5 Looks That Make Me Want to Exclusively Air-Dry My Hair

I almost exclusively air-dry my hair. I really hate to use the “I don’t have time” excuse, because I dedicate a full 20 minutes to my  skin-care and makeup in the morning, so I guess blow-drying just isn’t a priority for me. It’s not that I don’t loveeee the cuticle-sealing benefits a blowout can provide, but I don’t hate the way my hair looks when it dries naturally, which is relatively straight with a few bends or waves here or there. 

So when I noticed a trend of hairstyles at NYFW that were meant to mimic the appearance of air-drying—or even using air-drying in the process, along with a touch of a curling iron—you get why I had a moment. Not only is it totally low-maintenance (more time for moisturizer, woooo!), but soft waves or a air-touched texture just looks effortlessly cool—the no-makeup makeup look of the hair world, if you will. 

And as someone who has naturally somewhat straight hair, it's a win for me. 

Not only that, but at many shows, designers chose to embrace and enhance models’ natural textures, whether straight, wavy, or curly. It doesn’t really get much more real than that. 

Because I need to see the magic again (and I’m hoping you want to, as well), I rounded up a shows that brought that laid-back air-dried vibe to life on the runway and a few looks I will most definitely be attempting myself! 

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Backstage at Tome for Aveda at New York Fashion Week

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Antoinette Beenders, the lead artist backstage at Tome, said the goal was to "enhance each girl's natural look," which we love. To get the look, artists applied Aveda Damage Remedy Split End Repair ($32; nordstrom.com) to the ends of the hair, spritzed in some Thickening Tonic ($29; nordstrom.com), and then used an iron to form ripples. 

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Backstage at Baja East at New York Fashion Week

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At this show, every single model had a unique hairstyle, but they all wore bandanas. And guess what? To copy the general vibe, Guido, who was the lead stylist at the show, says you'll want to air dry after prepping the hair with the Beach Envy Volume Texturizing Shampoo ($20; ulta.com).

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Backstage at Alexander Wang at New York Fashion Week

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Not quite air-drying, but still easier than a complete at-home blowout, models at Alexander Wang had their hair rough-dyed until it was 50 percent dry before using Redken Rough Paste 12 ($20; ulta.com) for a beachy, defined look. 

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Backstage at Proenza Schouler at New York Fashion Week

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“We used the Gentle Shampoo on the girls with wavy to straight hair and the Bb.Curl Shampoo on the girls with natural texture. It’s a gorgeous day outside so we sent everyone out to air dry. We wanted them to feel very optimistic and upbeat—it really is about individuality. All the little mistakes we get in the hair after it’s been freshly washed is what we’re enjoying,” said Anthony Turner of the look they created for the show. 

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Backstage at Lacoste at New York Fashion Week

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Artists at Lacoste applied bumble and bumble Don't Blow It ($31; sephora.com) to models' hair before letting it air-dry, while girls with curly hair had Bb.Curl Pre-Style/Re-Style Primer ($11; sephora.com) applied and then other Bb.Curl products, depending on the texture of the hair. 

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