“Cloud Curls” Is the Ethereal Summer Hair Trend That Celebrates Frizz

There’s nothing like spending hours washing, drying, and styling your hair only for the summer humidity to ruin it on your commute to work. Or how about being forced to slick back your hair after a long day of playing mermaids in the ocean because you have a hot dinner date and no time to style it? No thank you.

Luckily, resenting the effects moisture and humidity have on your hair is a thing of the past. Summer 2025 is all about learning to love the unpredictability of your hair and letting the warm weather highlight your hair’s natural texture. Think of celebrities like Charli XCX with her lion’s mane waist-length waves, or Miley Cyrus with her most recent hairdo of shaggy, tousled curls.

Focus on more important things this summer than having perfectly styled hair, and instead, embrace the newest trend: “cloud curls.”

What Are “Cloud Curls”?

“Cloud curls” is a term first coined in 2024 by Tom Smith, a London-based hair stylist, to describe a hairstyle that “really embraces the 3D nature of curls.” Also known as “halo curls,” this hairstyle encourages asymmetry, volume, fluff, and even frizz. They’re the crazy, cool aunt to the flat, gel-slicked controlled curls. In fact, “cloud curls” are anything but controlled.

True “cloud curls” will look different depending on the weather, the day, and the person wearing them. But one thing they all have in common is their “curved shape.” For Smith, it’s this curved shape that gives them a “regal, ethereal, and statuesque” feel.

Bridget Campbell, a lifestyle and wellness content creator with—slightly frizzy—2C hair, views “cloud curls” as the “effortless texture that comes from letting your curls do their thing—without trying to control or tame.” Campbell knows that her hair has a mind of its own and will look different every day, but she’s learned to love it. In fact, embracing her hair’s natural texture and shape is “one of the most freeing things” she’s ever done.

How to Achieve “Cloud Curls”

Smith believes that properly executing the “cloud curls” look starts with the correct cut. This may come as a surprise, but “cloud curls” aren’t exclusive to people with types 3A to 4C hair. The tightness level of your curls will determine the haircut you need to get before you start styling them yourself. On his TikTok, Smith explains that individuals with tighter textured hair simply need to ask for a rounded cut, while those with looser curls or waves need more in-depth rounded layers. He believes the voluminous, airy look is possible for everyone; you just need to start with the right base.

Once you have the correct cut for your hair type, a few key products are the next step. Charlize Wells, a beauty content creator with type 3A hair, has a few favorites she uses after showering. First, she wears her microfiber Volo Hero Hair Towel until her hair is mostly dry. Then, she goes in with a leave-in conditioner—one of her favorites being Rizos Curls Heat Protection Multivitamin Leave-In—followed by the occasional Not Your Mothers Curl Talk Gel. Wells doesn’t sleep in a silk bonnet and finds the best way to refresh your curls and get back that ethereal “cloud curls” volume is to “shake it out.”

Why Should You Try “Cloud Curls”?

“Cloud curls” call for natural, air-dried hair, a look that’s significantly less damaging than straightening away the unwanted frizz. “I have noticed a huge difference in how much thicker my hair feels from not putting heat on it every day,” says Campbell.

Giving your hair the freedom to do its own thing also means not using as many products—products that can weigh down your hair and cause breakage. Lightweight leave-in conditioners, curl creams, and gels can help enhance your hair’s natural shape and texture—but overloading on mousse to force tight ringlets or using an entire bottle of hairspray for a slicked-back look can lead to product buildup and poor scalp health.

Beyond hair health, Campbell attributes her recent self-confidence boost to falling in love with her natural hair. “There is power in not trying to ‘fix’ something about ourselves every day, and just embracing,” she says. “Let your curls do their thing!”