The Hairdresser’s Trendy Dictionary: 2022 Edition

Every Viral Pro Beauty Trend With Explanation From 2022

This year we had plenty of eye-catching moments thanks to social media’s fast-paced trends. (We’re looking at you, TikTok.) We saw a ton of viral content that turned industry classics into new-again trends with bizarre names. Here’s OUR dictionary from 2022 that every stylist can look back on and laugh (or maybe finally learn WTF that trend meant)!

1. The Butterfly Cut

The butterfly cut was the curtain bang epidemic circa 2021! EVERYONE was flooding in with requests, tutorials and how-to’s on achieving this mega-volume layered haircut. 

What is it really? A super over-directed layered cut paired with a voluminous blowout. 

Here’s every butterfly cut tip & inspo you need from us this year:

• 3 steps to achieve the butterfly cut
• Shaggy fringe + butterfly cut in 25 minutes
• Blowout tips for bouncy butterfly layers
• Layers + fringe styling guide

2. Hailey Bieber Glazed Donut Nails

This manicure literally broke the internet. When Hailey Bieber shared her muted chrome nails over the summer there was not an IG feed you could scroll past without the “glazed donut” inspired nails. 

What is it really? Baby pink polish with a chrome powder overlay. 

3. Bronde Hair Color

Bronde? It’s just what it sounds like—brown plus blonde! The cool thing about this trend was the pearlescent shine that every “bronde” girl on TikTok had in their hair. The variation of the color trend was super customizable and had a ton of loyal blondies take a peek to the dark(er) side. 

What is it really? A Level 7 to 8 with ultra-blended foil placements and gloss. 

WATCH NOW: Bronde Highlights, Lowlights and Toning from @coloredbycaitlin

4. Slicked-Back Buns

This trend took a ton of clients out of their comfort zone in the BEST way. Slicked-back looks completely took over any trendy styling inspo we covered this year. The small spikes of hair poking out of the styled bun made this look a super chic rendition of traditionally “ballerina” looking styles. 

What is it really? A tight ponytail with an exposed parting—the rest is up to your stylistic eye! 

You saw slicked-back looks all over the red carpet, IG feeds and special event style bookings—we especially loved seeing celeb stylists like Justine Marjan (@justinemarjan) jump on the trend board. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by justine marjan (@justinemarjan)

5. Expensive Brunette

The trend that had blonding experts shaking—expensive brunette took OVER social and had every client convinced they were going darker. Nearly every celebrity and influencer went all-over brunette early this year and the trend escalated through the winter months.

What is it really? Deep, all-over brunette color with little to no dimension. Bonus points if the rich tones reflect through a camera flash.

6. The Mixie

We saw the bixie, the classic pixie and the mullet last year. But THIS year—we met the Mixie. The mullet and pixie hybrid took key elements of both looks and combined them to make the shabby-chic showstopper of 2022.

What is it really? Short layers with soft, defined texture and cropped fringe. 

7. Teddy Bear Blonde

The newest on our urban dictionary list of 2022 is a sweet surprise, teddy bear blonde. The deep, golden hues of this trend make it super easy to bring any blonde client lower or any brunette client higher in tonal ranges to create a custom teddy bear blonde. 

What is it really? A super warm blonde that stays away from any Level above 9. 

Bonus points if your teddy bear blonde gives your client’s complexion a natural-looking warm glow! Find an inspo list with formulas here.

8. The Bottleneck Bob

Fall’s biggest haircut trend was the bottleneck bob—the pinched look that took over IG. The bottleneck aspect came from the unique construction of the bob with fringe that pokes upwards and blends into a heavy perimeter. 

What is it really? A mid-length bob with a blunt perimeter and pinched fringe that frames the eyes. 

9. Retro Blowouts

Every year we see a voluminous look cycle through the buzzword list, but this year took a retro spin. The resurgence of heavily layered cuts was mostly to thank for these structured (dare we say fluffy?) blowouts clients LOVED.

What is it really? A tightly curled blowout with lots of volume—put the wide tooth comb down, this blowout should look “done up.”

10. Copper Penny Hair Color

Redheads reigned supreme this year—every shade, every texture and every tone. The copper takeover started back in the spring when celebs unexpectedly traded in their signature looks for copper shades. Soon enough, everyone was on the red train in their own unique way. 

What is it really? All over copper color—stay away from any VR-RR-based colors, you want to stick to true golden, copper tones!

Here’s our list of copper content you need to look back on:

• 5 copper formulating tips
• Quick refresh for any copper client
• 3 hacks for creating rich copper on curls

11. Bubble Braids

This cool-girl style took off on TikTok when clients (and stylists) discovered how easy it was to create a tedious-looking style in no time. Bubble braids were a big hit on red carpets and festival lookbooks, not to mention all the cutie BTC Show attendees that were spotted this summer!

What is it really? A ponytail with elastic bands secured down the shaft of the hair. Don’t forget to fluff each “bubble” for the best outcome.