If you're currently reading this through a set of thick, '70s-esque curtain bangs, you have Matilda Djerf to thank for your look. Seriously: The influencer, founder of Djerf Avenue, and overall Team Cosmo fashion and beauty icon is probably somewhere on your hair mood boards, whether it's her golden-blonde hair color, slicked-back buns, voluminous blowouts, or famous fringe. Which is why we all genuinely squealed a few months ago when her team gave us the inside scoop that Djerf Avenue Beauty was coming with two brand-new hair styling products.
Psst: Both products launch on March 27, but add yourself to the waiting list now!
About Djerf Avenue Beauty
Matilda Djerf launched her namesake fashion line, Djerf Avenue, in 2019. But she's been dreaming up hair products since she was a kid, raiding bathroom cabinets to scan product labels. So when it came to launching her own hair products, she thought about what she was always searching for. "I really wanted to nail two products that helped me achieve the two looks I generally wear: my blowout or a sleek bun or pony," Matilda says.
She was determined to create better options with locally sourced ingredients and thoughtful packaging to create her go-to styles, starting with a gel for slicking back her hair and a styling mist for blowouts. "I've used so many styling gels, pomades, creams, waxes—everything— and I always had to combine products to achieve the look that I wanted," Matilda explains. And when it came to blow drying, she hadn't found a product that not only helped her hair hold throughout the day, but also give it body. "I would use two to three different products, including a heat protectant and something for texture," Matilda says. "So I knew that I wanted to create one styling mist that had heat protectant but would also shape my hair."
One thing I immediately had to ask about was the sustainability efforts of her new beauty line, considering Djerf Avenue clothing is steeped in sustainability—they have a resale platform for purchasing products secondhand, and use FSC-certified paper (which means the forests it comes from are responsibly sourced and managed) and recycled plastics whenever possible. She kept these same core values for this hair range, too. All of its packaging is 100 percent PCR and sourced in Europe, including the caps and misters, which historically can be difficult to make in PCR—something Matilda explains took a long time to achieve, going from factory to factory until someone could get to 100 percent. As far as the actual formulas inside, they're made with as many local ingredients as possible in Sweden.
Immediately upon testing the products, I was enamored with the light, fresh scent. "I don't use perfume because I don't like scents," Matilda adds. "I've used some hair products where the scent is so heavy that by midday, it almost makes me feel nauseous," she says, which is why the "core" Djerf Avenue Hair fragrance woodsy and clean. Matilda notes that they spent a full day sniffing different variations in a lab, inducing "the worst migraine" until they nailed the right perfume. Which perfectly brings us to our reviews... Not to spoil anything, but peep my review below—I stan the scent hard.
Djerf Avenue Beauty reviews:
Keep reading for three reviews from our editors with different hair types and goals:
Beth Gillette, beauty editor:
- Hair type: Fine, thin hair that's straight as can be and gets greasy within a few hours
- Go-to style: As much volume and bounce as my short hair will allow (or a sleek bun, assuming my teeny-tiny bangs cooperate)
I test nearly every product that hits the market, so these days, I'm a bit of a skeptic. Sry, not sry! So when I first got these two styling products in my hands, I thought they'd weigh down my fine hair and need to be washed out immediately, or else I'd deal with the wrath of greasy roots. But to my v pleasant surprise, both the gel and styling mist are majorly lightweight.
I spritz on the styling mist while my hair is wet, and it gives me a lot of hold if I'm going to blow out my hair with my Dyson AirWrap. But it doesn't make my hair feel sticky or crunchy either—just tousled and soft, with enough hold to keep the style all day, especially when I pair it with my go-to hair mousse (FWIW, it's the Grande Hair Volumizing Foam). But I also love it for adding a little texture to my hair before air-drying—it gives my straight hair a lil movement.
As for the gel, I was wholly shocked that it didn't make my hair look and feel like an oily mess. The formula is a little creamier and waxier than other gels I've used. It doesn't completely hold down my bangs without some reinforcements (i.e. a hair wax stick, or something with major hold to slick down my hair), but it gives it just enough sleekness to make my buns look a bit chicer, especially after the gym. For NYFW, I actually smoothed gobs of it through my entire head of hair to make my hair appear wet, and I got hella compliments (see above for the vibes).
Can I also call out how damn good these products smell? It reminds me of a lighter, fresher Le Labo Santal 33. It's exactly the "clean girl" vibe Matilda Djerf is known for. TBH, the very first thing my best friend commented on when I let her borrow the gel on a trip was how good it smelled. Great minds.
Hannah Oh, assistant shopping editor:
- Hair type: Thick, wavy-ish hair with a mind of its own (I truly never know what it’ll look like when I wake up) that holds a curl for days
- Go-to style: Loosely curled and bouncy (thank you, TikTok’s heatless overnight curl hack), or in an updo with face-framing strands pulled out in the front
The metal tube on the gel feels so luxe! And the smell? Absolute delish. It’s a subtle floral scent that’s not overpowering, but it’s just enough to make people say, “Omg your hair smells so good???”
As far as the gel itself, it’s a really nice, lightweight option. I have 1) low-porosity hair that doesn’t do well with heavy products, and 2) childhood trauma from my mom using extra-crunchy gel in my hair, but this is far from that. It’s more of a styling product with soft hold that’s ideal for smoothing down flyaways or scrunching into my waves on an air-dry day. It’s perfect to throw into my bag to have a little something in my hair post-gym shower too, and I also liked using it as a finishing product to sleek out a ponytail.
Jasmine Hyman, assistant shopping editor:
- Hair type: Super-thick and super-wavy hair that I can go two or three days without washing
- Go-to style: On a typical day, you can find me in a slicked ponytail or rocking my natural waves
As someone who avoids adding heat to her hair at all costs, the styling gel instantly became my go-to for everyday wear. It's extremely multi-functional. I used it quite literally for everything—from slicking back my ponytails to adding hold and shape to my natural waves. Not to mention, it keeps my hair smelling amazing amid the elements of NYC during my commute.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
