The hairstyles that switched on Durban July’s glitz

With the theme of this year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July being “Out Of This World”, it was only apt that the energy at Greyville racecourse at the weekend was nothing short of electrifying and filled with stellar beauty looks fit for an alien superstar. 

In search of the best hair looks and trends that screamed “Out of This World” SMag's beauty editor, Nokubonga Thusi, joined TRESemmè for an experience unlike any other. With a dedicated styling salon situated in the Halisi Afrique premium lounge, the brand's styling team was on hand to give attendees quick touch ups of their locks or completely transform them with professional hairstyling. With so many jaw-dropping looks to choose from, we rounded up the best, head-turning hair trends spotted on the day.  

Sculptural Braids:  

As seen on: Nandi Madida, Katlego Tefu 

One of our favourite hair trends was sculptural braids which were the perfect blend of our African heritage and the other-worldly.  Serving a generous dose of Afro-futurism, braids were both regal and playful, whether piled up high on the head in fanned out, sculptural crowns as seen on Nandi Madida or worn in simpler styles but with exaggerated proportions as seen on influencer, Katlego Tefu. 

High-Definition Colour:  

As seen on: Jessica Nkosi, Mel Madiba  

It was to be expected that bold colour would play a big part in such a theme, so when we spotted vibrant hues atop of heads we were all for it.  Tapping into inspirations like X-Men’s Storm and Beyoncé’s Renaissance aesthetic, wigs in shades of white, silver and platinum blonde were all commonplace around the racecourse. We loved how influencer, Mel Madiba, went off the white hue script and opted for a bold ginger hue to her Afro wig that popped against her printed suit.  

Intergalactic Sparkle Overload:  

As seen on: Lunathi Mampofu, Mimi Mvakali  

Hair accessories will never go out of style, so we weren’t surprised to see them make a welcomed appearance.  From sparkling bejewelled embellishments interwoven into braids, silver leaf-pasted along the hairline to pearlescent clip accents – this season, traditional racing day fascinators took a backseat to hair accessories that were the perfect way to elevate simple hairstyles such as sleek ponytails, bobs, Afros and minimalist braids.  

Hollywood Waves:  

As seen on: Minky Mothabela, Sarah Langa  

Durban July is all about making waves – and what better way to do it than with a serving of Hollywood glamour by way of waves weaved into tresses.  Whether opting for a full head of voluminous, blow-out inspired curls, easy-breezy loose waves or a light working of retro finger waves as an accent to braids or a fringe – a bit of texture was definitely a guaranteed head-turner.  A key tip shared by TRESemmè hair stylist, Deborah Somwe, was that when going for loose waves, always curl the hair slightly tighter than you would want so that when the curls drop, they form a looser curl without losing their shape.