“Paint gun” hair- the most colourful trend of 2019 yet

It’s no secret that we love a hair trend- the crazier, the better. When it comes to scouring the web for the best trends out there, Instagram is our number one go-to place to find the real gems that we just know we have to talk about.

Our latest find from the photo app is one of our favourites so far, and certainly the most colourful trend of the year: “paint gun” hair. First debuted by married couple and hairstylists Andrew Collett and Kat Collett, “paint gun” hair is, literally, as it seems. Small water guns are filled with paint and carefully squirted onto the hair, creating a multidimensional colour explosion.

Andrew and Kat are calling the look “Splash Kaleidoscope”, which, when you see the pictures themselves, makes a lot of sense. Since their first post to Instagram, the popularity of the look encouraged them to post similar “Splash Kaleidoscopes” to their accounts, using all manner of vibrant colours, from vivid indigos, to bright turquoises and hot pinks.

And Andrew and Kat aren’t the only ones to have given the look a go, either. Since sharing their first image, many other hairstylists have posted their own versions of the look on their Instagram accounts, using paint guns to experiment with visual effects.

It seems the couple have always had an interest in the brighter hair looks. Kat herself, who has racked up an impressive 62,000 Instagram followers, boasts an account bursting with her vivid and mesmerising hair projects, and seems to have been experimenting with multiple colours for a long time. While Andrew’s account is a little more toned down, it’s still very much on the rainbow scale.

So what was it, other that love for colour, that encouraged Kat and Andrew to give “paint gun” hair a go? Speaking in an interview with Allure, Kat said: “We were inspired to create something both Andrew and I could fully plan and apply together.”

Apparently, Andrew found the water guns at a local Walmart. Kat explains: "We chose them as a way to express our inner child while living an 'adult life’. You are never too old to have fun."

They were a good find, too- in the hairdressing world, it makes sense why using paint guns would create such an enthralling visual appearance to the hair. The overall almost three-dimensional effect of the “Splash Kaleidoscope” hair, the deep, detailed texture that is created, would be fairly difficult to do with the usual brush method.

Initially, the Colletts decided on three different paint-gun looks: the first was a simple rainbow-inspired creation, while the second focused on the warmer orange and pink tones, and the third combined purples and blues.

In her interview with Allure, Kat said that they chose to initially experiment with rainbow colours because: “We had the 'go-big-or-go -home' mentality, so a rainbow seemed fitting." We have to agree that in a look as experimental as the “Splash Kaleidoscope”, going big is probably the way forward.

So, how achievable is this look? It’s certainly possible, but this is no at-home dye job, before you jump onto Amazon to purchase your own paint guns. You’ll need a hairstylist who’s incredibly talented in the colours department- make sure they have some evidence of this for you to take a look at- and who’s willing to test out an, er, unusual new method of application.

As with all brightly-coloured ‘dos, the dazzling effects of “paint gun” hair will fade fairly quickly- and that’s where things get a bit tricky. You can’t just touch up the roots when needed, either, so it may not be the most practical hairstyle in the world. Still, there’s no doubting its captivating appeal, and while it may be a little too bright for some people, we’re not sure we’d say no…