Boasting more than three million followers online, influencer and designer Matilda Djerf rose from humble beginnings to an ever-growing empire at the age of 27.
It all started in the small town of Borås, Sweden, when Djerf finished school and started prioritising financial freedom. She saved money from cleaning jobs, working at a juice bar and as a fishmonger, before travelling with her boyfriend and documenting her experience.
By 2017, Djerf amassed her first 100,000 followers. In 2024, she has 3.1 million.
Aside from being synonymous with laidback luxury, Djerf is often the central talking point when it comes to her iconic hair. TikTok tutorials flooded the platform from fans recreating the luscious blowout, as many more flocked to X/Twitter in awe.
Earlier this year, Djerf fittingly launched a hair styling range as a part of her brand Djerf Avenue Beauty: the On The Go Styling Gel and the Breezy Stylist Mist. Following the success, Djerf is now set to expand her haircare ventures with more products launching on 16 October.
Speaking to Indy100, Djerf said her vision was to create beauty cabinet staples that people can’t live without. “Hair care was the next natural step,” she said.
“I have tried countless haircare products but never found a range that fully met my needs. Being able to create my own products and to feel really confident that our community will love them as much as I do feels so special.”
Taking good care and paying extra attention to haircare are the foundations for healthy hair, with Djerf telling us that if she had to give one tip to her younger self, it would to not give up on finding good quality products.
“For as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated by hair and everything that came with it – I was so happy when friends would ask me to style their hair, finding new ways of cutting and styling my hair, and exploring my mom’s beauty cabinet. I found it all so fun,” she said. “As I got older, I became more curious about the ingredients in hair care and learned what my dream products would need to do for my hair. So, my advice to myself would be to follow that passion and to take matters into my own hands.”
Matilda Djerf
So, how can people achieve Djerf’s effortless curls at home?
Prime your hair
“Start by giving your hair a good cleanse and condition with either the Djerf Avenue Beauty Breezy Weightless range or Essential Moisture. While your hair is still damp, spritz it with the Breezy Styling Mist for hold, heat protection and volume.”
Create the curls
“Let your hair air dry until it’s around 20 per cent damp. Then spray your hair with the Breezy Styling Mist before you start blow drying. I like to do this section by section.
“Grab a round brush, a curling wand, or the Dyson Airwrap and start curling each section. Once you’ve got a curl, put it up in a clip.
“Keep doing this for all sections of your hair. Leaving the clips in until your hair has cooled off , will help the curls to hold longer. Finish by taking out the clips and carefully brushing through the hair.”
Achieving the effortless, ‘lived-in’ look
“I like to alternate the direction of my curls, one piece inwards, the next outwards – for a less perfect and more natural look.”
Make it last
“If you want your blowout to last to the next day, sleep in a loose bun to retain hair volume.”
Switch up your cut
“My layers and bangs are key to the way my hair falls when it’s blown out. For me, having my hair at one length didn’t allow me to lift it in the ways I wanted to or frame my face effectively.”
Djerf isn’t slowing down anytime soon with more exciting projects in the pipeline. Keeping things tight-lipped, she encouraged fans to “watch this space!”
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