Summer is officially here and that means it’s time to master that perfectly beach-y mermaid hair we all dream about. Martha Lynn here, and I am so excited to share a technique that will have everyone doing a double take whether you are on the beach or in the boardroom: these are the curls that go great with bronzed skin and that new flow-y sundress you’ve been dying to wear. They look totally effortless (and they almost are!) If you use the right products, this look will last for days. Read on for my step-by-step tutorial on how to achieve those perfect summer waves…
photos by kate stafford
Start with a two inch wide section of hair and a one inch curling iron (I like Hot Tools). Open the barrel of the curling iron and wrap the hair starting from the base of the scalp and work your way out out around the barrel.
As you wrap the hair around the barrel, it will naturally want to twist in your hand. This is exactly what you want it to do and what will create the waves rather than a spiral.
Wrap and twist all the way to the end as far as you can. Leaving the ends out slightly will give it that natural lived-in look.
Let the wave cool completely before adjusting it or brushing. If your hair is resistant you may want to hold the curl in place in your hand while it cools before completely releasing it down.
Work your way around the head making sure that the barrel is in a vertical (up and down) position while you set the curl. It’s normal that you may have to move it out of place as you wrap, but as soon as the hair is completely wrapped make sure that the barrel is straight up and down.
On the top of the hair use slightly smaller sections and remember to wrap AWAY from the face. This means you will need to switch curl “direction” from one side of the face to another.
Now for the fun part — once you hair is curled you want to shake it out and mess it up! You can’t move it too much and the more you play with it, the more natural it will look. Living Proof Amp is the perfect product to really give it some fun texture.
This style is best for hair beyond the shoulders so you have enough hair to wrap around the iron and prevent burned fingers.
You can play around with different sized barrels and various section sizes to get different looks. The straighter your hair, the smaller the barrel you will need to get it to hold.
This look is perfection all on it’s own or can easily serve as a base for a pretty unpdo that’s not too fussy! Use Living Proof Flex hairspray to give it some flexible hold that won’t flake or fall.
