The wet hair look is a runway and red carpet classic, embraced over the years by the likes of Bella Hadid, Kaia Gerber, Margot Robbie and Kendall Jenner – and more recently, Kate Holmes.
And with the weather finally heating up, it’s a style that works wonders for keeping you cool in the summer, enabling you to do away with the hairdryer and maintain that shower-fresh feeling throughout the day.
Not only that, if your locks are prone to frizz in humidity (or the torrential downpours that plagued Royal Ascot during the last two days) this look will help you stay sleek and on fleek.
There’s a knack to achieving the catwalk-ready style without looking like you’ve just got out the shower in a hurry or haven’t washed your hair in weeks.
The wet hair look is a runway classic, embraced over the years by the likes of Kaia Gerber (pictured), and with the weather finally heating up, it’s a style that works wonders for keeping you cool in the summer
The wet look has become a major trend inspired by the catwalk and also seen on red carpets with the likes of Margot Robbie (left) and Bella Hadid (right) embracing the look to ooze instant style
Speaking to FEMAIL, celebrity stylist Tom Smith said it’s easy to create a wet look ‘do’ if you follow a few clever tricks.
‘The wet look hair trend is a natural progression from previous seasons where it became popular to embrace your natural hair texture, particular during the summer months,’ he explained.
‘It’s become a major trend inspired by the catwalk and also seen on red carpets with the likes of Kim Kardashian embracing the look to ooze instant style.
‘In the hotter, more humid months, natural hair textures can tend to get frizzy, fluffy and slightly unruly, so the wet look version is a great idea to give more control and update the look.’
There’s a knack to achieving the catwalk-ready style without looking like you’ve just got out the shower in a hurry or haven’t washed your hair in weeks (pictured: Kendal Jenner)
Tom said his favourite way to achieve a sleek wet look hairstyle is by utilising conditioning masks and treatments – that way your hair can drink in the goodness while being styled in a high fashion way.
‘On the catwalk, session stylists use copious amounts of mousses, gels and waxes to create high-fashion wet looks that are set in place,’ he said. ‘But I often recommend to my clients to keep it simple, using home treatments such as Olaplex no.3, or the great hydrator moisture mask from Evo.’
Tom added that it’s wise to keep structure to your hairstyle when sporting a wet look to ensure it looks intentional.
‘This could be wearing a sharp middle or side parting, or neatly tucking your hair behind your ears are great insider tips,’ he revealed.
‘This can ensure the look appears thought out and intentional rather than “just-got-caught-in-the-rain”.’
If you want a little more control, Tom recommends layering a stronghold gel on top of your conditioning mask, such as Evo’s Gangsta Grip.
‘You can apply this around your hairline or near the parting and use a toothbrush to help your hair lay flat and sleek,’ he explained.
‘Polishing the edges of your hairline and also keeps any fly away hairs down. For very unruly hair lines I recommend using a head band or silk scarf tied over the area for a little while to help set the hair in place.’
Let’s face it, we’ve all had days when we haven’t had time to wash our hair when we probably should – and this is the perfect excuse to give a wet look updo a go.
‘It can be a lifesaver on hair-wash-day when you have not got time to properly wash and style your hair,’ Tom said.
Tom said his favourite way to achieve a sleek wet look hairstyle is by utilising conditioning masks and treatments – that way your hair can drink in the goodness while being styled in a high fashion way
‘Apply a nice smelling oil liberally from root tips on top of dirty hair, then carefully comb through and secure in a tight twist at the nape of your neck.
‘You can even make your own oil using coconut or sweet almond oil as a base and adding drops of skin suitable oils such as orange blossom.
‘Equally, the sleek look can come in handy if you have just washed your hair and need to be somewhere in a hurry.
‘Bella Hadid and Katie Holmes are big fans of this approach and are often spotted out and about with wet-looking hair.’