These Hair & Beauty Trends Defined The 2010s
10 Hair & Beauty Trends That Defined A Decade
New decade, who dis? From squinting through teeny tiny sunglasses to flexin’ in those chunky dad shoes (lookin’ at you, Balenciaga 👀) on every street style blogger’s Insta feed—we really did it all in the 2010s. So, what were the hair and beauty trends that defined a decade? Keep scrollin’ to hit rewind and let the nostalgia sink in!
1. Ombré & Balayage
These two French words defined a decade in haircolor: ombré (shade) and balayage (to sweep). In the early 2010s, celebs like Miley Cyrus and Vanessa Hudgens led the cool-girl brigade of millennials wearing their haircolor dark at the roots and light on the ends with a quick transition at the mids. The lived-in look exudes an effortlessly cool vibe with dramatically grown-out roots, paired perfectly with long layers OR a lob.
Is there a word we’ve heard more this past decade than balayage?! We don’t think so—although, it’s oftentimes mispronounced 😂 The balayage trend came quickly after ombré, with its seamlessly blended highs and lows, heavy brightness around the face and contouring effect. It’s no coincidence that around the same time, contouring was the No.1 makeup trend thanks to the Kardashian fam.
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2. Beachy Waves
What did the 2010s show us? Effortless isn’t a look, it’s a lifestyle. That’s probably why beachy waves were (and remain!) the most-requested style in the salon. Paired perfectly with an ombré or balayage, these Cali-approved waves are STILL the everyday go-to for celebs, supermodels, Instagram models and most of our clients.
3. The Lob Haircut
The days of “But my boyfriend like’s it long!” are hopefully gone forever thanks to this decade-defining trend: the lob haircut. Longer and more lived-in than the bob, the lob lives somewhere between the chin and the collar bone. Whether it’s worn sleek and swishy with a middle part or highly textured with fringe, this cut was legit EVERYWHERE throughout the 2010s. We saw shaggy texture, feathered bangs and blunt lines because there is truly a lob for every client.
TAP for Anh Co Tran’s best dry-cutting tips to create a lob!
4. Man Buns
We can’t decide if the global “man bun moment” feels like yesterday or a lifetime ago, but BOY…it was a journey! We watched the trend’s rise and fall, and even witnessed a clip-on man bun situation somewhere along the way. We learned to accept the term ‘lumbersexual’ and realized not every hairline is ideal for the look. Tbh, we can still get down with a man bun when it’s done right.
5. Pastel Hair
Remember when literally everyone dyed their hair pink? Same. One of our favorite trends of the decade was the undeniable rise of fashion colors. Soft pastels went mainstream—suddenly becoming more accepted in the workplace, worn by celebs and clients alike and a common request in the salon. Honestly, it’s pretty liberating to see clients who would typically be too scared to try vibrant color start playing with pastels.
So, Your Client Wants Pastels? Hand Her This!
6. Messy Buns & Topknots
Thanks to yoga bloggers, self-care books and some iconic Beyoncé lyrics, the topknot quickly became a way of life. When we think of this hair trend, we literally hear Queen Bey singing “I woke up like this!” to a generation of women who are too busy to do their hair––and we love it. But as hairdressers, we know the perfect messy bun takes a lot of work, so we’re there to give our clients the “effortless” topknot they love.
TAP To See The Photo Gallery: Scroll Through 50+ Trendy Topknots!
7. Embracing Curls (Disclaimer: This is not a trend!)
Say it louder for the people in the back: Natural hair is not a trend 👏 That being said, over the last decade, more women are embracing their natural curls and texture and we are HERE for it. Instead of manipulating hair into stick straight styles like we did in the early 2000s, lead stylists of NYFW shows and major fashion campaigns will tell you that the focus has shifted to accentuating the natural texture the model (or client) already has.
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8. Super Thick Eyebrows
We said “boy, brow!” to the days of incessant tweezing and waxing our brows into thin, over-plucked lines. Thanks to supermodel Cara Delevingne *bless those bushy brows!*, there was a dramatic shift into the full brow trend. Now, it’s all about filling them in, tinting them darker, brushing the hairs to stick out and even micro-blading for a semi-permanent shading solution.
9. Hair Accessories Throughout The 2010s
2019 was officially the YEAR of the “more is more” hair accessory trend—but how did we get here? Tap through some of the decade’s trendiest hair accessories, embellishments and Coachella flower crowns ✌️
10. Side Braids, Ponies & Bangs
#TBT to 2012, aka the first time we saw Jennifer Lawrence rock a side braid in “The Hunger Games” movie. It’s one of the many times we saw “side” styles in the 2010s. From side bangs to ponies and braids, especially those side-swept boho bridal styles, we HAD to include this 2010s-approved look in our trend roundup.
But what about the 2010s biggest trend… MEMES?!
This might not be a hair trend, but it’s definitely a hairdresser-approved trend: MEME CULTURE. Memes literally carried us throughout the decade, giving us life and some much needed LOLs when things were crazy in the salon. Since we know the BTC fam loves a relatable meme, we’ve rounded up our top 25 of the year below!
Click Here To See The Best Memes Of 2019!
