This Rosie HW– and Zendaya-Approved Hairstyle Is Easier to Do Than You'd Think
When it comes to celeb-inspired beauty looks, we're all in. Whether you want to emulate Hailey Bieber's glazed-doughnut skin or Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's immaculate makeup looks, you can count on us for all of the beauty notes. But while it's easy enough to garner insider knowledge on beauty products and expert tips, when it comes to go-to hairstyles, things get a little trickier to copy.
The truth is that big red-carpet blowouts and up-dos take a village. Put simply, we mere mortals don't have the time, money or resources to execute the same level of celebrity hair mastery at home. But there are a few caveats. Take, for example, one of our favourite hair trends of the season: the wet hair look. It's something we see all the time on the red carpet, in magazines and on our IG feeds, but it still hasn't transcended into the category of everyday wear.
Bieber's middle-parted, slicked, wet-hair style is giving off major "clean girl aesthetic" vibes, and we are here for it.
And the truth is that we're not entirely sure why. The trend works across all hair types, it's relatively low maintenance and most importantly, it's seriously chic. Whether you want to give off fresh, just-showered vibes, make a bold power move or look like you've just stepped off the beach, the wet-hair look is calling out to be adopted. We can only assume that the main reason this trend has never hit the mainstream is because it looks hard to pull off—but that doesn't mean that it is.
In reality, the chicest wet-look hairstyles might just be the ultimate no-fuss way to disguise grease on the run-up to wash day, or perhaps they even give your hair a deep-conditioning treatment. A wet-hair look doesn't have to mean liquidy, flowing lengths. "You can even go for a slicked-back, high bun and achieve a sleek, glass-hair look," says Michael Lendon, Senior Creative Director at Aveda. "The aim is to make sure your hair looks wet as opposed to greasy," he adds.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's scraped-back, beachy look is the stuff that summer hair dreams are made of.
However, if you do want to leave your hair down, it's not quite as tricky to achieve the wet-hair look as you might have previously thought. It just depends on what you want to go for. "My favourite way to style wet-look hair is scraped back with some tousled texture. It gives that 'just-emerged-from-the-pool' look," says Live True London's expert stylist, Tyler Moore. "You can wear it in the day for a cool-girl casual vibe or dress it up for an event."
To achieve the beach look (à la Rosie HW), it's important you don't reach for crunchy products like mousse. "Instead, go for a matte pomade and some styling oil. You want to keep your hair relatively flexible and comfortable, avoiding the dreaded crunch of mousse. When it comes to matte pomades, don't overdo it—a small amount will go a long way," Moore reveals.
Simone Ashley's super-long, wet-look ponytail might have taken hours to execute, but it's giving us all of the summer up-do inspo.
Having said that, if you're still desperate for that red-carpet look, getting expensive-looking, wet-look results at home is doable. It just takes a little longer to achieve. "Start by washing the hair and using a heat protector after towel-drying. Brush hair through with a paddle brush to de-tangle, and follow up with a texturiser. Then, apply a liquid gel that provides hold on damp hair, running it through from the top to the ends in backward motions. To get the sleek finish, apply a gloss-boosting, humidity-proofing product like Aveda Smooth Infusion Style Prep, and finish up with some hairspray," says Lendon.
And that's it. The wet-hair look really is that easy and versatile. For more inspiration on looks to try at home, keep scrolling.
Winnie Harlow's wet-look curls are giving off serious mermaid vibes, and we want in. Look for curl gelées and creams that won't leave strands crunchy.
We'll admit that those with short and mid-length styles are going to find the wet-hair look easiest to do at home. This side-parted, brushed-back look from Kaia Gerber is a prime example.
Lili Reinhart has persuaded us that there really is no need to wash your hair after a day by the pool on holiday. Just run some oil and gel through it after your final dip of the day, and you're ready to head out for the evening.
Everything about this look from Zendaya is absolute goals, from the slicked-back hair to the glowing, beachy makeup.
If there's one person that knows a thing or two about a fresh, clean-girl beauty look, it's Laura Harrier, and this laid-back, effortless-looking hairstyle proves our point.
Take your wet-look style into the evening by incorporating some Hollywood finger waves like Florence Pugh's.
Megan Fox is the undisputed queen of the wet-hair look, and this tousled look from the Met Gala could just be the best she's ever done.
Shop the Look
Run this smoothing treatment through hair as a final step to give a super-sleek, mirror-like finish.
Add hold and beachy texture without the crunch by working a little bit of this pomade through lengths while your hair is wet.
This watery oil mist will help to treat and hydrate hair while giving it an impressive sheen.
The key to a super-sleek wet-hair look is amping up the shine at every opportunity you have. These shine drops will get you to your desired finish in record time.
Lendon swears by this liquid gel for adding hold to hair without leaving strands crunchy and stiff.
If you're in the market for a great hair oil that will make your wet-hair look feel luxe, we can't recommend this expensive-smelling treatment highly enough.
Crunchy mousses are not the product of choice when it comes to wet-look styles. This styling foam, however, gives the body, bounce, texture and hold of a mousse while leaving hair workable and flexible.
We know a fair few celebrity hairstylists that always keep a bottle of this shine-boosting, humidity-proofing spray in their kit.
Next up, 21 easy-to-copy hairstyles I'm totally obsessed with.
Shannon Lawlor is a renowned beauty journalist and has contributed to Who What Wear’s beauty content since 2020. As a leading beauty editor, expert and brand consultant, she has over eight years of experience working for some of the industry’s most esteemed titles, including Who What Wear (of course), Glamour UK, Stylist, Refinery29 and Fabulous. Having also worked behind the scenes with some of the industry’s biggest brands and retailers, Shannon has a unique insight into what people really want from their beauty routines. Understanding that beauty lovers seek honest, open and responsible advice, she has it made her mission to demystify the intimidating world of beauty, taking a no-frills approach to the most relatable topics. While Shannon is the first to admit she doesn’t hold the answer to every beauty question out there, she is dedicated to sharing her expert insights in a bid to help. As a self-proclaimed lazy girl, Shannon has an affinity for easy-to-use, foolproof beauty products and has made it her mission to scope out the best of the best. When she’s not working, Shannon is likely soaking in the bath or giving no-holds-barred beauty reviews on Instagram from her bathroom floor.
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