The ‘French New Wave’ Trend Is a Subtler Take on Cool Girl Hair

Along with great cheese and croissants, the French have hair trends nailed. This year alone, our Parisian pals have made the French bob, the French crop, and the Parisian bob the cuts everyone’s been asking for in salons thanks to their, you know, je ne sais quoi.

So which hair trend is coming in hot for 2023? According to Syd Hayes, Session Stylist and BaByliss Ambassador, the latest iteration of cool-girl hair is the French New Wave. “The French New Wave trend is a subtler take on cool girl hair with a gentle waved and less pronounced texture,” he tells Glamour.

It’s basically a very soft and subtle take on beach waves but without the rigid structure you’d get from using a curling wand. As Hayes explains: “The key for this look is to alternate the direction of each wave so the hair is unstructured and soft. Don’t worry about hair looking flat either, as the tool is placed at the root, it means locks look full-bodied and glossy.”

To achieve the look, Hayes swears by a curling tool that allows you to curl your hair in both a clockwise and anti-clockwise direction. “The BaByliss Wave Air Secret is the perfect tool to achieve your desired style because it can be set to clockwise curl, anti-clockwise curl, or alternate direction curls for complete style freedom,” he notes.

If you’re keen to trial the latest trend as we head into a new year, you’ll be pleased to hear that the French Girl Wave works on all hair types including thicker and curly textures—the key is in the prep.  “To get optimum results, it is always handy to prep with a thickening spray so that the wave or curl lasts as long as possible. Brush out the curls for the ultimate wave,” suggests Hayes.

“For an added boost, try the Sam McKnight Good Girl Super Lift which delivers volume and holds straight at the root. Spray directly onto the root and blow dry into the hair for humidity-resistant, voluminous hold before styling.”

The main feature every French hairstyle has to have, however, is attitude. It needs to feel light and airy, but not too “done”. Think “I woke up like this” but with added French chicness (large glass of red wine optional).

This post was originally published in Glamour UK.