Like mother, like daughter. The Princess of Wales, 44, showed that Princess Charlotte, 11, has inherited her gorgeous hair, as they stepped out with near-identical glossy brunette hairstyles this weekend.
Or perhaps it goes even deeper than genetics. Kate’s hair has been going through a subtle colour evolution in recent months, with ultra-fine lighter strands being woven into her hair so cleverly, they look like sunshine on hair rather than the work of a colourist. No hard lines, no obvious brush-strokes, just youthful, shimmery hair that genuinely wouldn’t be out of place on a tweenage head.
As mother and daughter stood side by side, the shade similarity was quite remarkable. Kate’s hair shared her daughter’s beautiful, sun-kissed tones, as well as the same youthful, glossy lustre.
The resemblance is ‘really striking as of late,’ comments celebrity hairdresser Jason Collier, key opinion leader at Jerome Russell. ‘They both have that soft honey-brunette base with delicate golden ribbons running through the mid-lengths and ends. Kate has a little more depth through the roots, which gives the colour sophistication, but the overall effect is remarkably similar.’
Whether the resemblance is coincidental or accidental, it taps into a trend that leading colourist Zoë Irwin is seeing more and more among her 40-plus clientele at John Frieda Salon Mayfair.
‘I have so many women who come to me with their daughters and say, “I want my hair like my daughter’s”. It happens all the time,’ Zoë says. And no wonder, she notes, because ‘childhood hair is premium hair. It’s naturally very, very shiny, and full of movement.’
The gorgeous tonality of natural, untouched hair is another of its key characteristics, she adds. ‘If you lift up youthful brown hair, you’ll see there are probably four or five different depths within it, but they’re micro-fine. You’re talking literally one strand that’s a bit more golden next to something darker. If you look at Princess Charlotte, you also see how childhood hair goes very, very delicately lighter naturally in summer.’
It’s a beautiful, youthful tonality that more and more women are noticing, and deliberately seeking to replicate. ‘It’s a look I’m mimicking in the salon all the time,’ says Zoë. ‘It’s definitely not balayage. It’s not even babylights, it’s much finer than that. It’s about putting back the subtle multi-tonality we lose as we get older, especially when we’ve used the same all-over colour.’
We can’t know whether Kate’s current shade is inspired by Princess Charlotte, but Zoë agrees that she’s a perfect example of ‘childhood’ hair colour. ‘I do think that Kate’s hair has been really beautifully done,’ says Zoë. ‘Colourists will often leave the roots darker, then put lighter pieces through the ends, but for that true child-like effect you need a real mix of tones through the top as well. I think for the first time, Kate’s hair mimics that more now.’
Jason agrees. ‘Kate hasn’t simply gone lighter, she’s recreated the way naturally youthful hair behaves,’ he says. ‘You can see that the brightness sits where the sun would naturally lighten the hair, rather than looking like obvious highlights, which is why the colour feels so effortless.’
Crucially, the colour around Kate’s face has been kept very, very soft. Childhood hair colour is a near-invisible colour technique, and just like a great tweakment, it should be a ‘can’t put your finger on it’ enhancement. ‘It’s not face-framing Scandi lights around the face,’ says Zoë. ‘I’m not saying they’re not gorgeous, but it's not this trend. You don’t see kids with face-framing pieces!’
She adds, ‘If you look at Kate’s hairline, there’s a lot of depth there. I’m actually a fan of having that depth, because I love that contrast with the eye colour. I think we’re often very quick to lighten pieces around the front, but it’s not always super flattering, especially in the 40-plus market.’
It also explains why Kate’s latest lighter look feels soft, natural and effortlessly youthful, especially compared with last autumn’s brief (and quickly abandoned) foray into blonde.
‘That wasn’t the right tone for her,’ says Zoë. ‘This colour works perfectly, especially with her summer complexion. She’s quite sun-kissed on her face, and this colour gives a gentle, summer-like illumination.’
The Princess’s makeup adds a final seamless flourish, says Zoë. ‘The difference between being 14 and being 45 is also to do with your skin. So what is really important, I think, is keeping some colour on your skin: a tan drop in your moisturiser, a soft blush and lip like Kate’s. Makeup is massively, massively important for this look.’
Should we look to our own tweenage years for hair inspiration?
It’s certainly worth a delve into our childhood photo albums, says Jason. ‘When people think about youthful hair, they often look back to photos from their 20s. The reality is that by then, many of us had started colouring our hair, adding highlights, going darker or following whatever trend was popular at the time. Our tween years are often the last time we see our true natural colour before we start changing it.’
‘For women over 40, revisiting that softer, naturally-dimensional version of your hair colour can actually be far more flattering than trying to recreate the darker shades you may have worn later in life,’ he advises. ‘A honey-toned brunette reflects more light on to the skin, softens facial features and gives the complexion a fresher appearance without looking like you’ve dramatically changed your colour. It’s about enhancing what naturally suits you, rather than chasing a trend.’
How to create the ‘childhood’ hair look
This look is all about the most micro-fine pieces of colour, precision-placed. ‘This look works best if you consider the direction the hair falls naturally,' says Zoë. ‘Kate will typically have a slight side parting, so her hair is coloured to that. You need to place those micro-pieces according to wherever the hair is going to fall.
Be careful not to over-correct warmth, advises Jason. ‘People often assume cooler tones automatically look more expensive, but too much ash can make brunette hair appear flat. Kate’s colour works because those soft honey tones add warmth, movement and luminosity. It’s that subtle variation that gives the hair a naturally youthful quality, rather than looking obviously coloured.’
Don’t settle for balayage. ‘I think that the main reason this look isn’t properly replicated in a salon is because they tend to be a bit heavier with the strokes,’ says Zoë. ‘If it’s a balayage, people will get lighter ends, but it’s always done in a much chunkier way than how it looks naturally when you’re young.’
Upkeep isn’t as bad as you might think. ‘This look is all about shine, so you could probably have two visits to the salon to just refresh it with gloss, until you need the pieces redoing,’ says Zoe.
To maintain the child-like sheen of this colour technique, Zoë advises using at-home glosses… carefully. ‘There are really good shine products like Glaze, for example,’ she says. ‘But you want to use a shade matched to the lightest colours in the hair. For hair the colour of Kate and Charlotte’s, you might assume you want a medium brown gloss, but it actually needs to be much lighter. Because otherwise, you’re just going to cover all the work that’s been done.’
Keep that youthful lustre topped up on an everyday basis, too, advises Jason. ‘Use a weekly deep conditioning mask, always apply a heat protectant before styling, and finish with a lightweight glossing serum or shine spray through the mid-lengths and ends. Healthy hair reflects far more light, which instantly makes colour look fresher and more vibrant.'
