How To Get Perfect Beachy Waves

I get asked alllllll the time how I curl my hair so today I thought I would give you guys a little step by step tutorial. I am by no means an expert, but this is what works for me so I stick to it!

Living by the beach in San Diego, I am a huge fan of messy beach waves! So when I curl my hair, that is the look I am going for. It is important that you choose the correct width of your wand based on your hair length and what type of curls you want. If you have shorter hair, or like really tight curls, you need a thinner curling wand (1/2”), but if you like big, loose curls for longer hair, I would suggest anything from 1.25” – 1.5”. Once you have the correct tools, here is how I prep and curl my hair. It is honestly SO simple and super easy to catch on to.

Prep

Before I start adding heat to my hair, I always brush through it completely using my wet brush and then I always use a heat protecting spray.

If your hair tends to lay flat on your head and you find yourself teasing it a lot, STOP! Teasing is so bad for your hair, creates breakage and causes so much damage. Instead, try a texturizing spray or root boosting product. I just started using this one and really like it. Anyways, if you’re using a texturizing spray, make sure you do it BEFORE you start curling your hair.

Curling

Lately, I have been using this 32mm blush curling wand from L’ange Hair and I am obsessed with it. It takes me about fifteen minutes to curl my entire head and the curls last me almost a week! I touch up a few pieces here and there but that is about it!

The next step is to section off your hair. I have a ton of hair and the straight pieces can get hidden in all the curls so I like to work in smaller sections. I usually start with the bottom half of my head and then pin the rest up with a clip. Once that whole section is curled I work on each side individually. Each side I work from the bottom up, usually in about 3 sections (like I said, I have a ton of hair!). If you have less hair you could probably get away with just splitting your hair down the middle into two sections and starting with one side.

Once you have your big section ready, start by grabbing a small section of hair (about 1/2″ big). Don’t stress about getting perfect little sections each time. That’s the beauty of curls – you can’t tell! Sometimes it looks even better if you have some larger curls with some smaller curls. Anyways, grab a small section and wrap the hair around the wand. You always curl AWAY from your face (so remember, that will switch when you get to the other side). Keep it on there for about 5 seconds. Continue to do this over and over until you complete the section, then start a new one!

Tips

I don’t curl all the way to my scalp until I get to the very top layer. For example, if I’m curling the pieces of hair that I know will be the bottom couple layers, I don’t need to go all the way to my scalp because you won’t even see those pieces. Leaving them uncurled at the root will both save time and give you more length. The only places I curl all the way up is around my face and the top layer. Once I’m completely done curling, I shake out the curls a little with my hands and then see if I need to touch up any pieces.

I leave at least 2 inches of the bottom of my hair out of the curling iron. This helps to achieve a more “beach wave” look instead of full on ringlet curls. It is a lot easier to do this with a curling wand then with one that has a clamp.

If you have trouble with your hair holding a curl… after you release the hair from the wand, hold the entire curl in the cup of your hand for a few seconds. This allows the hair to cool while staying in a tight curl. Then you can release the hair as normal. Also, try using less hairspray. The weight of your hairspray might be pulling your curl down. Less is more!!

I never brush my curls out with a brush when I am finished. This technique gives you lose enough curls that you don’t really need to in order to accomplish the look. Do what works for you though – if you think the curls are holding a little too tight, start by brushing through them with your fingers first, and if that doesn’t work then you can lightly brush through them with a brush.

To finish it off, use a little bit of hair spray and voilà! You have beautiful, beachy waves. Please let me know in the comments if you have any questions about my curling process or hair in general!

*Thank you to L’ange Hair for sponsoring this post. All opinions & product selections are my own.