Mood-boosting, games- and nature-inspired hues expected to lead hair colour trends – experts

These insights were gleaned from Ryoko Ogawa, personal colour analyst and founder of LoveBird Color School, and Lok Chan, Goldwell International Artist from Hong Kong, at the recent Kao Salon Asia Experience (KSAE).

The event is an annual showcase featuring and attended by hairstylists and industry leaders from around the world. This year, it was held at Resorts World Sentosa Singapore on September 5 and 6.

According to Lok, the COVID-19 lockdown period had led to many hair colour experiments and creations that have intrigued consumers to become more willing and daring to try new colours in the post-pandemic era.

“Colours evoke certain emotions — for example, red gives off a warm and passionate vibe while pink induces feelings of love and romance. People feel comfortable when they look at the sea because blue colour has a calming effect.​

“This year’s Pantone colour of the year is Peach Fuzz, a velvety gentle peach tone that elicits the feeling of a warm embrace. The orangey hue is also reminiscent of sunrise or sunset, the kind of colour that evokes optimism and sense of peace. The pandemic has had a huge impact on people’s mood, so I think the role that hair colour plays has evolved as well,” ​he told CosmeticsDesign-Asia​.

Specifically, he foresees hair colours that are uplifting, brighten the complexion and make a person look healthier, and restore self-confidence, to be a key trend going forward.

“Generally, nature-inspired colours will be the main direction. Nowadays, many people go hiking and travelling, and the most commonly shot photos are of natural scenery. By applying these colours [on the hair], they are reminded of the good feelings and memories.”​

On the other hand, the younger generation, especially those who enjoy playing digital games, could be influenced to go for bolder colours. This is due to the lavish styling that game characters tend to have.

“Young people may want to emulate the bold styles seen in games. They may also be open to mixing colours for different looks on weekdays and weekends. As consumers in different age groups have varying lifestyles, hair colour trends will not only be moving in a single direction.” ​

In addition, Lok underlined how social media affects consumers’ self-confidence and hair colour trends.

“In the past, trends were driven by magazine editors, movies, and makeup etc. But as social media has become so widespread and with so much diverging information on the internet, there is no definite direction now.​

“Today, social media is all about photographing oneself. As consumers increasingly believe that colours give them confidence, their perception on hair colour has changed — they are no longer just using black to cover grey hair, but also lighter shades or even highlights.”​

He cited the example of a senior customer who chose to do highlights instead of covering her grey hairs with a dark colour.

“She said that looking fashionable gave her more confidence to look at herself in the mirror, and also improved her quality of life.”​

Personal best​

At KSAE, Ogawa demonstrated the key aspects of colour analysis and its impact on hair colour selection.

“Our hair colour should match our skin tone and eye colour. Consumers who know their best colour will have better awareness of the hair colour or even hairstyle that suits them, whether they choose to use an at-home dye or visit a hair salon. It’s also a form of personalisation.​

“Having said that, a person may not look good in their personal best colour if they lack confidence. For people with low self-confidence and always follow what other people say, it may be harder to evaluate their personal colour. Sometimes, even the ‘good colours’ may not react so well due to their dull expressions,” ​she told us.

With a decade of experience in this industry, Ogawa’s Singapore-based company, LoveBird Color School, has seen people from the US and Europe flying in specially for a colour analysis session.

“Although this system is originally from the US, personal colour analysis is a big trend in Asia. There are many people who go to Korea for it, and those who found out that they can also do it in Singapore, they have come to me.”​

She has also worked with makeup and fashion brands at events, and encourages both consumers and hairstylists to pick up more knowledge on colour analysis.

“While I understand that hairstylists have their own know-how and experience, the personal colour analysis system is a logic-based approach that can enhance their hair colour recommendations and outcomes. They don’t need to be a colour specialist, as there are basic steps to do the analysis.”​

At the same time, consumers with knowledge of their personal best colour will feel more confident and discerning when receiving hair colour recommendations.