A Look Back at the Best Hair Trends of the 2010s

A Look Back at the Best Hair Trends of the 2010s

A decade with a style that has been more influenced than ever by social media, influencers and celebrities – when it comes to hair trends in particular, the 2010’s have been epic!

 

Whilst we might all agree to leave things like unicorn-coloured hair, feathers, and flower crowns in the past; the last ten years can still claim to have had more than its fair share of great hair. Let’s take a look at what styles made the cut last decade!

1. Ombre

Starting the decade in stunning style, the Ombre style was the laid-back, out-grown style to be seen in the 2010’s. Making its mark at the start of the decade, you’d be hard pushed to name a celebrity that didn’t sport this head-turning style at some point during the last ten years. Although the trend has now evolved into the less in-your-face style balayage (more on that later), this decade-long look still gets a thumbs up from us.

2. Knots

A style that won hands down when it came to the sleek and sophisticated. Whether you wore your knot high up or ultra-chic at the nape of your neck, the knotted hair trend became de rigueur for paired-back red carpet styles. Perfect for those days when statement earrings are a must, this trend was rocked by celebrities like Cindy Bruna and Una Thurman.

2. Combed Out Curls

When you think back to pillow-like, brushed-out curls, you can’t help but think of Sarah Jessica-Parker who owned this sexy look back in 2012. Long, textured waves and a great brush are key to getting this bouncy, full-of-volume look just right. If a slightly more preened look was your thing, curling-iron curls were the next big thing, bridging the gap between ultra-straight and full-on curl with a sleek style that looked great with a side-parting.

3. Beachy Waves

A look that was cool and effortless (even if the ‘natural’ curls required a fair bit of work), the tousled, beachy waves of the late 2010’s worked great with balayage and looked equally stunning with a fab cocktail dress as with your favourite jeans and t-shirt. 

Celebrity stylist Stéphane Bodin was a huge fan of this style, loving Mary-Kate and Ashley’s way to wear this low-maintenance look.

4. Braids, Braids and More Braids

Okay, so braids will never be a new look, but the 2010’s saw this eternal style reach new heights of glamour. We started off the decade with Lauren Conrad’s trend-setting hairline braid; fell in love again with 90’s inspired micro-braids; saw super-long gem-studded side-braids take centre stage on the red carpet; and finished off the decade with Amandla Stenberg’s stunning thick braids which were woven with striking shades of teal, aqua and bright blue! What’s not to love?

5. A Fabulous Fringe

According to super-star hairstylist Cervando Malonado, a stand-out fringe was perhaps the most notable trend of the decade. From the eye-grazing styles that looked great on stars such as Naomi Campbell and Lily Aldridge, fringes with long layers were definitely the winner. They were cut to frame the face beautifully and worked with both fine and thick tresses.

Long front layers also looked great blow-dried to create a stunning windswept look, with stars like Hilary Duff and the Kardashian sisters rocking the trend.

6. The Bob

Let’s face it, the bob will always be in fashion. Whether that’s for a cool, stylish-mum kind of look; or a daring, contemporary style which looks great on younger women. It’s a cut which will always find its place in the trends!

However, the 2010’s took this fashion-forward style to new levels with bold, edgy cuts worn by the likes of Victoria Beckham and Lucy Hale; whilst Gabrielle Union gave the look a fresh, new update with a stunning side part which made her choppy cut even more chic.

But, if taking the plunge with a real bob wasn’t your thing, in 2017 we were obsessing over Catherine Zeta-Jones and Kerry Washington’s take on the style with the Great Gatsby-inspired faux bob. A style that was surprisingly easy to perfect, all you needed was a great brush to backcomb, smooth and section your hair and some accessories to ace the look.

7. Super Long Tresses

The perfect partner to a high ponytail á la Ariana Grande, super long tresses became the signature style of modern femininity during the last decade. A style that was championed by Kim and Kylie more than any others, a rigorous hair-care routine was essential in order to achieve this Rapunzel-inspired look – as well as some fabulous, hair-flipping extensions.

8. Balayage

Ombre’s more sophisticated big sister, balayage was a top trend for celebrities and continues to be a style that looks great with more laid-back cuts. From the French meaning ‘to sweep’ or ‘to paint’, balayage creates a natural, touched-by-the-sun hair colour by painting the dye onto the hair rather than using foils or a cap. It’s a great way of adding some colour to your look without the commitment of regular highlighting.

9. Side Parting

Who would have thought that something as simple as a side parting could transform so many looks? Sleek, sophisticated and super-easy to achieve; the side-swept look complimented almost any face shape and looked great on long, short, straight, wavy and curly styles. To get the look, just channel Julianne Moore from around 2010, add some volume and maybe some waves, then sweep your tresses around one shoulder and pin in place if you need to.

10. Pixie cuts

A look that could never be anything but edgy, Pixie cuts were on-trend right across the last decade. Spiky and very short, there were no shortage of stars (think Rowan Blanchard, Katy Perry, Anne Hathaway and Solange Knowles) who used this head-turning style to make a statement over the last ten years.

So, there you have it, a decade of cuts that made for some really great hair days. Let’s hope the same continues into 2020 and beyond. As for styles that look set to make the cut this decade, we’re predicting ballet-style buns, popping colours, and lots and lots of volume. Stay ahead with the Hairshark Backcombing Brush to give you on-trend volume without any damage – take a look here!