Story by Roxanne Fequiere / Photography by Christine Hahn / Styling by Glen Mban / Hair by Charlie Le Mindu / Makeup by RAOÚL

GOOGLE and PAPER came together to highlight the SMALL BUSINESSES that are LEADING the BIGGEST TRENDS of the summer based on Google’s trending search data.

With all due respect to lip liners and contour palettes, the transformational possibilities of a new hairstyle are second to none. Anyone who’s ever felt a flutter of possibility upon seeing their reflection after simply taking a few inches off the ends can attest to this phenomenon; ditto those of us who’ve externalized a personal metamorphosis with the help of some hair dye. Now, with the rise of the social media hairfluencer — that is, celebrity hair stylists, haircare experts and others whose millions of followers are seeking a sort of hair nirvana — the goal has expanded beyond just achieving a look. We’ve long known that just about any style is possible with water, heat and the right tools and products, but drastic change often results in drastic damage. Keeping strands healthy at every length, texture and color is the new holy grail — even if you love to switch those factors up on a regular basis.

Along with an increased emphasis on hair health has come a slew of new-age haircare and styling products that promise everything from popping curls to striking color without compromising the strength of your strands. Ahead, a few of the hair trends that are currently making their way through the realm of hairfluence, plus the products you’ll need to pull them off (without pulling your hair out).

Glossed Up

Shiner than shiny, #glasshair has attracted millions of TikTok users that want to figure out how to make their tresses catch the light and turn heads, too. Seen on all your favorite influencers, reality TV stars and pop stars, high-shine hair is a trend that telegraphs glamour and a sharp, minimal ’90s sensibility that’s right on time for a revival. For those who really want to make ultra glossy hair part of their lifestyle, it helps to have blunt cut with no layers to increase every strand’s potential to reflect light. An era-specific middle part helps to keep things looking smart and sleek.

While there are blowout techniques that can help enhance the glass hair effect, Bread Beauty Supply’s award-winning Hair-Oil is an all-purpose product that ups the shine factor without any additional steps. Described as being “like a lip gloss, but for your hair,” this oil was made with curly and textured hair in mind, but provides hydration and luster to all hair types. Made for daily use, this product can go on wet hair post-wash or dry hair between washes. Either way, it does double duty, creating that coveted glassy look while simultaneously tending to damage. In keeping with the throwback-inspired final effect, Bread’s Hair-Oil is also scented like the strawberry lip gloss that ’90s kids remember all too well (and Gen Z-ers will come to love). Healing hair while healing the generational divide — a multitasking product of epic proportions.

Double the Fun

If playing with color has always been a relatively straightforward way to convey a personal vibe shift, then a stark two-toned hairstyle ensures an eye-catching look. As seen on a certain furrier with a penchant for puppies, the right duotone cut and color can make an iconic impression when done correctly. While the proliferation of social media can sometimes yield repetition and sameness, the two-tone trend brings individuality to the forefront, with an endless array of color pairings and placements to play with: Bleached bangs, peekaboo color, half-and-half dye jobs and more.

That said, maintaining a single dye job comes with its fair share of difficulties, from requiring color-specific shampoos and conditioners to breakage and dryness and frequent touch-ups. Multiplied by two, keeping up with a two-tone hairstyle can feel like a full-time job, but there are a number of everyday use products that are quick, easy and will help maintain the health of color-treated hair. Adwoa Beauty’s Protect + Shine Oil Blend is billed as 99% organic, making it ideal for hair that needs some extra love. Its combination of natural oils can be used at the final step of your hair routine or mixed in with your favorite deep conditioner — no matter how it makes its way to your scalp, it will penetrate strands for maximum reparative effect and environmental protection as you go through your day. Two times the benefits, two times the fun.

Pretty Penny

Redheads are pretty rare. Just 1-2% percent of humans are born with naturally occurring red hair — a fact that’s all the more frustrating, considering there’s a perfectly flattering shade of warm, ruddy color for just about everybody. While rich burgundies and even fire engine reds have had their moment in the sun, it’s a recent uptick in copper-colored dye jobs that has shown just how versatile this particular peachy hue can be. Across the complexion spectrum, there are countless ways to make this shade truly sing, whether the final effect is lion’s mane-level volume, sleek screen siren waves or tousled Pre-Raphaelite curls.

While a hairstylist can work with you to create a copper effect, it’s also possible to get the look at home with the help of products from oVertone. Originally developed to help users maintain the color they’d achieved at the salon, oVertone’s collection of pigmented conditioners are infused with shea butter, avocado oil and coconut oil, so that they hydrate while adding color to each strand. Since these products layer on top of your hair rather than penetrating it, the final result varies by user, creating a final shade that feels custom-made in just 15 minutes. Copper color in an instant without any of the stress that comes with professionally dying your hair? Consider us red-pilled.

Going Spiral

The #curlygirl community has been through a lot over the years. What began as a push to embrace the kinks, coils and corkscrews that grow naturally from our scalps has at times been a rigid space dictated by curl type charts, time-consuming routines and DIY recipes and strict rules. The 3D curl trend is about getting back to basics in a sense, letting the hair itself take center stage — in all its bouncy, zigzagging, ringleted glory. While products can be used to emphasize and define the natural shape of the curl, time and minimal manipulation truly bring the look to life.

Ceremonia’s Pequi Curl Activator can be applied to damp hair for added definition and conditioning. While the brand was made to highlight Latinx heritage beauty traditions, this particular product is named for a Brazilian fruit whose oil is among its list of clean ingredients alongside other natural extracts sourced from all over Latin America. Nourishing and lightweight, this serum helps keep frizz to a minimum without making curls crunchy or stiff. Best of all, the easy application lets your curls do their own thing, creating a look that’s uniquely yours.

Max Volume

Youthful and gravity-defying, the sweeping midcentury popularity of the bouffant sparked a wave of ingenuity, with copious amounts of rollers, hairspray, soda cans and elbow grease being deployed to create elaborately backcombed masterpieces. A visually buoyant hairstyle that conjures up the optimism of the ’60s, swooping, voluminous hair is a natural antidote to the low-maintenance styles that tend to accompany endless Zoom calls and low-key WFH fashion. Even so, committing to a pampered, wealth-adjacent look doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to have a standing appointment with a high-end hairdresser.

Effective on all hair types, Verb’s Volume Spray is one small step towards — and one giant shortcut to — a fuller finish on your next at-home blowout. Ingredients like vegetable proteins and patented copolymers get to work on building volume and weightless hold, so that by the time your hair is dry, it’s got added body that looks great on its own. Think: Poufy ponytails, doughy chignons, sweetly disheveled updos. The sky’s the limit.

VP Production, Talent: Katie Karole / Digital Director, Talent: Justin Moran / Art, Fashion Director: Malcolm Mammone / Executive Creative Director: Jordan Bradfield / Managing Editor (SBLBT): Laia Garcia-Furtado / Managing Editor (PAPER): Eliza Weinreb / Photographer: Christine Hahn / Stylist: Glen Mban / Hair: Charlie Le Mindu / Makeup: RAOÚL / Makeup Assistants: Veronica Gaona, Jake Dupont / Photo Assistant: River Callaway / Retoucher: Paola Badia / Stylist Assistant: Diamante Ka / Hair Assistant: Marie Nirina Metz / Producer: David Wright / Creative Project Coordinator: Elise Sullivan / Production Coordinator: Chelsea Wooten / Market Editor: Suea Cho / Partnerships: Caitlin Sharp, Bonnie Monk / Web Design: Composite