A royal-approved hair trend can instantly make you look more radiant, and Queen Mary of Denmark is the latest adopter of the style, which Telegraph beauty director Sonia Haria says can accentuate skin tone, jawline and cheekbones. Face-framing highlights – or “money pieces”, as Gen Z-ers have labelled them – is the hair colour equivalent of using a brightening face mask. While they were popularised by the likes of Beyoncé and Bella Hadid, Queen Mary of Denmark debuted a regal take on the look when she stepped out onto the Palace balcony for husband King Frederik’s 56th birthday last month.
The effect of slightly lighter strands around the face is a tried-and-trusted technique deployed by colourists to add a brightening effect to a hairstyle. Jennifer Aniston has long been a fan of face-framing highlights, too, whether they were part of her “Rachel” style in the 90s or the shorter bob style she’s currently sporting at 55. Although younger celebrities such as Sofia Richie and Kylie Jenner favour larger sections of brighter hair colour for a more obvious look, subtle face-framing highlights offer an excellent beautifying effect in midlife.
“Face-framing colour is the perfect introduction to colour if you’re colour-shy, and is a subtle way to shake up your look,” says Cos Sakkas, who is the global creative director of Toni & Guy. “It’s a softer take on the chunky highlights trend and the great thing is it can be applied to all hair types and lengths.�.