Mermaid Waves: Summer 2026’s Lazy-Luxury Look

There's a particular kind of hair that has been winning summer 2026: long, loose, lived-in, with that just-stepped-off-a-yacht kind of bend through the lengths. Marie Claire, Who What Wear and a slew of celebrity stylists are calling it the season's lazy-luxury look. Mermaid waves. Effortless to look at, addictive to wear, and (mercifully) not the boxy ringlets of decades past.

It's the antidote to the polished rich-girl blowout. Where the blowout says ‘I have an assistant’, mermaid waves say ‘I have plans, I am running late and my hair still looks incredible’. At Gusto Hair in Soho, Covent Garden and Oxford Street, this is the request we are hearing on repeat, so here is everything you need to know.

What Exactly Are Mermaid Waves?

Picture an open S-shape running from the mid-lengths to the ends, with the roots left smooth and undisturbed. The wave is loose, soft, and slightly imperfect. Nothing too uniform, nothing too tight. Think Daisy Edgar-Jones at a Bafta after-party, or Sienna Miller on a Cornish beach. The DNA is air-dried texture: the kind of bend hair makes on its own when you stop fighting it.

The hallmark is length. Mermaid waves live their best life from collarbone downwards, and they look most striking on hair that grazes the mid-back. If your hair is shorter, you can still nail the look, but if you have been quietly considering extensions, this is the trend that finally tips you over.

Why It's Trending This Summer

Two reasons. First, the cultural pendulum has swung hard against high-effort hair. After years of glassy blowouts and polished bobs, we are collectively craving something that feels less curated. Mermaid waves photograph beautifully but read as completely natural, which is exactly the sweet spot social media is rewarding right now.

Second, the heat. London is hot, holidays are imminent, and nobody wants to stand in front of a mirror with a curling iron in 30-degree heat. Mermaid waves can be created with a diffuser and a good sea-salt mist, which makes them genuinely wearable on a Saturday in July.

How to Get Mermaid Waves Without a Curling Iron

This is the part everyone wants. Start with damp, freshly-washed hair and a generous palmful of curl cream worked from mid-lengths to ends. Scrunch (don't comb) to encourage the hair's natural bend to show up. Mist with a sea-salt spray for grip.

Now, the diffuser. Tip your head forward, cup sections of hair into the diffuser bowl, and dry on medium heat without moving the dryer around. The stillness is what gives you the wave; constant movement is what gives you frizz. Finish with a pump of lightweight oil through the ends to kill any halo of fluff.

No diffuser? Twist damp hair into two loose plaits, sleep on it, and unravel in the morning. The effect is softer and slightly more vintage, but it absolutely counts as mermaid waves.

The Extensions Question

If your hair sits above the shoulders and you want this look properly, extensions are the honest answer. The good news is that 2026 extensions are nothing like the chunky tracks of the 2010s. Today's tape-ins and hand-tied wefts sit invisibly under the natural hair and grow out without damage when fitted by a specialist.

A Gusto consultation will walk you through length, weight, colour matching and aftercare, and we'll only proceed if your hair is in the right condition to wear them. Mermaid waves on extension hair behave beautifully. The slight weight actually helps the wave drop and hold longer.

Keeping the Wave Alive Between Washes

Mermaid waves get better on day two and day three, but they need a little help. Refresh by spritzing the lengths with a 50/50 mix of water and leave-in conditioner, scrunching with damp hands, and letting the hair air-dry for ten minutes. A silk pillowcase (yes, really) buys you another full day before the wave loses its shape.

Avoid touching the hair while it dries. The most common mermaid-wave mistake is fussing with it the moment it's done. Set it, leave it, walk away.

Ready to test-drive the look? Book a wave-shaping cut, a balayage to add dimension through the lengths, or a no-pressure extensions consultation with one of our stylists. Book at Oxford Street | Book at Covent Garden.