January has a way of inspiring reinvention. The party haze of December has lifted, the nights draw longer and suddenly everything calls for fresh intention. Winter strips things back, wardrobes sharpen, routines solidify and hair should follow suit. This is the season where hair can carry an outfit through months of heavy coats and dark mornings. It can make you feel chic even if you mostly just feel cold.
If summer hair is about relaxed freedom, winter is about shape and subtle drama. According to Anita Rice, co-founder of esteemed (and sustainable) London Salon group Buller + Rice, the months ahead will see this encapsulated in styles spanning gently sculpted bobs to grown-up grunge. With a precise cut and a clear silhouette, these are looks that work just as well on a grey Tuesday as they do on a crisp Saturday night. And, most importantly, they can discreetly distract everyone from the fact you are wearing a coat that could double as a duvet.
With Buller + Rice having been granted The Creative HEAD Most Wanted Experience Award in 2025, it makes sense that Rice isn’t just passionate about how hair looks, but how it makes us feel. In 2026, she says, we should be framing hair with intention to boost our lives as much as our appearance. Just like the spirit we’re aiming to carry into the Year of the Horse, hair should be purposeful but effortless. No wild manes in 2026, though.
The luxe bob: Prim and proper(ish)
Emerging as the new icon of understated sophistication, the luxe bob is reimagining polish without rigidity. With definition added through champagne-toned money pieces and a soft Scandi hairline, this is a sharp look that can be carried with ease. Think: ’90s Princess Diana, but reinterpreted for today, Goldie Boutilier style. Less blow-dried perfection and more lived-in elegance. Start with the Davines LOVE Smoothing Protector and finish with the Shimmering Mist, which creates a glass-like shine without weighing hair down; refined but relaxed. It’s a style that will make you look like an aspirational image of togetherness, even though your Dry January lasted three days and you are yet to step foot in a single gym class this month.
Cherry chocolate: The return of the forbidden red
Long considered taboo after the ’90s, warm red hair is finally reclaiming its place. Bold and sensual, it draws inspiration from style icons like Dua Lipa and Zendaya. The cherry chocolate look plays with contrast: a natural root melting into richly saturated red ends. The result is a red that feels modern rather than nostalgic, and looks as delicious as a Black Forest gateau. Keep it as fresh as the actual Black Forest with the Davines Colour Protect Set.
Cropped fringe and the Rosalia halo: Edgy but glamorous
Deriving inspiration from the iconic Rosalia halo, this look balances theatricality with wearability. A purposeful wash of colour crowns the head, sitting between Beetlejuice chic and glam goth. Paired with a mini micro-fringe and texture, the style sharpens the face with an editorial edge. Add Davines Liquid Spell Reinforcing Bodifying Fluid to build body and tone, and boost softness and shine with its concoction of amino acids. You will look cool enough to be hitting the stage for a sold-out stadium show, even if your only winter evening plans are to eat shepherd’s pie on the sofa.
The waterfall wave: For the cool girl
Think: soft, cascading waves that imitate more of a loose crimp than tight curls, styled with long layers. The texture should be built at the beginning of the wave, creating a deliberately undone finish; as seen on Jennie in the new Chanel Coco Crush campaign video. It’s an effortless and visually nonchalant look, despite the dramatic (and frankly lethal) volume of texturising spray involved. Use the Davines Dry Texturizer: a spray that adds, well, texture, but with a flexible hold. Not quite a beachy wave, the result is intentional but natural. It embodies the carefree breeze of summer but with control; even in the depths of winter and despite the fact your vitamin D levels are questionable, and the last time you saw the sun was August 2025.
- WriterEve Williams
