No time to style your hair? No problem, because the 'bedhead hair' trend is here

This year's Coachella hairstyles were more natural than ever, with various tousled, messy looks. Photo: AFP

Forget sleek bobs, ballerina buns and other sophisticated hairstyles, because the trend of the moment involves not bothering to style your hair... or almost.

More and more people seem to be adopting a more natural, if not to say dishevelled look, including at Coachella last month, where celebrities have largely shunned fresh-from-the salon styles, at least in appearance.

Because the hottest hair is now "bedhead hair", which already has hundreds of millions of views on social networks.

Why spend hours straightening your hair when a simple ponytail tied up in a hurry can be just as viral? The festival-goers of the two highly anticipated Coachella weekends seem to have opted for the latter solution.

And we're not just talking about regular attendees, but also about celebrities, who inevitably dress with the utmost care and attention at such an event.

The trend for "bedhead hair", which emerged at the beginning of the year on social networks, has spread like wildfire to the desert landscapes of Indio, California.

From Irina Shayk to Camila Cabello and Jenna Ortega, everyone seems to have opted for this straight-out-of-bed hairstyle with minimal styling – or at least the illusion of it.

Read more: These Summer 2023 makeup trends will make you look hot – yes, pun intended!

Rihanna paved the way

Let's face it, the "bedhead hair" look, which already has more than 300 million views on TikTok, is not really about leaving home – or going to a star-studded event – without casting a passing glance at your locks, far from it.

It's more precisely about styling your hair as if it wasn't styled at all, or as if it was done in a hurry.

It's a bit contrived, we agree, but it's nevertheless the trend of the moment. From the beginning of the year, the concept started to take off on social networks, and then was gradually adopted by celebrities at ultrasophisticated events.

It's no coincidence that Bella Hadid recently went viral on TikTok with a simple bun tied up in less than 15 seconds. But it was probably Rihanna, more than anyone, who paved the way for this seemingly effortless trend to take off.

Back at the 2023 Oscars ceremony, held in March in Los Angeles, the Barbadian singer made a very noticeable appearance on the red carpet, wearing a tight dress revealing her baby bump.

While the event is one of the most sophisticated of the year, Rihanna wore a hairstyle that – in appearance – could have been put together in a hurry on the way to the Dolby Theatre.

It was a totally unstructured bun tied on the top of the head of the multi-award-winning artiste, letting several strands hang loose for a deliberately relaxed effect.

We suspect that this hairstyle is actually the result of some long and meticulous styling, but the final result does not give that impression.

And that's exactly what the "bedhead hair" trend – now proving all the rage at Coachella – is about.

Read more: How did Jenna Ortega and Jennifer Coolidge become fashion's newest style queens?

Celebrating the natural

If the Californian festival is not necessarily the place for ultra-chic fashion or beauty inspirations, it is still a must for fashionistas of all kinds.

Yet, this edition has not featured much in the way of smooth, polished – or at least neat – hairstyles, often comprising braids, ponytails and pigtails of all kinds, and adorned in true Coachella style with a multitude of ribbons and sparkles.

This year, celebrities have bet on natural hairstyles, and more particularly, on messy hair – the must-have style among those in the know.

Camila Cabello is one of the stars who didn't seem to spend hours crafting a salon-fresh style, arriving at the festival with her hair loose, certainly not straightened, and barely even brushed, it seems.

The very essence of "bedhead hair".

And she is far from being the only one rocking the trend. Irina Shayk and Alessandra Ambrosio – who nevertheless embellished the look with some fine braids – plus Jenna Ortega, Paris Jackson and Kylie Jenner have all embraced the look to flaunt a natural, even slightly tousled mane, whether worn loose or up.

In fact, the youngest of the Jenner-Kardashian clan made the unusual move of wearing her hair tied back in a deliberately effortless way, letting out many strands to accentuate the effect.

A hairstyle that suggests that "bedhead hair" will be everywhere this summer, and that the trend is here to stay. – AFP