We often see stars changing up their style in order to keep themselves current and “relevant.” Previous KeraGirl Talk entries have documented these changes via celebrity trends such as hair-color updates, red-carpet looks, and the like.
The New Year presents the perfect opportunity to put it all together, with a roundup of the most popular makeover trends for 2015 among Hollywood stars and other A-listers. (We suspect that many of these celebrity hair trends are likely to make a big impact on the mainstream in the months or years to come.)
Here are the best celebrity hair transformations of the past year, by category:
Celebrity hair color trends
Dark dreams: Lily James and Amy Poehler
GOING DARKER
Blondes who went to the “dark” side last year included British actress Lily James, of Downton Abbey and Cinderella fame, who ditched her golden locks for an edgier, rich auburn shade; Amy Poehler, who sported a decidedly red shade on her publicity tour for Inside Out; and Age of Adeline star Blake Lively, who dubbed the new color that she debuted on Instagram as “bronde.”
Blonde ambition: Jennifer Lawrence, Katy Perry
GOING LIGHTER
On the other side of the coin, several well-known brunettes went blonde—very blonde.
These included A-list actress Jennifer Lawrence, whose platinum crop slayed on the red carpet all fall; and singer Ariana Grande, who channeled Brigitte Bardot with a long ultra-light ‘do.
Others chose a subtler addition of blonde, such as Katy Perry’s brunette-to blonde ombre and Jessica Alba’s caramel brown with flattering highlights.
(Tip: Keep your blonde bright and brass-free with the Keratin Complex Blondeshell® collection!)
Bright futures: Iggy Azalea, Kylie Jenner
GOING BRIGHTER
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the celebrity hair trend toward rainbow and fashion shades. Stars both young and old have been experimenting with hair color that could only have come from a bottle—from the pinks sported by actress Cara Delevingne and singers Iggy Azalea and Madonna, to Kylie Jenner’s ice-blue and Katy Perry’s grape- purple manes, all the way to the rainbow hair of Georgia May Jagger and, yes, Katy Perry!
We don’t see this trend subsiding anytime soon. (Luckily, Keratin Complex stylists are ready and able to help you follow your own rainbow dreams!)
Celebrity haircut trends
Pixie power: Tyra Banks and Kate Mara
PIXIES
When you’ve got the bone structure to support such a severe style, nothing says “look at me” quite like a pixie cut. Female stars who’ve recently chopped off long locks in favor of a becoming pixie include Miley Cyrus in a slicked-back pixie, Kate Mara in a textured pixie, Tyra Banks in a shaggy pixie, and Charlize Theron in a layered pixie.
Bob babes: Gigi Hadid, Jenna Dewan Tatum
BOBS
The bob still rules the red carpet—and for good reason. This short cut is highly customizable to complement any look or face shape. Witness supermodel Gigi Hadid’s faux blunt bob at the American Music Awards; or Taraji P. Henson’s angled bob at the Emmys; or the choppy bob on Jenna Dewan Tatum at the Baby2Baby Gala; or even Naomi Campbell’s layered shag at the British Fashion Awards.
Even Adele, above, got in on the bob action during the winter months of 2015 as she shattered sales records with her new album 25. The superstar singer sheared her famously thick tresses into a sleek bob, thanks to razored layers that trimmed off some of the weight to give her chin-length hair a flattering shape around her gorgeous face. (Tip: Use Keratin Complex Style Therapy products and a flat iron to keep it sleek and frizz-free!)
Lob lovers: Chrissy Teigen, Khloe Kardashian
LOBS
The “long bob” also remains a favorite of many female celebs, as this allows them to undergo a definite transformation by cutting off very long hair into a mid-length style, without having to make too drastic of a change. Stars trying out this trick throughout the year included model Chrissy Teigen, who sported a textured lob in April; ever-changing singer Selena Gomez trying out a shoulder-length, layered lob in May; actress Amanda Seyfried, first showing off her new blunt cut via Instagram in July; Khloe Kardashian, who cut her blonde strands into a trendy long bob in October; singer Lorde, who trimmed her long dark curls into a shorter, straighter cut in November; and tennis ace Serena Williams, who accepted her Sports Illustrated Sports Superstar of the Year Award in December with a becoming asymmetrical lob.
Bang, bang: Taylor Swift and Katie Holmes
BANGS
Perhaps the biggest trend of all for 2015 was bangs—from full and voluminous, to sideswept, to micro-length. That’s because bangs are the quickest way to reinvent your look without committing to an overall redesign. Style icons seen with bangs in 2015 included Taylor Swift, Katie Holmes, Rihanna, Beyonce, the Duchess of Cambridge, Lily Aldridge, Laverne Cox, Victoria Beckham, and Taraji P. Henson—to name a few. And, judging by star styles from later in the year, the bang is still going strong.
Male celebrity hair trends
Short-timers: Chris Hemsworth and Jared Leto
SHORT HAIR
Last year, famously follicled men such as Jared Leto, Orlando Bloom and Chris Hemsworth lopped off their mops for a much more tailored look. (Less hair to get in the way of these handsome mugs? We approve!)
Even the notoriously scruffy Johnny Depp trimmed off most of his length; although—ever the iconoclast—he kept one piece long along his temple so that he could style it down into his face, as above.
Military men: Odell Beckham Jr., David Beckham
MILITARY CUTS
The short hair trend has also taken hold of male celebrity culture via versions of the “high and tight” haircut, as seen on men including the two sports superstars named Beckham: football wide receiver Odell Jr., who wears this style with natural texture and a swipe of color across the top fringe; and soccer legend David, who has been known to style the top length into an upswept quasi-pompadour.
Scores of consumers seem to be following suit: In a recent GQ poll of 500 barbers across the U.S., the most requested men’s haircut is a variation of this cut that is longer on top, with short back and sides (also known as the undercut). GQ describes it as “a clean, professional and endlessly versatile style.”
Bearded hunks: Leo DiCaprio, George Clooney
TRIMMED BEARDS
Judging by many male celebrities, the shaggy, unkempt beard has finally been tamed—thank goodness! Stars including Leonardo DiCaprio have cleaned up their acts and are complementing their bone structure with trimmed beards, while formerly clean-shaven dreamboats like George Clooney have appeared with goatees.
In fact, you might notice that in all of the examples of the various male hairstyles we’ve shown, the celebs are wearing some sort of tasteful facial hair! (Although we’d advise any guy who wants to sport a beard and/or mustache to keep it trimmed with regular visits to the barber and keep it soft with Keratin Complex hair-care products … and on behalf of those who love you, we say thank you!)