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Welcome the New Year with the latest hair colours – and how to make the looks office friendly
Specially formulated for Asian hair, Shiseido Professional’s hair colour lines effectively penetrate thicker, darker strands to achieve vibrant hues, while protecting and hydrating too
Top local hairstylists, who are part of Shiseido Professional’s bevy of Beauty Creators, share the latest hair trends for 2023.
PHOTOS: RUILIANG ONG
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A new hairstyle and colour has the power to transform you from ordinary to hip in just one session at the salon. But who wants beautifully-coloured hair at the price of brittleness or broken ends?
That’s why when you’re looking to colour your hair for the Chinese New Year, it’s important to consider the type of hair colour used to achieve the hues you are longing for. With heavily pigmented hair, as well as thicker hair strands, it’s harder for Asians to achieve lighter-coloured shades. It’s harder for the strands to pick up the colour which needs to penetrate through more compact cuticles before reaching the original dark base. This means that more processing is required, which if not done properly and without the right products, hair can easily get damaged.
Shiseido Professional’s Primience and Ultist ranges have been formulated with these challenges in mind.
New year, new you
Developed by make-up and hair artists, the Primience hair colour range is formulated with S-hyaluronic acid – a highly moisturising agent that is also found in high-end skincare products – which works to keep your strands hydrated while enhancing the vibrancy of your hair colour. This acts in tandem with a Duplex Penetration-Enhancing agent to encourage pigment-penetration into the deeper layers, so you can enjoy long-lasting colour, no matter the shade.
The Ultist range, also specially developed for Asian hair, is powered by Color-in Core technology, which enables the dyes to penetrate deep for a vibrant solid shade while restraining protein denaturation at the roots to prevent damage. The hydrophobic veil that is created also helps your hair bloom with brilliant colour.
Ultist’s neutral grey base controls the red and yellow undertones in Asian hair so you can achieve the right colour combination of your choice. With an extensive range of 50 colours in up to 13 levels of intensity, there’s a shade for your hair type and personality.
If you’re looking for some hair colour inspiration for a fresh start to the Year of the Rabbit, Singapore experts from Shiseido Professional’s Beauty Creators – an online community comprising top local hairstylists from across Asia – share the latest trends inspired by the Autumn/Winter 2022 Collection Season Style Book. They also share some hair tips to help you find your new start – and best style – for the New Year.
Long Layers Ombre
An ashy ombre look by stylist Denton Koh from District 19. Wardrobe by Pinko and Bluebell Singapore. PHOTO: RUILIANG ONG
Featuring dimensional ombre colours with ash and beige that enhance Asian skin tones, stylist Denton Koh from District 19 employed the popular Airtouch Balayage Technique using colours from Ultist to create this feminine wavy style that is simple yet elegant. He recommends this no-fuss hairdo for “modern and busy women who are conservative but still crave something different”.
Denton’s Tip: Add more depth to your look by increasing the intensity of the lighter shades for greater differentiation.
Ocean Phyto Frame
For a dramatic entrance, go bold with a blunt cut and an eye-popping colour frame. Using Ultist Indigo Blue, Cyan and Clear colours, stylist Deslyn Koh, also from District 19, intentionally chose these cool shades without warm pigments. She used Shiseido Professional’s colour creams because “not only are they gentle on the scalp, but they can also be applied on damp hair after pre-lightening, which greatly speeds up the colouring process”.
Deslyn’s Tip: To adopt this hairstyle for a corporate setting (and not freak out your boss), you can tone down the loudness of the colour with strategically placed inner highlights.
Mullet Wave Cut
Inspired by the wavy tentacles of a jellyfish, this cute cut with blunt bangs features slightly tilted ends to add texture and volume to a short style that’s suitable for the office. For a sweet and soft look, stylist Gene Niu from You Are My Sunshine used Primience Pink for the bangs while applying Ultist Creamy Peach all over to bring out the pink. Meanwhile, a dark base is added to the hair tips for contrast.
Gene’s Tip: Maintain vivid colours with a leave-in hair treatment like Shiseido Professional’s Sublimic Wonder Shield, as it helps to keep hair UV-proof while extending the life of the hair colour.
Contrasting Colour Melt
Using the air-touch technique (which utilises air instead of the traditional teasing and backcombing) to achieve a seamless blend of colours, this flowy mane of waves features cool lights melting into a dark base. The contrast enhances texture and movement for a more voluminous look. Stylist John Wong from Miracle Hair Studio used Charcoal Grey from Ultist. “It can fade from grey-ish tones towards nice beige hues, which go really well with Asian skin tones,” he says. “This technique also allows us to keep 60 to 70 per cent of one’s natural base colour, so your hair won’t look too colourful for the office.”
John’s Tip: Apply a hair mask at least once a week. It not only helps to nourish chemically treated hair but also improves the absorption of colour at your next appointment.
Mid Panel Colouring
Designed for someone who’s playful and confident, this colourful look is a refreshing study of creative contrasts. Inspired by Japan’s autumn and winter scenery, stylist Kenzo How from Revival Hair Gallery combines pink and green tones to emulate the hues of leaves on trees while expressing the connection between land and sunlight. “I hope to bring a sense of freshness with each of my creations,” he says.
Kenzo’s Tip: Before deciding on colours and styles, talk with your hairstylist to make sure you are both on the same page about how open or conservative you are about trends and colors.
J.Rock in Autumn
Marrying both a strong and soft look, this flashy blonde mix of curls and straight hair lets you unleash your creative side. Using yellow dip dye from Primience to make a dynamic splash, Blonde & Pastel’s stylist Richard Tan designed this funky hairstyle for someone who works in the creative industry.
Richard’s Tip: For a sharper and leaner look, add layers to the hair on each side to lengthen your face.
Edgy Pixie
This sassy style features chunky ash-grey highlights on the hair ends with deep blue at its roots. This bold combination using Ultist colours creates depth, texture and movement with a choppy effect. Stylist Sean Ng from Maxx Salon says that a striking style like this would suit someone with an artistic edge about them or someone in corporate management who has a strong personality.
Sean’s Tip: Blue hair looks great on all skin tones and can even help enhance the eyes. For post-colour care, he recommends the colour shampoo and treatment from the Shiseido Professional Sublimic Luminoforce range that helps repair coarse strands, followed by the Sublimic Wonder Shield.
Shiseido Professional hair colours Primience and Ultist are available exclusively at Shiseido partner salons. To find a salon near you, visit www.shiseido-professional.com/en-SG.
To keep up with the latest hair trends, follow Shiseido Professional’s Instagram page.
Photography: Ruiliang Ong
Make-up: Ginger Lynette
Fashion styling: Keith Png
All outfits are from Urban Revivo, except the outfit for "Long Layers Ombre", which is from Pinko and Bluebell Singapore.
Make-up: Ginger Lynette
Fashion styling: Keith Png
All outfits are from Urban Revivo, except the outfit for "Long Layers Ombre", which is from Pinko and Bluebell Singapore.
