beachy waves

I have very fine, thin hair. You know things are bad when you seriously consider getting a body wave.

I’ve tried curling irons, scrunching, hair in a bun at night - all in the pursuit of a beachy wave. My hair just did not keep a loose curl - and if I achieved curliness that lasted, it was more like orphan Annie.  It wasn’t until James at Sally Hershberger waved out my hair by hand [I’ll explain] that I realized there really was a solution for volume and loose, beachy curls.  I came to the conclusion that, as with all things in life, if I put in the extra effort, hair glory could be mine.

              
Here’s a picture of the before and after for my beachy hair solution.  It takes me about 10 minutes (I also got changed, put on makeup, and turned on a light!). Why it took me 12948 years to realize I could do this is truly beyond me.

The steps:

1. Coat Hair in Texturizer - Not Hairspray: Take 1" sections of your hair and spray them root to tip with a texturizer that holds, then curl each.  I use Privé Finishing Texture Spray ($17.99), which creates volume, natural-looking shine, and holds forever and a day.  It also smells good, which is important because you’re spraying it over every inch of your hair.

2. Curl Sections “By Hand”: This means investing in a curling iron with no clamp, and wrapping sections of hair along the barrel vertically.  The T3 Singlepass Whirl ($130) has a tapered barrel so the curl near the roots is fatter, creating volume, and the curl near the ends is tighter - which lasts longer.  The design is brilliant, and it comes with gloves to protect your fingers.  You get used to coming close to the barrel and all in all, it’s very fast and easy.  Changed my life.

3. Leave The Curls Tighter than You Want:  Your hair will be a little ringlet-ish. If your hair takes curl, by all means pull the section down a couple of times after curling to loosen the wave - but if you have thin hair that doesn’t keep curl, just let it be.  By the time you’ve done your makeup and driven/rode to work or the party, your hair will be perfect.

Do you have any tricks for beachy waves?  Do share.

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