Beach-y Waves Tutorial

OK, so it's not Friday.. but every day should be beautiful!

I've been growing my hair out for quite some time and it's FINALLY past that super-annoying, in-between stage of being mid-length and long. A few months ago, I stopped cutting my layers and bangs so that my hair is now, according to several of my colleagues and pals, the quintessential summer hair. It's also glaringly blonde.

In spite of having a boatload of blonde highlights put in my hair, my hair has stayed pretty soft and healthy. My not-so-secret weapon for maintaining healthy hair: coconut oil and a shampooing schedule.

Yes, you read that correctly. Shampooing schedule. But that's a post for another day.

When I had "day three" hair on Monday, I needed to do something about it. So I did this:

After getting a ton of compliments on it, I was feeling pretty pleased with my dirty, beach-y hair. So I'm sharing the how-to with you all, my lovely peeps!

You need slept-on hair (second day is best - natural grit is best) with a little bit of texture, a trusty hairspray like L'Oreal Elnett, a comb, a flat iron or hair dryer, and about five minutes.

I like this method because you can modify it for great volume or more wave depending on your mood! Share your photos with me on my Facebook Page!

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And be sleepy.

 
1. Start with tangle-free hair. This is usually the most time-consuming thing for me, personally. Once your hair is brushed through, it's time to separate it.

 
 You can see here that my hair has some natural wave. I washed it before bed and blow-dried on medium heat about 3/4 of the way to dry. There's no product in there! (Don't mind the leftover mascara under my eyes!)

Twists

Depending on the length, thickness and desired curl you're looking for, you may want to make more or fewer twists. I usually separate my hair into 4 or 6 pieces and twist away from my face.

Today, I made 4 twists - two on each side. I left my hair totally dry, and twisted the hair for the full length semi tightly. Secure with an elastic while you're doing the other side.

Yay, mornings!

 Once your hair is twisted, you have two choices: Blast it with the hair dryer on high heat, or run your flat iron down the length of the twist a few times. Sometimes, I dampen my hair a bit and use the hair dryer. Do this with EVERY TWIST.
 

The beautiful buns

Roll your twists together while the hair is still warm into two-four buns and secure with an elastic. Let cool - this is SO important.

 If you don't let your hair cool before unraveling the twists, you've totally shot yourself in the foot. Heat-styling works because your hair is more pliable when subject to the high temperatures. By allowing your hair to cool completely, you set your style whether it be straight or curly. You can also blast with cool air from your hair dryer, but I like waiting it out a few minutes!

It really is GOLDEN.

Remove elastic and spray twists with hairspray, then go about your routine and let the twists undo themselves - or, if you're in a hurry, flip your head upside down and shake it out.

I like Elnett because it brushes out, giving you fantastic hold with a natural look. The smell reminds me of my Nanny's hairspray - it doesn't have a fruity or sweet smell like some of the trendy new sprays - but I love it all the same. Go easy on it though - you want natural looking waves and great volume, not spikes.

Today, I wanted my hair to be just a *little* less curly, so I didn't twist tightly and only ran the flat iron down twice per twist.

The end result - beachy!

If you want to skip the heat altogether and start with waves post-shower, simply work some texturizing cream (I love Bumble & Bumble (un)dressing creme) through towel-dried hair and let air dry about half way. Separate hair into desired number of sections and twist. Let your hair continue to dry.

Easy peasy!

--- Necklace, Le Chateau
--- Blouse, Old Navy