Celebs like Drew Barrymore and Jessica Biel covered up their two-toned hair in 2011 in favor of monochrome hues, but thousands of regular women still headed to the salon to "get ombr�-d." While the trend isn't showing any signs of slowing down, stylists think the look will evolve. "You're going to see a lot of people with blended color -- a mix of ombr� ends and bright highlights around the face," says celebrity stylist Sarah Potempa. "It's a fresh way to transition into spring." The roots and the crown of the head will be darker (a plus for anyone who loves the low-maintenance aspect of ombr�), but the highlights around the face will make the color transition seem more gradual.
Photo 0/11
In: Straight waves
Out: Beachy waves
Every year there's a new adjective to describe wavy hair: beachy, bouncy, bedhead. This year is no exception -- except the adjective doesn't start with a "b." Pantene celebrity stylist Tippi Shorter is calling this year's trend "straight waves." "It's uniform and polished, but lies flatter -- it's less of a curl," she says.
To get the look, Shorter suggests using a spray gel on damp hair and then sleeping in three or four big braids. "Whether your hair is naturally straight or curly, this will change the texture into waves," she says. "And if you're in a rush, you can always blow dry the braids." Once you've taken your braids out, use a 1-inch curling iron to define each of the sections even more.
It's impossible to predict every hairstyle and color that will go from Hollywood fad to full-on, mainstream trend. Did anyone really think Lauren Conrad's multi-colored hue or Katy Perry's hot-pink bob would have women everywhere filling their beauty-supply-store baskets with Manic Panic?
But top stylists do have something like a crystal ball when it comes to hair trends: They�re the ones who create the trends in the first place. They work on Fashion Week shows more than six months before the actual season, and then they recreate those runway looks on celebrity clients. In turn, the stars hit the red carpet and set the trends in motion among the masses.
Even if you aren't looking for the "it" cut or hottest color for your 2012 hairstyles, there are plenty of high-tech salon treatments, fresh-looking updos, and braiding techniques worth trying. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, here's what you should be doing to your hair in 2012 (Katy Perry's latest, craziest styles not included).
