Summer may be winding down, but beach waves aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Otherwise known as mermaid hair, the beach wave is a special kind of look that has been perfected by celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence and Hailey Baldwin on the red carpet. It involves a more effortless approach to voluminous waves — but that doesn’t mean achieving this style requires little to no effort. In fact, it can be more difficult to strike the perfect balance between carefree beach waves and messy tendrils than it can simply curling your hair in Hollywood-style ringlets. If you love the way this style looks, but aren’t sure where to begin in terms of styling methods and products, Janine Jarman, Founder of Curl Cult – celebrity stylist, owner of Hairroin Salon in Los Angeles and Mother of Curl, is here to give us a breakdown on the step-by-step method to achieve flawless, easy beach waves, whether you’re working with clean hair or three-day hair, or are wielding a curling iron or flat iron.
“There are many ways you can create beach waves these days,” Jarman says. “Some more temporary ways are creating s-waves with a flat iron or long alternating spiral curls with a curling iron. There are also longer lasting looks that can be created with a chemical texture treatment.”
Ready to recreate this look? Let’s get started.
Flat iron s-waves:
Working with a flat iron? Jarman recommends following these steps to create s-shaped beach waves using a flat iron.
- Take flat, horizontal sections 1/2″ to 1″ thick
- Push up with the flat iron near the base of the head about 2 inches
- Then push down with the flat iron moving 2 inches
- Push back up and then back down repeating until you reach the end of the section (this should create a soft zig-zag pattern in the hair)
- Repeat on the next section moving up the head
- Shake it out and spray with a dry texture or salt spray to finish
Beach waves with a curling iron:
If you prefer using a traditional curling iron, Jarman says these are the steps to take to ensure your final product is inspired by the sea.
- Split your hair top from bottom from temple to temple (clip top section away)
- Using a 1″ or 1 1/2″ iron, take a 1″ section of hair near your ear and curl away from the face leaving 2-3″ of the ends out
- Using a swivel motion, remove the iron from the curled part of hair and slide over ends for a straight-end look
- The next section will go towards your face, alternating until you reach the back
- Repeat on other side and then on top (making sure the sections right by your face are curled away from your face)
- Let cool, comb out with a wide tooth comb, finish with dry texture or salt spray to finish
Curl Cult “Cali Wave”:
The above steps are more traditional ways of creating beach waves using hot tools you may already have at home, but Jarman says certain products can give you this kind of texture without any heat.
“This chemical texture treatment will give you an air dry perfected style that will fade out over time so there is low commitment on your part,” Jarman says. “And with minimal effort and no heat damage like with an iron, you’ll get this look while keeping your hair healthy. The service will take 2-3 hours in the salon, and you will leave with an easy to manage wash and go look so your hair looks great everyday. When styling at home you will:
On wash day –
- Wash, condition and leave hair super damp and almost dripping
- Apply curl supportive products – we recommend Curl Cult Magic Spell Conditioning Leave-In & Enhance Moisturizing Curl Cream
- Scrunch out moisture with a 100% cotton or microfiber towel
- Let hair air dry to perfection, then shake out for added volume!
On non-wash day –
- Scrunch water into hair to revitalize waves
- Spray with Magic Spell or salt spray to finish
*You can find a Curl Cult stylist in your area here.*
With a little bit of patience and the right tools and methods, you’ll soon be kicking back with a head full of beachy waves that make it feel like summer all year round.
