Perfect tousled waves are like ballet. Done well, they look completely effortless—like you just walked off the beach with an amazing mane of elegantly wind-tossed, sun-sun-streaked strands. But in reality, there’s often a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes to achieve that final breezy effect. That didn’t sit quite right with us—so we put together a foolproof tutorial for achieving perfectly tousled waves, without spending hours in front of the mirror.
The secret is proper curling iron technique. Alternating the direction of the curl prevents your waves from looking too perfect and pageant-y, and leaving the ends straight keeps the look low-key. (It also helps you maintain some length.)
What You Need
Perfect Defense, Dry Texture Spray, Styling Clips large enough to secure half your hair and a high-quality curling iron (such as the Moroccanoil Professional Series Titanium Curling Iron).
The Steps
1. Section and secure top half of hair with a styling clip, leaving bottom section down.
2. Separate a 1-inch section. Spray with Perfect Defense to protect from thermal damage. Wrap section around the curling iron, directing the hair away from the face. Do not curl the ends.
3. Repeat for all sections, alternating the direction of each curl (one away from the face, one toward). Separate waves with fingertips and finish with Dry Texture Spray.
Voila! Tousled waves are yours. Want to see the steps in action? Watch the video here.