I’ve mentioned many times before that I’m only capable of mastering one hairstyle: loose waves. It’s my go-to look, whether I’m dressing up or down.
I often wish that I had another style or two under my belt, because variety is the spice of life. But, loose, undone waves take less than 15 minutes to achieve. And, with the right products, they usually hold for two or three days. So, as far as speed, practicality and versatility is concerned, it’s the best hairstyle to have perfected!
Here’s a brief loose waves hair tutorial to follow, if you’re keen to master the style too. (FYI, this post was mostly produced for the benefit of Monica Welburn, who is always asking me to reveal my curling technique)…
STEP ONE: The first thing I do is brush my hair, then separate the top section into a half-pony and tie back it into a little bun, so that it’s out of the way. I then spritz a bit of OUAI Memory Mist onto the lower section of hair. This provides heat protection and also helps to “lock in your look”, so the curls hold for longer. You can use Memory Mist on dry or damp hair, so it’s a must-have styling product!
STEP TWO: I then divide the lower section of my hair straight down the middle, and tie either the left or the right side into a little ponytail. Whichever side is left down I then hold together with a large hairclip.
STEP THREE: I heat up my curling wand. (I currently use the T3 convertible base with the Tousled Waves tapered barrel, but also rate the BaByliss Curling Wand).
Once the curling wand is at the correct temperature, I take 1-inch sections of hair from the clipped-back side, wrap the hair around the wand and hold in place for 8-10 seconds.
I then release the hair from the wand, curl the next 1-inch section of hair, and repeat the process until the clipped-back side is fully curled. I then slide the curled hair to one side of my head, so it’s out of the way, and repeat the curling process on the lower-section that was fastened into the mini ponytail.
STEP FOUR: Once the lower section of my hair is fully curled, I gently tie it back into a low ponytail and then release the top section of my hair. I brush through the top section, spritz on some Memory Mist, and again divide it into left and right.
Once again, I curl one side at a time, wrapping 1-inch pieces of hair around the wand for 8-10 seconds. I usually start from the the front of my face, working to the back of my head. But if you find it easier to go from back-to-front it makes no difference.
STEP FIVE: Once I’ve curled the top section of my hair I then gently untie the bottom section. Usually the curls looks pretty ringlet-y at this stage, so I’ll gently run my fingers through my hair to take the look down a notch. The curls will naturally drop slightly after 10 minutes or so anyway, so if you feel like the look is too OTT give it some time to settle, before brushing the curls out any more.
STEP SIX: Once I’m happy with how the loose waves are sitting, I’ll set the style with a bit of hairspray. I usually use a medium-hold hairspray immediately after curling my hair, and then on day two or three I’ll refresh the look with Moroccanoil Dry Texture Spray.
And that’s it. Super simple. Loose, undone waves in under 15 minutes.
