9 Winter Hair Trends To Jump On Early (From Neptune Waves To Beurre Brunette)

By Elle Turner

We may have only just stepped foot into autumn but if you want to get ahead on the next season, we're ruminating on the winter hair trends that are worthy of our attention.

We love a bit of early adoption, so we were all ears when leading hair stylist and trend forecaster, Tom Smith, let drop his winter hair predictions. After all, Tom successfully cherry-picked and coined the Expensive Brunette and Bottleneck Bang hair trends that went viral on TikTok, so we're confident he'll steer us in the right direction.

Whether you're after something a little edgy, you want to do some major pruning, or you want a colour refresh, we have all the inspo.

So, here are the winter hair trends to know for 2023…

We love beautiful texture all year round, but with the weather getting colder, our strands are less likely to be braided back or tied up off our necks, which means it's truly texture's time to shine. One wave in particular has being picking up a fan following. “Countless celebrities have been seen sporting flat ‘S’ shape waves, most often with a middle parting and lots of volume," says Tom. “Unlike the Botticelli Waves of last year, Neptune Waves are more fluid and stretched out, with thinned out ends and a fluffy silhouette.”

It's most often seen on hair longer than shoulder length, says Tom, "but as this trend grows, I’m sure we’ll see this texture worn on mid and bob length styles too.” Celeb fans include Serena Williams, Simone Ashley, Shakira, Gigi Hadid, Beyonce and Miley Cyrus.

As for how to style it? “‘S wavers’ or ‘3 prong tongs’ are a great choice to easily DIY this look, but a more natural, heat free and irregular version can be achieved by braiding your hair with a soft middle parting, leaving the ends out,” says Tom. "You can sleep in this to let the waves set in or lightly run the heat from a blow-dryer over the braids using heat to set them faster,” he says.

This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.

Heavy layers are one way to go in winter, but we love heading in the opposite direction, too. Just as there's something so adorably chic about a mini skirt in winter (tights optional), we love a dinky, skimpy bob moment. “Bob lengths have been shrinking for a while and Le Petit Bob might be as tiny as a bob can go before it becomes a totally new shape," says Tom. “This sharp shape is the sassy sister of the ‘French Girl Bob’ and can be a great option for those growing out a crop,” he says. “It creates angles and contours, which is exactly what the ‘awkward’ stages of growing out shorter hair lack,” Tom explains. And, "unlike the ‘Pob’ which has fallen firmly out of favour, the lengths around the face are slightly higher than those at the back, adding the effortless French influence we love. If your hair texture is finer or has thinned out over time, this cut is one of the best you could opt for to increase the visual thickness and bulk of your hair,” says Tom.

As for the notes to pass your hair stylist, “the trick to achieving this nano length is to graduate slightly at the nape of the neck. We have to lift the hair above the natural hairline to allow us to create the shorter length around the face. The shorter the hair, the straighter and more side-parted it should become to retain the ‘bob’ feeling,” says Tom.

This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.

If you're looking for a chop that's way outside the box, you can skip straight past trad mullets (already an audacious option) and head to the XXL rendition that's been picking up among alt-girls (see: Doja Cat and Julia Fox).

“For the bolder statement maker, this style is ideal for when you want to keep length but have a striking and strong look," says Tom. "Mullets have been evolving for a while now, and this might be the most unusual interpretation yet. The epitome of business at the front and party at the back, this face-framing shape is not for the faint-hearted. but is certain to turn heads.”

Styling-wise, “if your hair is already a wolf cut, mullet or similar, this can be easily achieved by adding extensions in the nape area," says Tom. Or if you're intruiged but not ready to commit, you can cheat it. “If you have a shag (a kind of cousin to this vibe) try tucking your hair behind your ears to preview what this kind of shape would feel like IRL.” For instance, we've seen Taylor Swift create some faux mullety hair looks of late.

This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.

If you're on the fence about growing your hair longer or cutting it shorter, you're in luck, because one of the trending winter haircuts, the Skinny Lob, sits straight in the middle. “The long bob has been getting steadily more popular throughout this year and the final evolution of this shape for 2023 is a slimmer, head-hugging, stretched-out shape, which is undeniably a lob, but with straighter sides and softer ends," says Tom. “This is almost reaching a ‘short long haircut’ thanks to the lack of blunt lines. Obvious layers are nowhere to be seen,” he adds. So, they should be “cleverly cut underneath the top length” if you want to reduce the weight on thick hair types," Tom says.

“It's an ideal length for the cosy ‘tucked-into-a-large-overcoat’ look, which pairs nicely with this season’s trending puffer jackets and oversized scarves,” he says. And bonus it has some in-built contouring. “This shape will elongate the neck,” says Tom, and it can highlight cheekbones, too, so it's especially great for those with rounded or heart-shaped faces.

This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.

As with a tailored jacket, simple, well-cut silhouettes will never go out of style and The Veil cut, which sees XXL lengths immaculately styled straight on either side of a centre parting, is a great example of this. Plus, it's a hit with the likes of Naomi Campbell, Olivia Rodrigo, Beyonce and Selena Gomez.

“Romantic, ethereal and statuesque, this long hairstyle is incredibly easy for anyone with hair longer than their shoulders to achieve. It's a great choice for those who like to wear statement earrings thanks to the hairstyle’s framing effect," says Tom. "We have seen this flooding Fashion Week and on a great number of celebs at recent events. It’s perfect for a clean, minimal aesthetic, but can also be utilised to balance a stronger outfit by keeping the hairstyle clean and simple.” he adds.

