Botticelli Hair Is The Renaissance-Inspired Trend Taking Waves To The Next Level

For those with long, lovely locks, summer means it's mermaid hair time. From messy, undone waves to the angel waves look, there are all kinds of low-effort ways to style your long hair for the summer. We all love a mermaid hair moment, but what if you want to add a little more elegance to your loose waves? Enter the latest up-and-coming trend for beach season: Botticelli hair.

Botticelli hair takes inspiration from the Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli -– think "Birth of Venus" -– and creates long, glamorous waves and curls. The perfect style for lazy summer days, it relies mostly on your natural hair texture to create a breezy, goddess-like silhouette.

You can style Botticelli hair at any length, but if you're seeking hardcore Botticelli vibes, let your hair grow out to maximize the effect. When getting a trim at the salon, ask for layers that promote texture and a soft, slightly rounded shape. This hairstyle is all about natural beauty, so you want to follow your hair's natural look as much as possible. And if you wish to experiment with this ethereal Renaissance-inspired aesthetic, you have lots of options.

If you have natural waves, you don't need much else to achieve a Botticelli-inspired style. Keep your hair long and let its natural texture thrive. For the best results, apply a lightweight curl cream to damp hair, scrunching to encourage more waves. You can let it air dry in the summer sun or diffuse it for more volume. Want more hold (or protection from humidity)? Follow up the curl cream with a small amount of gel; just be sure to scrunch out the gel cast when your hair dries for that softened Botticelli effect.

Go blond for the summer with platinum Botticelli waves. The gentle texture of Botticelli hair is an excellent way to show off the shine of fresh blond color, and it offers an original twist on the Barbiecore aesthetic we're sure to be seeing in the coming months. If you're trying to coax a natural wave out of bleached hair, focus on hydration. A nourishing conditioner and protein-rich curl cream will help keep color-treated waves defined and glowing.

Merge your trends and consider getting a Botticelli shag. You'll have the bangs and choppy layers of the edgy shag look, but if you maintain your waves and curls, you can cultivate a delicate, romantic texture that results in a super unique hairstyle. If you desire Botticelli hair with rocker-chick energy, but prefer to forego the full-on shag, check out waterfall fringe as an alternative.

Play up the mermaid factor of Botticelli hair and spend some time in the sun (with SPF on, of course). Your loose Botticelli waves and curls will give off a dreamy angelic vibe, as if you just emerged from the sea like Venus herself. The summer weather will surely give you some natural highlights, but you jumpstart the look by getting honey blond or warm auburn highlights at the salon.

Channel a '70s glam aesthetic by wearing your long Botticelli hair in a middle part. A middle part will emphasize the roundness of your haircut and allow your waves and curls to frame your face and evenly cascade down your shoulders. The results will be very Botticelli-meets-Pre-Raphaelites -– an otherworldly beauty who seems to have emerged from the natural landscape.

On the other hand, Botticelli hair is equally well-suited for a side part. Old Hollywood glamour-inspired side parts are on the rise, and Botticelli waves provide a great texture for trying out the deep side part look. Sweep your long, loose waves to one side to build up the drama and put your cascading curls on full display. To keep your curl pattern even and voluminous, we recommend switching your side part a couple of times throughout the day, as this will prevent that flat, weighed-down look you can sometimes get with longer hair.

True Botticelli hair involves a good bit of length, but if you recently gave your hair a summer chop and are now eyeballing those classical curls, you can still get an element of the look. As your hair grows out, experiment with various curl creams and wave sprays for a soft, loose texture appearance. On most people, hair gets a slightly tighter curl when it's shorter, so be prepared to work with the curlier end of the Botticelli wave spectrum.

Embrace the frizz-inducing humidity of the summer and let your big hair grow to its full potential, whether that means a fabulous mane of waves or a waterfall of ringlets. For a voluminous Botticelli look, incorporate lots of movement as you diffuse your hair. Move your head side to side and upside down to dry your hair from multiple angles and give more lift to your roots. With this type of simple blowdrying routine, you can have luscious, yet easygoing Botticelli hair that will get you through the entire summer.