With summer comes laid back style, barely there makeup and of course the effortless beach waves for our hair. Unless your hair is naturally wavy then sometimes the beach waves can be a little hard to perfect without them looking too done. Follow these simple steps to get waves that look like you’ve just stepped off the beach.
- To get the look all you need is:
- Salt spray
- Dry shampoo
- Defining cream
- Hair dryer
- Hair straighteners
The best thing about beach waves is that they work great on second or third day hair as it’s supposed to look effortless and somewhat unpolished. The more messy and ‘beachy’, the better!
Step 1
On dry hair, spray your choice of salt spray throughout the hair. Salt spray helps to add texture and encourage natural waves with volume.
Step 2
For those with naturally wavy hair, salt spray can be enough to give you beach texture and waves. But for those who need a little more help, scrunch and twist random sections of hair to ‘rough up’ the style. You can take sections of hair and twist them while giving them a blast with the hair dryer.
Step 3
To define the waves a little more, take sections of hair and using a hair straightener begin to add bends into the hair. This is an alternative to the usual curl. Instead of twisting the hair around the plates, simply clamp the iron like you would to straighten your hair and twist your wrist to bend the hair away from your face, then after a couple inches do it the opposite way towards your face. Keep going until the end and leave the end 1.5 to 2 inches straight.
Step 4
Once you’ve finished waving all of your hair, you need to add a bit more ‘piece-y’ texture. Using a defining cream such as Redken Loose Endings, apply a small amount to the ends of your hair. This will stop it from being too defined and will separate the curls.
Step 5
Grab your dry shampoo and apply to the roots – this will not only add extra volume but will also give it a matte look and absorb any excess oil.
You’ll now have the perfect beach waves! If you need a little help with the length or thickness of your hair, simply style your hair extensions by curling them with straighteners using a heat protect spray. Then clip them into your hair and blend with your own hair. Using hair extensions for extra volume is also great for those of you with long locks who find their length weighs the hair down and you struggle to get volume to stay.
Once you’ve mastered the beach waves, experiment some styles too such as half up fishtail braids. The beachy texture gives a great undone look. Or why not add a head band to give that real boho style.
Laura is a hair and beauty writer with extensive knowledge in Beauty, Makeup and hair care.
