What do Jessica Alba, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé all have in common?
Well, apart from being super-hot superstars, these ladies are experts at rocking red-carpet waves. Wavy hair continues to be one of the hottest do’s for 2016 but can be a tricky look to style at home, especially if your hair is stubbornly straight. Whether you’re after classic, polished waves or want a more textured, natural style, we've made making waves easy so you can recreate the look yourself.
The beauty of wavy hair is that it works with thick or fine hair and any length from short to mid-length and beyond. But there are a few tricks to mastering the look, here’s our step-by-step guide to styling those A-list waves.
What You Need:
Curling Tongs
Hair Dryer
Volumising or texturising spray
Hair Grips
A 1-inch barrel curling iron
Hairspray
Wax (for tousled waves)
Serum (for classic, glamourous waves)
What To Do:
They say a bad workman always blames his tools, so make sure you pick the right curling tongs for the look you want. Choose a curling tong with a 1.5 inch (3.8 cm) barrel for big, bouncy waves or a thinner barrel for a more defined curl.
It’s a must to start with clean, frizz-free hair so wash and comb your hair first before you start prepping.
If your hair is naturally straight, spray your roots with a volumising or texturising spray. For naturally curly hair, tame your curls with a smoothing cream. Starting at the roots for extra volume, blow dry hair your straight until it’s completely dry.
Depending on the thickness of your hair, part your hair into three or four sections so it’s easier to work with.
Spray one section with texturising spray, then wrap a one inch piece of hair around the barrel of the curling tongs and hold for about 15 seconds. For a tighter curl, hold for longer.
To set, spray the curl with a little hair spray then roll it up to your scalp, securing with a hair grip.
Continue to curl and secure the rest of your hair. Alternating the direction you wrap each curl around the tongs creates a more natural, tousled look whilst wrapping them in the same direction will result in a more uniform, polished look.
Leave the curls for 20 minutes before gently releasing. Using your fingers, separate your curls whilst scrunching and roughing them up with wax or a spritz of texturising spray for an “undone” finish. For groomed, classic waves carefully brush through the waves with a bristle brush and add serum for shine.
Now you’re all set to head out the door with red-carpet ready waves any celeb would be proud of.