Indie sleaze waves is the only Noughties hairstyle you'll be rocking this spring

Hair as lustrous as a raven's wing has been the dominant aesthetic of late. But coming in strong right now are ‘indie sleaze waves’ – aka, the complete antithesis to a fresh, bouncy blow-dry. 

So rather than channel our inner J-Lo, we're looking to Kate Moss, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen circa 2006 for our hair inspiration. And it's a vibe we're 100% on board with.

It's fair to say that ever since the pandemic lockdowns there's been a move to embrace our hair's natural texture and take a more laissez-faire approach to styling. Hence the popularity of wash 'n go haircuts like the cub cut that require a blast of volumising spray and little else.

Indie sleaze waves certainly scratch that itch for something altogether less polished. And it's a trend that's even managed to infiltrate Paris Fashion Week and that most institutionalised of glamorous events, the 2023 Oscars, as Olivia Wilde and Nicole Kidman rewrote the rules for red carpet hair, opting for effortlessly cool waves and a puffy bedhead crown rather than sleek Old Hollywood ringlets.

“The only difference is that in 2006 we were actually living the indie sleaze moment,” says Michael Lendon, Aveda's senior creative director. "We genuinely didn't really care too much about our hair and so the look became the trend naturally. It phased out around the time of Instagram being launched, when we started to want more polish and style. 

“But now we are starting to see the perfect blow dry and sleek snatched pony being phased out,” he continues. "It won't happen overnight, but, as ever, we crave the opposite for our hairstyle after a period of over saturation."

Put simply, the indie sleaze trend in 2023 is intentionally messy hair that looks like you've slept in it, with texturising sprays and puffs of dry shampoo scrunched in. 

As for how it differs from other undone styles? “Beach waves are slightly more polished and often a bit more uniform, as if your hair has dried naturally in the sun,” says Michael. “Indie sleaze is more rock n' roll. It's like you styled your hair for a gig, had a messy night out, slept in it, woke up and thought to yourself ‘actually it looks quite cool – I’ll just give it a shake out and a blast of dry shampoo.’ And then you go out again that night.”

How to create indie sleaze waves

As ever, it depends on who you ask. Jen Atkin, who posted a step-by-step tutorial on her Instagram, likes to use a three-barrel waver to create a deep bend two inches away from the root and lightly move it down the hair shaft “to get a loose natural-looking bend at the bottom,” she says. 

Meanwhile, Peter Lux revealed in a post that he gently waved Simone Ashley's hair with a large-barrelled curling iron so that it mimicked a natural air-dried texture and then finished the look with Fable & Mane's HoliRoots MahaMane Smooth & Shine Hair Oil “to add a slightly languid, sexy vibe”.

Michael prefers a more organic route, preferring to “apply a texture spray such as Aveda’s Texture Tonic and a pump of Nutriplenish Multi-Use Hair Oil to damp hair before rough drying it with a hairdryer until it is about 70% dry.” He then recommends separating your hair into three sections that are roughly the same size. 

“Loosely twist each section before plaiting and leave them to dry, either overnight or by applying warm air directly into the braid,” Michael advises. “Once dry, undo the plait, but don’t brush out or rake your hands through it too much. Just go about your day and let it evolve into your very own sleazy look.”

Then turn up the Arctic Monkeys, slip on your converse and dance towards the brightest lights you can see. 

12 ways to wear indie sleaze hair

With a middle parting and soft kinksAs a flipped-over bobWith grown-out curtain bangsTousled with gritty piecesPartially braided with wavy endsWith a choppy fringe and matte finishWispy with face-framing layersMussed up with balayageWith dark roots peaking throughBarely-there bends through the mid-lengthsWith slept-in braids Olsen style with multi-tonal blonde highlights

For more from Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR's Acting Associate Beauty Director, follow her on @fiembleton.

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