ariana Grande from Victorious who has absolutely perfected this updo, so much so that it has become her trademark. I bet she wouldn’t mind if you borrowed it though. 

15. And an Extravaganza of Accessories- and finally, moving back to the idea of the continuing Y2K craze, the more accessories you can coordinate into one style for the day, the better. From flowers to sculptured bling barrettes, from trailing headbands to bobby pins, or leather hair holders to decorative hair sticks, anything goes. Just find something that vibes with your overall aesthetic, or just the one for that particular day if you’re a fashion chameleon, and pile them on.

And that, as they say, is all she wrote, guys and gals. Find a hue, cut, or “do” you absolutely love in the past several blogs and shine all year long!