How to Achieve the Celebrity-Approved Wet Hair Look Without Catching a Cold This Winter
With so many gorgeous gals taking their tresses to the next level with colors, cuts, and styles, it’s only natural to have a major case of hair envy. The Mane Attraction will help you sort through which looks are worth trying with a biweekly dive into the latest hair trends taking over the red carpet and Instagram.
When you’re hoping to change up your hairstyle without a dramatic cut or crazy color, looking to celebrities is a solid way to figure out your next move. One of the most popular styles gracing runways, red carpets, and Instagram selfies right now is the wet hair look. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with drenching your strands in the shower. “The key to wet looks is not water,” celebrity stylist Andrew Fitzsimons tells Brit + Co. “Water will dry up and leave the hair frizzy and unstyled; it’s about high-shine products. I love using lightweight oils, which nourish, give definition, and provide a glassy shine for a high-end, wet-looking finish.” Keep reading for more tips from two of the industry’s top celeb stylists on how to pull off the celeb-approved style.
Sophie Turner
Avoid a flat finish on your wet hair look by curling as close to the root as possible. Here, Christian Wood, who created Sophie Turner’s wet style at the Louis Vuitton Volez, Voguez, Voyagez Exhibition in Shanghai, takes us through the step-by-step. (Photo via VCG/ Getty)
You’ll need:
- mousse
- Ibiza Round Brush ($40)
- GHD Curve 1.25″ Soft Curl Iron ($199)
- Mason Pearson Handy Mixture Nylon and Boar Bristle Hair Brush ($150)
- Wella Light Luminous Reflective Oil ($40)
- gel
- comb
- lobster clips
- Wella EIMI Stay Firm Workable Finishing Hairspray ($18)
- Wella EIMI Glam Mist Shine Mist ($20)
Instructions:
1. Apply mousse (like Hair Rules Wavy Mousse ($6)) through wet strands and blow-dry with a round brush.
2. Create waves using a 1 1/4-inch curling iron. “Pay close attention to the front hairline where the volume will be,” advises Wood. “Wrap the root around the barrel for five seconds and hold to add extra volume and a deep wave.”
3. Use a mixed-bristle brush to loosen the style for a more laid-back appeal.
4. Apply hair oil from roots to ends. Wood recommends five to eight pumps for hair as long as Turner’s. “The oil is what creates the wet effect and keeps it [looking shiny and drenched] all night long,” he says.
5. Apply gel (like TRESemmé Tres Extra Hold Hair Gel ($5)) from the hairline to about two inches back. Comb your mane backward and quickly push it forward to create a voluminous wave at the front.
6. Once the wave looks just right, lock it in place. “Slick the sides back nice and tight and secure with [lobster] clips until the product dries and sets,” Wood advises.
7. Remove the clips once dry and spritz the style with a generous amount of flexible hairspray, focusing on the front and sides especially.
8. Apply a touch more hair oil on the ends to break up the waves and finish with an all-over spritz of shine mist to amp up the wet look.
Kylie Jenner
For Kylie Jenner’s hairstyle, Fitzsimons relied on a healthy dose of oils. Peep his process below. (Photo via Andrew Fitzsimons)
You’ll need:
Instructions:
1. Apply blowout balm to damp tresses to prep hair and protect against frizz and heat damage.
2. Blow-dry strands with a diffuser attachment “to encourage the hair’s natural waves and to add volume,” Fitzsimons explains.
3. If you want a lengthier look, he recommends clipping in a set of clip-in extensions for bonus body and inches.
4. Use a 1-inch curling iron to style random pieces of hair. Twist in alternating directions for a lived-in, natural-looking wave.
5. Rub smoothing hair oil between palms to activate the product with warmth and apply from mid-lengths to ends. “I layer in additional oil for a wet finish where needed,” Fitzsimons instructs.
6. Finish with an all-over spritz of smoothing, anti-frizz oil spray for what Fitzsimons calls a “glassy finish.”
Planning to try out the wet look for yourself? Show us your results @BritandCo!
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Illustrations by San Trieu