From the catwalks to your Instagram feed, there’s just no escaping Y2K fever. Just look at Bella Hadid, who has embraced the trend wholeheartedly with her cheerful Noughties headscarves and neon butterfly clips. Or Ariana Grande, whose braided tendrils stole the show during her VEVO Official Live Performance series. Y2K beauty also dominated the spring/summer 2022 shows, from Syd Hayes’s spiky buns at Nensi Dojaka, to the party-perfect poker-straight locks at Versace. It’s fun and feminine, but empowering at the same time, and full of nostalgic charm. And isn’t that what we all need right now?
“Demand for nostalgic beauty has risen thanks to people seeking comfort in the familiar and in their recent pasts,” says Clare Varga, head of beauty at trend forecasting agency, WGSN. “The turmoil of the global events of the last two years—in particular the pandemic—shifted consumer needs significantly towards escapism, and reminders of better, more carefree times, as well as friends and places.” To adopt the Y2K trend, therefore, is to hark back to a time of optimism and maximalism, as well as a sense of childish innocence.
Below, the experts weigh in on the best Noughties hair trends to try now.
The spiky top knot
Of all the nostalgic hair trends, the spiky top knot is the most recognisable. Loved by the likes of Bella Hadid, Ariana Grande, and, more recently, Kristen Stewart, there’s something incredibly rebellious about it. A chic updo but with a counter-culture twist courtesy of razor-sharp ends, it recalls those effervescent icons of the past, like Kate Moss and Erin Wasson.
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It’s this cool-girl attitude that hairstylist Syd Hayes was referencing when he created the look at this season’s Nensi Dojaka show. “I wanted to give a nod to my youth culture,” he says. To create the look, Hayes advises twisting the hair tight and pinning it to the head, leaving the ends out. “Keep the ends sharp by spraying with Maria Nila Style & Finish Finishing Spray, and then straighten the ends with the BaByliss 9000s Cordless Hair Straightener.”
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For some extra Y2K magic, hairstylist Ali Pirzadeh recommends leaving out two tendril-like pieces around the face, which you could also braid. “I do love a good coloured elastic or a scrunchie, too,” he says.
Poker-straight hair
From Beyoncé to Britney Spears, any Noughties pop star worth their salt was a proponent of the super-slick, poker-straight hair look. It was sassy and sexy and easy to recreate at home, albeit with the risk of burning your hair to a crisp. Thankfully, haircare has come a long way since then.
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To achieve the look, especially if you have distinct waves or curls, it’s important to start with a simple straight blow-dry. “This will give you a neat canvas to work with before really getting down to straightening,” says hairstylist George Northwood. But first, you’ll need a good heat-protecting spray. “You’re going to be using a lot of heat on every strand of the hair, so it’s important that you protect it properly,” he says.
Fix hair into a centre parting and go over it in sections with a flat iron, straightening it from root to tip. Hairstylist Larry King, who created this season’s standout look at the Fendace show, recommends the Dyson Corrale. “It’s brilliant because its flexing plates are much less damaging, which means you can maintain your hair health.”
It’s important to note here that the aim isn’t to add volume, it’s to create a mirror-like shine that you can achieve with a good hair cream—either King’s A Social Life For Your Hair, or George Northwood’s Undone Moisturising Cream. And there you have it, party-perfect hair worthy of a pop star.
Chunky highlights
It wouldn’t be a Noughties revival without some chunky highlights in unlikely hues. “There is a real desire for some serious Y2K colour direction this season,” says master colourist, Josh Wood. “We’ve created everything from bold ‘spicy’ stripes to the deepest and most vibrant cherry reds.” But it’s not just colour choice that matters, it’s retro colour placement and technique, too. Create the ultimate rave-ready look—like the one Bella Hadid sported earlier this year—with thick streaks at the front in oddly paired hues like burgundy and blonde, better known together as “rhubarb and custard”. “There is a real fun to bolder, more expressive colour,” says Wood.
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But don’t just stop at two colours. If you really want to embrace the Y2K trend, hairstylist Evanie Frausto suggests a Christina Aguilera-esque multi-coloured look. “You can always add the colour of your liking via extensions,” he says. “This not only saves you the effort of dyeing your own hair, it gives you that chunky highlights look that was so popular in the early Noughties.”
Space buns
Like the spiky top knot, space buns are fun and feminine without being too soft. What’s more, they look just as good with an off-duty T-shirt and jeans as they do with this season’s partywear.
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“Space buns are super cute,” says Larry King. “I prefer them tied low with some softness around the front hairline, this just keeps it modern.” To create the look, King suggests prepping the hair with some mousse for grip and blow drying it quickly to add a bit of shine to keep it elevated. “Next make a centre parting, secure two low ponies one on each side. Divide each pony into two sections, fold the hair into knots and wrap it into cute messy buns. Secure with grips.” To finish, King recommends using his Flyaway With Me Kit to gently tease out some tendrils around the hairline, before rounding it off with a spray of Redken Wind Blown Dry Finishing Spray to give a little texture and hold.
Zig-zag parting
When it comes to attention to Y2K detail, there is no one better than Evanie Frausto, who likes to finish off his Noughties hair looks with a fun zig-zag parting.
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“To create the look, I use a fine metal tail comb to separate the hair in the pattern I want. Once I’ve got the perfect pattern, I spray the part with a setting spray, like Bumble and Bumble’s Thickening Spray. Also, anyone wanting that Y2K look should use kitschy hair accessories, like snap clips and butterfly clips.”
