same old style: ClassiC FrenCh braid

reverse it:

Inside-Out French Braid

It’s simple, really: The unexpectedness of

a raised braid “adds great visual interest,” says

hairstylist Charles Baker Strahan. Added bonus: It’s a clever way to deal

with bangs or layers that you’re growing out.

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Why play by the rules when doing the opposite is so much more fun? We’re talking about your hair, of course. The coolest new styles and color trends

flip the classics on their head. BY KRISTEN DOLD

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DONNA TROPE

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Put

It In

ReversePRACTICALLY EVERY OTHER WOMAN

between the ages of 18 and 48 has ombré highlights. Which she often piles high on her head in a topknot. When she wears her hair down, she volumizes her roots to Bardot heights or (to take a line from Annie) shines her strands brighter than the Chrysler Building.

You, too? If your favorite hair looks have become clichéd—or you’re simply bored with the same old thing day in and day out—you’re going to like this new hair thinking: “Just put those trends in reverse,” says hairstylist Charles Baker Strahan. “Turning a classic look around and breaking the rules is an easy way to liven up hair and make it look even more beautiful,” adds colorist Marie Robinson, co-owner of the Marie Robinson Salon in New York City. Game to go against the grain? Keep reading for the how-tos.

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Inside-Out French Braid> If hair has been recently washed, mist a texturizing spray onto strands for traction so the braid stays put. Try Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Spray Gel ($4, walgreens.com). (Day-old hair? You’re good to go.)

>Make a side part, then grab a one- to two-inch section (depending on how thick you want the braid to be) of hair to the right of the part and divide it into three pieces.

>Pull a thin section of hair (about an eighth of an inch) from the right side of your head and join it with one of the outer sections. Cross them both under the middle piece of hair (in a typical French braid, you go over the middle) and out to the other side. Do the same on the left side.

>Following your hairline, braid from the top of your part to the nape of your neck.

Reverse Ombré >Select a warm demi-permanent dye a few shades darker than your base color. Try Clairol Natural Instincts ($8, walgreens.com); Robinson suggests Medium Sunflower Blonde for blondes, Rosewood for redheads, and Ebony Mocha for brunettes.

>Divide hair into four equal sections (make a part down the center of your head to your neck, and divide each of those sections in half at the ear).

>Tease the bottom two or three inches of hair (or more if your hair is long) from all

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SAME OLD STYLE: OMBRÉ HAIR COLOR

(where strands get graduallylighter toward the ends)

REVERSE IT:

Reverse Ombré“There’s a benefit to

reversing ombré: Your ends get dry from washing,

but using a deeper demi-permanent dye

closes the hair cuticles and seals the ends to maximize

shine,” says Robinson.

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four quadrants, which will help transition the gradation of color from dark to light (so no harsh lines between hues).

>Dip the teased hair into the dye, then wrap the dyed strands in tinfoil or plastic wrap while the color processes.

>Leave color on for however long the box says (usually no longer than 10 to 15 minutes) and rinse until the water runs clear. Add a small amount of conditioner to hair and rinse again. Color should last six to eight weeks.

Volume from Mid-Strandsto Ends>Apply a dime-size amount of curl-defining cream to damp hair from roots to ends, and air-dry. Try Bumble and Bumble Curl Conscious Defining Creme ($29, bumble andbumble.com).

>Divide dry hair into one-inch sections and wrap each—leaving out the last half-inch of hair so that curls don’t look too “dollish,” says Baker Strahan—around a one-inch curling iron; roll it up to four inches from your scalp.

>Shake hair out and use a back comb to tease curls from the nape of the neck to the ends, then mist them with a volumizing hair spray. Try Garnier Fructis Style Volumizing Anti-Humidity Hairspray ($4.29, at drugstores).

>Create a left-side part over the highest point of your eyebrow, then pull back hair with a bobby pin at your temple.

If being a beauty rebel works for you, consider these three additional ways to part from the crowd.

On the Flip SideGET TO KNOW DRY CONDITIONERDry shampoo is great for soaking up grease and giving volume to roots, no doubt. But the new thing getting stylists’ panties in a twist? Dry conditioner with hydrating oils, which gives thirsty ends a boost of shine…without a trip to the shower. Try Pureology Fresh Approach Dry Condition ($24, pureology.com for salons).

LOWER YOUR BUNSWalk into any holiday party—or even just work—with a tight, ballerina-style topknot and there’s a good chance you’ll bump (literally) into three other girls fixing their donuts in the bathroom. A relaxed, neck-grazing bun is “softer and flattering on a wider range of people,” says Baker Strahan. Bring hair into a ponytail at the nape and secure with an elastic, then wrap hair around the base to form a bun, tucking in ends and bobby-pinning in place.

DULL DOWN SHINEGlossy anything will never fall completely from style, but a shine-free hair finish looks surprisingly sophisticated and fresh. Follow the trend started with matte skin and nails by spreading a pea- to dime-size amount (depending on hair length) of mattepaste through dry hair, then style. Try Matrix Pliable Paste Matte Texturizer ($16, matrix.com for salons).

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SAME OLD STYLE:VOLUME AT THE CROWN

REVERSE IT:

Volume from Mid-Strands

to Ends Letting the top

and bottom of your hair try on each other’s

typical roles “is a more modern way

to look polished,” says Baker Strahan.

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