Mirror-like ends have forever been the unachievable hair goal which we’ve never quite managed to grasp. Shiny hair = seemingly impossible. But, according to AW19, now there’s an entirely different hair finish which is a whole lot more achievable - we're talking about matte-finish hair.

Whilst we may have ditched our matte foundation for a dewy glow, if Givenchy and Phillip Lim are anything to go by, it seems our hair should be doing the opposite.

Plus, there are benefits. If you’ve immediately been grabbing thick hair masks and heavy hair oils to try and achieve hydrated ends, you'll know that more often than not it results in hair looking greasy rather than shiny. But no more.

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Matte hair is the new trend 
Matteo Scarpellini//LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT

‘Finer hair benefits from lighter texture products because they are weightless, so they don't overload the hair’, says Mitchell Ladbrook, Senior Stylist at Nicola Clarke at John Frieda Salons.

Although Kaia Gerber nailed the trend at Givenchy, and Bella Hadid had the perfect effortless up-do at Fendi, Ladbrook believes that ‘the "undone" look started back in the 60’s. A truly inspiring era for the hair industry. It’s great that this trend has re-emerged to the present day but with a modern twist’. Anything that's less effort than endless shine sprays and smoothing serums is a hair trend we can get on board with.

Dry Haircare Matte Finish Hair
Matteo Scarpellini

To achieve the look, go for volumising powders and texture sprays to give hair a dry grip. The best part? Matte hair doesn’t require the precision that creating glossy waves does: ‘Achieving this look would rely on rough drying the hair as opposed to smoothing with brushes, maybe also scrunch drying with hands’, says Ladbrook. The more texture the better.

No matter your hair type, there’s an easy way to achieve the look whilst embracing your natural texture. Ladbrook advises: ‘On curly hair apply leave-in conditioning spray then diffuse until dry/style is achieved. On wavy hair use a sea salt spray and finish with tongs to create soft waves. On straight hair apply texturising spray then use a flat iron to achieve waves for a tousled look’.

Think 60s Bridgette Bardot for the ultimate modern matte hair goals.

Bridget Bardot 1960's matte hair is back 
INA//Getty Images

Alternatively, if you’ve been blessed with naturally shiny hair then there are a few easy ways to get a drier finish, should you so wish. For those that get the hair equivalent of an oily T-Zone throughout the day, there are genius blotting papers especially designed for scalps and compact powders to do the job.

See below for the ELLE edit of 'dry' haircare so you can achieve AW19's matte finish with almost no effort at all...

ELLE Edit: 'Dry' Haircare
How to get the matte hair trend 
Kevin Murphy Night.Rider - £25
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How to get the matte hair trend 
Redken Powder Grip Mattifying Hair Powder - £16.50
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How to get matte hair 
ColorWow Style On Steroids Texturising Spray - £21
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How to achieve the matte hair look  
Ouai Haircare Dry Texture Foam - £24
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How to get the matte hair trend 
R+CO Badlands Dry Shampoo Paste - £23
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How to get the matte hair trend 
Nunzio Saviano Dry Shampoo Blotting Sheets - £24
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How to get the matte hair trend 
Styledry Dry Shampoo Compact Powder - £14.95
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Headshot of Charlotte Bitmead
Charlotte Bitmead
Former Senior Beauty Writer

Charlotte Bitmead (she/her) is the Senior Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. She has over six years experience writing about beauty and has previously written for ELLE and The Sunday Times Style, covering everything from politics to sustainability to inclusivity within the beauty industry. When she’s not writing in-depth features, testing out the newest skincare fad or trying to decide what nail art to get, you can find her overspending in bookshops or shouting at Arsenal matches. Find her on LinkedIn