Frizzy Hair Is Trending Right Now – And As A Beauty Editor, I Couldn’t Be Happier

From Dua Lipa to Zoë Kravitz, Alexa Chung to Sabrina Carpenter, some of the coolest women on the style scene have been leaning into a little fluff and frizz recently. On the New York catwalks – see Khaite’s spring/summer 2026 show – imperfect hair (complete with unruly side burns and a mussed-up finish) was key.

While the lived-in look has been popular for some time, the addition of frizz feels even more realistic and laissez-faire. Once upon a time, not even a single strand would have been allowed to escape the glam room un-smoothed. Now? Even the pros are letting a little static and texture live, just like their clients when they’re off-duty. It might be a small detail, but it speaks to a wider movement: we’re beginning to shun airbrushed Instagram perfection in favour of beauty that feels real and raw.

When I ask hairstylist Luke Hersheson what he thinks of the trend, he agrees that the high-gloss, flawless look is losing its appeal. “Instead, there’s a move towards hair – and beauty in general – that feels less worked,” he says. “You want your hair to look un-laboured, and a bit like it’s been caught in the rain. Instead of looking retouched, there’s a realness to it.” Hair that looks its best a couple of days after a blow-dry? That’s the vibe.

Sam McKnight, the man behind countless effortlessly cool manes, also sees the charm. “A little fluff or frizz can add softness and volume,” he says. “Just don’t let it tip into looking lacklustre – you still want shine, which you can get from a lightweight nourishing balm.” (His own Happy Endings Balm is excellent.)

To encourage some extra fluff on your head (if it doesn’t happen of its own accord), try a quick spritz of water to “bring the natural texture of the hair back to life”, says Hersheson.

Of course, the idea is that the less you have to do with your hair, the better. Nowadays, my own personal ethos is to relax – forget about fine tuning the baby hairs flicking this way and that, let the rain do its thing to my roots, and generally just let my hair be a little unkempt, which seems to be its M.O anyway.

Because while there are plenty of great formulas that work wonders on frizz – I’m looking at Color Wow’s Dream Coat and Hershesons Almost Everything Cream – the low(er)-maintenance life is calling, and if it’s A-list approved, who am I to argue?