How to get Alicia Vikander’s wet-look hair from Vogue Scandinavia's cover shoot

'Cool' is a word that’s frequently used in the same sentence as Alicia Vikander – whether it’s to describe her style on the red carpet or the clean lines of her typically Scandinavian off-duty fashion choices. So it seems only fitting that her hair for our recent Vogue Scandinavia cover shoot should be pared-back yet chic.

“We didn’t want to make Alicia's hair look too cute,” says hair stylist Kalle Eklund, who created the looks in these pictures. “We wanted to find something that would fit the mix of elegant pieces and more street style clothes that Alicia would be wearing. A wet look felt like a good choice and works perfectly on Alicia’s curly hair.”

From how to add definition to wet hair, to the backstage trick for preventing strands from looking greasy, Eklund reveals exactly how to recreate this slicked-back day-to-night look.

“A wet look is easiest to achieve on curly and wavy hair. If you have short to medium straight hair, a slicked-back look works best. If you have long straight hair you can play around with tying or pinning it up.”

“Just because this is a wet look, doesn’t mean your hair should be dripping wet. You want the hair to be damp, so wet down the strands a little and then apply Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil, making sure you comb it through to the ends. The oil will protect and care for the hair while also making it easier to detangle.”

“To get that high shine effect you want to use a liquid product, as wax just looks greasy. I like to use an olive oil spray designed for the hair (not cooking!) – ORS Olive Oil Nourishing Sheen Spray Infused with Coconut Oil is excellent."

Related: Alicia Vikander's makeup artist on how to get her Vogue Scandinavia cover look

“I like to work with mousse to get definition and separation. I always use the Oribe Trés Set Structure Spray as a spray-on mousse is easier to apply evenly throughout the hair and it has a soft, almost creamy texture. Don’t go easy on the product application – when you think you’ve added enough mousse, go in and add double the amount. Make sure you look at how your hair naturally wants to separate and fall. Use you fingers, a wide tooth comb such as the YS Park 452 Cutting Comb and small clips to set your hair in a shape you like and let it dry naturally. 

“When the hair is almost dry, mist it with water and add more shine spray. Don’t use too much water for this step as you want to keep the shape you created with your products. Hair that’s going to look wet throughout the night is never actually going to be wet. So you have to rely on your products and water helps to set a good foundation for the shine spray. And remember if all else fails, you can always put your hair up in a super flattering sleek bun!”

Related: 5 things you didn't know about Alicia Vikander