Kim K’s Stylist Says These Are Instagram’s Biggest Hair Trends

When your clients are the most famous women in the world—names like Kim Kardashian West, J.Lo, Ariana Grande and Rita Ora—setting off international beauty trends is just a day in the life. That’s why we chatted with Chris Appleton (@chrisappleton1), Color Wow Global Artistic Director, to break down his top five trending looks of the moment and how to achieve them!

Kim K is the most followed and most watched celebrity on the planet—which could mean a ton of pressure on her hairdresser! But not so, says Chris. “There’s always a certain amount of pressure there, but at the same time, I don’t get too lost in it,” he says. “I just try to do a great job and do what I’m proud of.” What Chris is proud of is empowering his clients by giving them confidence, and his Insta feed is proof that he’s doing it right. “Instagram is your portfolio, it changed the beauty world and made the beauty world a more searchable place,” shares Chris. “It was always a secret in Hollywood but now everyone knows how to get the look.” Scroll through to see Chris’ most Instagram-worthy trends!

A little background on Chris: he crossed the pond from the United Kingdom to Los Angeles about two years ago, and since then? His career has EXPLODED—and so has his Instagram following! In just that time, he’s gone from about 36,000 followers to over 370,000 today! That is some serious growth, and that’s what comes with being a super celebrity stylist. Keep reading for the trends!

1. Full-On Platinum Blonde

When Kim debuted her shockingly platinum hair at New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2017, women everywhere flocked to salons—and hairdressers everywhere, just like Chris, had to keep it real. “If you’re going to commit to something like platinum, you’re pushing your hair to the limit and you need to do it properly,” Chris said. “Anyone can achieve it, you just need to be prepared. Being blonde is a way of life.” It took him over a week to complete the entire process and to maintain her hair’s health.

2. Rooty Platinum Blonde

Like any platinum client, there came a time when Kim had enough of the upkeep. “Spent the last few days bleaching my roots (we do it in stages so it doesn’t break off). OMG 13 hours & still going. This blonde is very high maintenance. Love you @ChrisAppleton1 but getting over this,” Kim tweeted in December 2017. That was the birth of the rooted trend.

 

* The More You Know 🌈🌈🌈 … #Repost @chelscaruso @chrisappleton1 #behindthechair ・・・ LADIES 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 read this over and over until you’re saying it in your sleep! 13 HOURS, multiple days.. OH AND $1300 later just for her ROOTS. We as stylists, are not making this up. Time and money, time and money. If you’d like to spend the ENTIRE day or maybe even your week with me, and pay for my entire day/s of work then let’s do it! Until then.. do us both a favor and get a wig 💋#hairstylist #hairsalon #hairdresser #salonsuites #salonlife #thestyliststruggleisreal

A post shared by behindthechair.com (@behindthechair_com) on Dec 14, 2017 at 12:43pm PST

“We wanted to do something different and cool,” Chris said. “We always imagined it with a root because it had an element of coolness.” And when it was time to go back to brunette? Chris played with a color. “The pink was always a conversation, and she was headed to Japan and it just felt right,” he said. “It’s a vibe. Kim does what she wants.”

Click here to get all the deets on Kim’s pink hair and her transformation back to brunette!

3. Snatched Pony

Where are ponytails headed in 2018 and beyond? “HIGHER!” Chris says. Barbie-esque ponytails look good on everyone. “When you pull your hair back, your eyes lift, and I love that. I love the drama!” he adds. But getting a perfect pony is one of the hardest things you can do. Here’s what you must know when it comes to creating the most snatched of ponytails:

• The direction of the ponytail is everything. “Follow the eyeline,” he said.
• The higher the pony, the more impactful and glam, while lower ponytails exude sophistication.
• Focus on achieving a strong foundation and a very flat base. Chris’s trick? “Use a good makeup brush to lay all the hair flat,” he said.

4. Disco Diva Curls

Chris has perfected 2018’s version of ’70s disco curls, so we needed the deets. “Go big or go home!” he says. His tips include:

•  “The hair always drops because gravity is involved, so go bigger than you want,” Chris advises. “Build up the texture and the foundation.”
• Use copious amounts of Color Wow Style On Steroids Texturizing Spray. “It’s like backcomb in a bottle for a big-volume look and helps me plump up any hair.”

5. Wet Look

Silky, wet-looking hair has “been a trend that a lot of people haven’t mastered,” Chris says. “They use a gel and it went crispy or they use an oil and it went greasy. It’s not actually wet, it’s just a wet look. Use products to create gloss.” So how do you get wet-looking hair that Chris calls “super sexy”? Here’s how:

• Coat the hair section by section with Color Wow Pop And Lock High Gloss Shellac, a kind of hybrid between oil, serum and shiny seal for the hair. “It’s literally like an oil shellac,” Chris says.
• Wave the hair slightly with a very large iron.
• To rock the wet look on curlier hair, use a product that’s a bit more oily to let the natural curl come through.