This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.

We love a pretty colour update to signpost a new season, and one way to do this for brunettes is to introduce buttery tones that feel creamy and cosy without leaning overly warm. “Buttery tones of blonde are nothing new, with warmer golden tones taking the lead from the previously favoured icy blondes. But in the case of brunettes this ‘Beurre Brunette’ (brown butter) shade is a great choice for softening any potential for harshness when wearing darker bases," says Tom.

“This shade is ideal on darker to mid-brown bases and is a great way of upgrading your brown hair for winter or utilising any leftover lightness from summer,” Tom adds. As for what to ask your stylist, "buttery golden ribbons should be woven into the hair in fine pieces which are lightest around the side of the face and disappear as they get closer to the root. This is a great option for those with naturally darker hair who are tempted to try a lighter shade without a dramatic change,” concludes Tom.

This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.

If you're desperate for a dopamine winter hair colour to counteract the grey British weather, try candy cane red, which has been given the seal of approval from celebs including Megan Thee Stallion, Kylie Minogue and Megan Fox.

“For the last 18 months, while copper has been leading the way within the warm families of hair colour, I’ve been predicting the evolution into bolder, warm tones such as red and violet," says Tom “This Candy shade of true red is not a naturally occurring shade and so is best suited to those who are comfortable making a statement, not just with their hair but with complementary fashion, accessory and makeup choices. Fiery Red is one of winter’s trending colours in fashion too and so this bold shade could become an even bolder choice for those wishing to combine it with a monochrome or colour-blocking look,” he says.

“Non naturally occurring shades tend to risk looking cheap if not meticulously well-maintained, but thankfully there have been wonderful advances in colour maintenance products. Evo Fabuloso Purple Red is a great choice to use as a colour-boosting treatment to keep this acid shade intense and glossy,” says Tom. As for tailoring it to you, ”in the case of non naturally occurring colours, the choice behind wearing this shade is less motivated by what will ‘suit’ your skin tone or eye colour and moreso what will suit your personality. While this shade tends to look more harmonious on those with warm undertones, it’s the attitude of the wearer that is most important for the success of the look,” Tom says.

This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.

Looking for a blonde update? One tone that's set to be a winner heading into winter, is trophy blonde. “Bright, gleaming and reflective, this is the truest, brightest Trophy Blonde shade," says Tom. It falls “half-way between summer’s Barbie Blonde and autumn’s Nepo Blonde,” he says. "This tone is clean and clear with just a hint of gold, but is heavily painted on with very little shadows or dimension. Seen on longer hair with soft movement, the success of this shade requires healthy hair to shine and glow. More is more. Purple shampoo should be avoided here, instead ensure your hair is clean and fresh, using chelating or clarifying products to ensure maximum vibrancy.”

Since this is all about health and shine, some upkeep is needed to keep the colour looking polished. “Blondes this bright can be prone to discolouration but thankfully we have a selection of recently developed haircare dedicated to keeping any build-up or dulling residue away. Opt for Color Wow Dream Filter for three minutes before shampooing your hair if you have hard water or swim often," Tom says. "Or if you have severe build up and your blonde has lost its sparkle, Olaplex offer a salon strength ‘Chelating’ Treatment' which removes minerals rapidly, leaving your hair looking and feeling bright and brand new,” he says.

This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.

Like no makeup makeup, the benefit of balayage is that it can give the most seamless glow-up to hair. This season, natural earthy tones are leading the trend and Tom has pointed to Gisele Bundchen's signature blended hair colour for inspiration. “Her ‘better than natural’, dimensional blonde is ideal for those who love their hair the most when they are just back from holiday and we’re seeing more versions of her earthy golden tones on other supermodels, such as Rosie Huntington-Whitely and the gorgeous Blake Lively,” he says.

“The main tricks to achieving Gisele’s subtle golden blonde tones is keeping the hand painted highlights away from the root while retaining some of the deeper base colour in the mids and ends too," says Tom.

This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.

Of course we couldn't do a hair trend round-up without mentioning copper. The colour has been going strong for several seasons, but it looks like we're still as infatuated.

“In late December of 2022 I highlighted a single shade that was poised to be the leading hair colour trend of 2023. Cowgirl Copper was inspired by the growing western influences in fashion (thanks to Chloe, Isabel Marant and Emily Ratajkowski’s cowboy boots)," says Tom. "The rich copper caramel shade of the leather so often used in western fashion became the inspiration for this tone. As the year has progressed, so has Cowgirl Copper and now in its third iteration, the shade is becoming more frosty and muted just in time for the colder months. Just as many ‘natural shade’ lovers oscillate between blonder and brunette tones throughout the year, this earthy auburn tone has stood the test of time and as it became a little brighter and foxier over summer, we’re now seeing a more peachy and muted version develop,” he adds.

However, Tom points out it's a little harder to achieve on dark hair, so some pre-lightening may be needed. "It’s far easier to retain this icier accent if your hair has faded a little lighter, as the peachy tones needed for this are hard to achieve on darker bases without a more involved colouring process,” he notes.

This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.

For more from GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk

By Elle Turner

By Bianca London

By Elle Turner

rosiehw / Instagram