WAVY HAIR TUTORIAL
Hey everyone! I'm SO excited to bring you this tutorial. I get asked so often about how I do the wavy hairstyle that I post so much of on my Instagram- and although I often switch it up (basically just so that I don't get bored!) the fundamentals stay the same, so this is just a really good technique for you to start with! It'll work best on hair that is long-ish, but basically you just need to be able to wrap the hair around the wand at least twice to get a nice visible 's' bend.
So shorter haired girls can still join in, just go for a looser wave.There are so many great curling wands around now, but my current favourite is my 1inch Babyliss Pro Curling Tong, which I've removed the clamp from. (Why do they even bother putting that thing on anyway?!) A smaller/larger wand would also be fine, and Babyliss Conical Tongs are fun to play around with too- there's no right or wrong, it's all down to personal preference!
In the salon I usually work with freshly washed hair but most people will find that their hair holds curl/waves best when styled on the second day after washing. You should find that because the curls are all done in the same direction that the wave should hold together really well for at least a few days, depending on your hair type. This is definitely one of my favourite ways to style hair, so I hope you find this tutorial useful and find some new tips to add into your routine!
Start with clean and dry hair. If the hair is soft and slippery, spray through a texturising spray and dry in with a hairdryer. (I used Mister Fantastic by Evo) This gives the hair more grip when you wind around the wand, and will result in more voluminous waves! Determine your preferred part and brush through any tangles so that it's smooth and ready to go.
Take a triangular section at the front where the part meets the recession/temple area. These front sections are the most important as they will be the ones that frame your face and support the rest of the waves, so you can adjust the size of this section if you want it tighter or higher around the face.
With the wand in your right hand and angled down on a diagonal, wrap your section around the wand right down to the very ends of the hair, ensuring that you're winding it away from the face (this is because once you brush it all out the shape will 'open' up your face, and highlight your cheekbones).
It's also important to make sure that the hair wraps flat around the wand like a ribbon. This means that the hair will get even heat distribution and will result in a longer holding wave.
A good tip for if you get confused with the angle of the wand as you move throughout the head, is to just think of holding it on the same angle as your nose! This angle creates a really beautiful wave with lots of body and movement.
Hold the hair around the wand for 5-7 sections or until you can feel the heat through the hair, then gently remove the wand and leave your curl to cool.
Moving back towards the back of your head, take a square-ish section next to the first. (You'll end up with approximately 5-6 curls on each side of the head once you're done, depending on the thickness of the hair you're working with).
Curl this section following the same technique as the first.
In a bricking pattern, pick up the hair below your 2 finished curls, and wrap it around the wand in the same way
As your curls are cooling, gently pull down on the ends of the hair to lengthen and soften the shape a little bit. (If you're after a tighter wave, feel free to leave this step out).
For extra volume, I also like to very gently rub the curls with my thumb and forefinger as they're cooling. This is where the texture spray that you prepped with comes in - the slight grittiness of the product helps to expand the shape of the curl and means that the waves will sit 'out' from the head more. This tip is especially good for fine and limp hair that is naturally silky and shiny- it gives it so much more volume and hold!
Continue bricking your sections towards the back of your head. Expand the curls gently with your fingers as they cool.
Onto the next side! So you can see that you're not curling right to the head. This means that the end result will be smoother from the roots to about ear/cheekbone level, which gives you 'width' instead of heaps of height, which is a more youthful looking way of wearing your hair. You can always add more height if you feel your face shape needs it by lifting the wand a bit higher though, but just make sure you keep the same angle of the wand consistent throughout your sectioning.
Continue working back, bricking your sections as you go.
So now you should have a full head of lovely corkscrew curls! Don't be tempted to brush them out until they're COMPLETELY cool.
With a wide toothed comb, gently comb through each curl to start stretching out the shape.
Next you can come in with a paddle brush and smooth out the hair. The waves will bounce up without too much effort, so don't be afraid to give it a really good brushing! A general rule is the more you brush, the better the wave will sit!
And there you have it! So much easier than you imagined right?! There are SO many variations to this technique, so play around and see what works best for you and your hair type! Good luck and happy styling!
Make sure you tag us on Instagram if you give this style a go; we'd love to see your creations!
Use the hash tag #tutorialsbylaurenm and #ohhellohair.
Hair: Lauren Mackellar / @hairbylaurenm
MUA: Mae Taylor maetaylor.com / @maetaylor_makeupartist
Photos: Red Rabbit Photography redrabbitphotograpy.com.au / @redrabbitphotography
Model: Teagan Simonis / @teagansimonis
Products used:
Babyliss Pro Curling Tongs
Babyliss Conical Curling Tongs
Evo Mister Fantastic Texturising Spray