Luxurious, long flowing, healthy hair has always been a status symbol and even more so for the Year 2026.  Hair is described as expensive looking with high shine and purposeful styling.  Hair looks voluminous yet feels soft with expertly styled waves. 

This year, consumers are not only seeking this coveted high-end look but also advanced science products with an environmentally safe conscience and an expert recommendation.

This also comes at a time when consumers are fascinated with the new seemingly helpful tool of AI generated diagnostics to advise them on which hair products to use.  Although a helpful resource in many fields such as automation and medicine, we feel AI perhaps presents too much of a “one size fits all” approach when it comes to determining hair problems and product solutions.  In reality, AI appears to be thinking but lacks subjective experience, something that is only gained by a seasoned hair professional after analyzing hundreds to thousands of heads of hair.

The hair industry goes beyond AI technology.  Hair, its length, density, color, and condition and how those augment existing texture challenges, is very nuanced.  We have always held the opinion that every head of hair is different.  What’s needed prior to any recommendation is an expert Stylist to properly analyze and interpret every aspect of the Guest’s hair.  Also we know, it’s not just the current state of the hair that needs to be interpreted but also the end style goal that needs to be considered when making product recommendations.  Can an untrained Guest or AI search engine really be able to interpret what is even possible for that Guest to achieve given their current hair variables?

The consumer would need to have the wherewithal to know these issues exist in the first place in order to input these problems and conceivably get correct recommendations.  We find it commonplace and completely understandable that the Guest may not even be aware of their hair’s current status and limitations as we do.  Additionally, it’s also that customer’s vision for their hair, what image they want to project, time and budget available to spend on their hair and much more, that are also part of the evaluation process. 

Lastly, as trained professionals, we know it’s not only the proper product selection that’s critical but also how to use that product, how much, and what application technique, that can all differ from head to head.  The actual in-salon service is the Stylist’s teaching mechanism to familiarize the Guest with the system of products that is right for them and their hair goals, how to apply them, how much, how often, and of course the styling lesson too.  All of which are important to communicate especially given what we see as this year’s enthusiasm for healthy long flowing hair and its many styling options.

Long Layered Haircut

The long layered haircut, a classic look by all means, springs anew for the Year 2026 and lays the foundation for two major seasonal styling trends: Boho Bedhead and the Bombshell Blowout.  Hair characteristics include collarbone to preferably mid-back hair lengths teamed with face framing layers and wispy curtain bangs.  Really a chameleon of a haircut, it beckons changing up the styling depending on your mood.

Currently being worn by stars like Daisy Edgar-Jones, Kaia Gerber and Sabrina Carpenter, this cut pairs beautifully with rich looking hair colors from Expensive Brunette, to Champagne Blonde to Muted Metallics.  This sets the stage for our incredibly talented Philip Pelusi Salon Collective Designers to wield their well-trained Volumetric™ The Pelusi Method Organic Cutting System skills and creative coloring skills as well.

To achieve this luxe hairstyle, a high quality level hair fabric is required.  We are recommending our own intelligent products for this task, our Tela Beauty Organics by Philip Pelusi Liquid IQ Smart Bond Pro Treatment during salon visits and its companion Tela Beauty Organics by Philip Pelusi Liquid IQ Smart Bond Elixir as an at-home maintenance product. 

Tela Beauty Organics Liquid IQ is a hair restructure phenomenon creating revitalized, stronger, healthier hair.  Both Tela IQ formulations utilize our Philip Pelusi Organic Restorative and Regenerating Infusions containing 12 organic isolates of whole herbs in combination with targeted action active ingredients that reinforce the internal bond structure within the hair cortex.

This results in improved strength and elasticity that is more resilient and less prone to breakage.  This is the perfect recommendation for all hair types especially long hair that after it’s grown out period could use from enhancement.  Hair styles more easily and lasts longer.  So you can see how Liquid IQ elevates the overall quality of the hair but also the value of the Stylist’s hair artistry as well.

Boho Bedhead

Also coined as the Hippie Cowgirl, the Boho Bedhead trend reflects free spirited styling, fringy bangs, with a purposely undone overall appearance.  Not the teased and sprayed disheveled hair looks of yesteryear, today’s bedhead trend is soft and sultry.  Hair is in beautiful condition with a smooth cuticle and zero tangles.  It’s more about a casual yet quality hair appearance.

And it’s the smart ingredients in our Tela Beauty Organics Liquid IQ Smart Bond Pro Treatment and Tela Beauty Organics Liquid IQ Smart Bond Elixir that can help create the beautiful hair fabric required for this look.  In developing these products, we discovered a unique “Gemini” Surfactant, a biosimilar ingredient relative to natural ceramides.  It distinctively creates a very fine emulsion capable of delivering not only beneficial natural lipids but also can be combined with keratins and other well-known bonding actives by chaperoning them rapidly deep within the hair shaft.  Hence, we describe this action as our Philip Pelusi Chaperone Delivery System.

In addition, the similarity of the chaperone molecule to both cosmetic lipids and polypeptides allows it to move quickly throughout all of the major structural components of hair.  This results in chaperoning water-soluble bonding agents, restructuring polymers moisture binding agents, and color protectants throughout hair’s structure from cuticle to cortex.

We feel this is a truly revolutionary advancement in hair treatment, because for the first-time restructuring agents are fully presented; including hair bond multipliers best delivered to cortex structures, conditioning and structural polymers reinforce damaged keratin, and conditioning and structural amino acids, polypeptides and moisture binders restructure keratin microfibrils.  Bottom line, Tela Liquid IQ dramatically improves the feel, look, and performance of hair critical to getting the luxurious hair fabric required for Year 2026 hair trends.

Bombshell Blowout

Contrast this with 2026’s Bombshell Blowout akin to the 1990’s big hair wearing models in the Guess Jeans ads.  Yet today’s 2026 version is much softer with rich looking elegant hair color.  Other elements include volume, movement, and a touchable roller set look even if that is achieved with a curling iron. 

Again we turn to our smart product Tela Beauty Organics Liquid IQ Smart Bond Pro Treatment and Tela Beauty Organics Liquid IQ Smart Bond Elixir to give the hair the status it needs to carry off this elegant dressy look.  Note that some differences between the in-salon and take-home products are in the potency and fragrance.  The in-salon Tela Liquid IQ Smart Bond Pro Treatment is fragrance-free and has a heightened potency and increased concentration of about 5 times more effective than Tela Liquid IQ Smart Bond Elixir. 

This retail formulation was purposely created to maintain results in between the Guest’s in-salon Tela Liquid IQ Pro Treatments.  It differs than the pro version in that it is intentionally created to have a consumer-friendly lower potency level.  Plus it contains the signature Tela Peppermint fragrance, an effective ingredient great for calming the scalp and the senses.

Uniquely, both Liquid IQ products are very easy to use proving favorability with both Stylists and Guests.  Simply apply the proper amount of the Tela Liquid IQ Elixir and move throughout clean, conditioned hair from root to end, do not rinse.  Next, layer on any styling products the texture requires, and begin the heat styling process which activates the ingredients.  So you can virtually achieve the Year 2026 styling trends while dramatically improving the condition of your hair and protecting precious hair color investments as well.

For product recommendations and more information go to www.telabeautyorganics.com and www.philippelusi.com