Trying to get a natural, towel-dried sorta look

Every once in a while I try to go for that just because I like the way it looks on me.  Like when I've just showered and toweled off my hair (and casually smoothed down the flyaways with my hand) my hair looks dark and sleek with a natural looking structure to it and the hair falling over my forehead is nice and separated (FYI my hair is cut close on the sides and maybe 2 inches long on top).  Ofcourse if I try to leave it that way for any length of time it falls flat and dull and the strands clump together and it generally looks like crap.  I've tried now and then to recreate this with one product or another but inevitably it's either to0 rigid and clumpy or it just falls flat again.  Anyone have any suggestions to try?  Also my hair is naturally straight as an arrow.