Mastering the wet-hair look at home
From the runways to the red carpet, the wet-hair look is having a moment.
Celebrities like Katy Perry, Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian have chosen tousled, just-got-out-of-the-shower tresses to complement their glamorous outfits at glitzy events and award shows, including the 2024 Met Gala.
Meanwhile, backstage beauty pros have created high-fashion wet-look locks for models at the most recent round of catwalk shows.
“There was a kind of wet-to-dry look which we saw at a lot of the shows, where the front of the hair was very slick and then the back was left loose to give more of an editorial feel,” says Paul Edmonds.
“There were also a lot of ponytails done like that with either a central or side parting, really slick, with the hair appearing almost dripping wet.”
For women with long locks, the wet-hair look tends to be reserved for special occasions when an ultra-glam aesthetic is called for, but for men it can be a fantastic everyday option.
“I have a lot of gents come in and when I ask, 'How do you best like your hair?' they'll say, ‘I love my hair when I get out the shower,’” says creative director Alfie Oneill. “They like it better than when it dries but they also don't like using hair gel as it can be too dry and crunchy.”
That’s why he often recommends the wet-look for his male clients: “It's quite a daring look for women but for men it's totally the opposite. With the right products they can do it more casually and quite soft, so it looks like they haven't made a lot of effort.”
Whatever your hair length, there’s just one caveat when it comes to wet-look locks.
“You have to have quite thick hair to do it, because you’ll be able to see a lot of scalp,” Alfie says.
“It works well on hair with movement or that’s a bit coarser and it helps to take away some volume, which is what some people want. If you're using a cream, oil, or gel it condenses the hair down so it feels flatter.”
Here, Paul and Alfie talk through the products and techniques you’ll need to create chic, wet-look hair at home…
Glamorous wet-look hair for women
It may seem counterintuitive, but to create the wet-hair look you need to start with dry hair.
“If you’ve got longer hair that’s being left down the hair should be styled first, so I would blow dry it with a bit of mousse to give it some body,” Paul says.
“Next, go through section by section and apply more mousse, building it up from the back and working forward to keep it slick and comb it into place. Then you need to hold it in place with either a net a hair band or clips until it's dry.”
Finish with a generous spritz of hair spray, Alfie says: “Oribe Superfine Hair Spray is really firm, or Davines No Gas is great for brushable looks.”
For a red carpet-inspired style, Alfie explains how he created wet-look ponytails for the Peter Pilotto show at London Fashion Week a few seasons back.
“I put a really firm ponytail in first, then just layered it up by combing on wet-look gel and hairspray to give it an almost mirror-like shine,” he recalls. “I applied the gel very liberally and then the hair spray it and combed it through the ponytail.”
Curly hair can look amazing with a wet-look finish too.
“You’ll want to style the hair with your usual curl product first because you need to have something that controls the curls,” Paul advises.
“Then to add lots of shine I recommend loading up with Kevin Murphy Shimmer Shine spray or Davines Shimmering Mist.”
As for the hottest hair trend of 2024, the bob, the combination of gel and oil works best for the wet-hair look.
“With a bob, you want it to have a little bit of movement and not be completely crispy,” Paul says. “You want to keep the hair in place with a wet-look gel and then go over it with an oil just a soften it out.”
Sleek wet-look hair for men
There are two main ways to rock the wet-hair look for men, either effortlessly undone or neat and controlled.
“If you're going to do the soft, everyday look I would start by washing the hair with a smoothing shampoo or sulfate-free co-wash to stop the hair from going frizzy or fluffy,” Alfie says.
“Then you use a mixture of Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Nourishing Oil in Cream, which is heavier than oil, mixed with a bit of the oil as well. Apply it very liberally, around six to eight pumps, so the hair will flop around and move as if you’ve just got out of the shower.”
“When you’re doing a kind of Great Gatsby or Bridgerton look it's a lot more controlled and smarter so you'd use a gel first,” Paul says.
“You put the gel on to style and shape the hair then put a little bit of oil over the top to soften out the gel a little bit.”
Wear it your way
Whether you’ve got extra-long locks or a sharp bob, wet-look hair is perfect for creating a glamorous yet edgy aesthetic for women and it’s easy to do at home with a few key products.
For men’s hairstyles, the wet-hair look can be styled for a casual, everyday feel or a more formal feel. Why not try it out this party season?
Is your hair ready for the festive season? Book your next appointment at Paul Edmonds London.
