Salt Water Waves

Salt Water Waves is hair straight off the shoreline — undone, gritty, tousled waves with that piece-y, air-dried texture. The breezy, no-effort beach hairstyle everyone wants in summer.

Because it relies on technique more than product, it's kind to your hair and your time. The full routine, tools and aftercare are below.

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How to get the look

1. 1

   Start on clean, towel-dried hair and mist with heat protectant.

2. 2

   Rough-dry, then section and shape with a round brush or wand.

3. 3

   Define the style — waves, volume or sleekness — working in small pieces.

4. 4

   Set with a flexible hairspray and break it up with your fingers.

What you'll need

Hand-picked products — tap to shop on Amazon or Google Shopping.

• Round brushOlivia Garden ceramic round brush
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• Ionic blow dryerDyson Supersonic hair dryer
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• Heat protectantColor Wow Dream Coat heat protectant
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• Curling wandghd curve curling wand
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• Sectioning clipsDiane sectioning hair clips
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• Texturizing sprayOribe Dry Texturizing Spray
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• HairsprayLOreal Elnett hairspray
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Your step-by-step product routine

Use them in this order for the best, longest-lasting result.

1. 1

   Protect. On damp hair, mist a heat protectant (Color Wow Dream Coat) from root to tip — it shields the strand and cuts heat damage by up to 70%.

2. 2

   Rough-dry. Take hair to 80% dry with an ionic dryer (Dyson Supersonic) to fight frizz, then smooth and lift the roots with the round brush.

3. 3

   Section. Clip hair into sections (Diane clips) and work one at a time — small sections give a far cleaner, longer-lasting result.

4. 4

   Shape. Style each section with the wand or brush (ghd), curling away from the face and leaving the ends out for a modern bend.

5. 5

   Texture. Once cool, work in a little texturising spray (Oribe) for grit, separation and movement.

6. 6

   Set. Mist a flexible hairspray (Elnett) and break the shape up with your fingers so it moves instead of helmet-setting.

Pro tips

• A cold shot at the end of your blow-dry locks in shine and hold.
• Use a boar-bristle brush to distribute oils and add natural shine.
• Smaller sections give cleaner, longer-lasting results than big ones.
• Tip your head upside down for the last minute of drying to build root volume.

How to make it last

To keep the style fresh overnight, loosely pin or pineapple it and sleep on silk.

• Silk pillowcase = less frizz, smoother mornings
• Refresh with dry shampoo and a quick re-curl, not a restyle
• Avoid over-touching — it flattens the shape

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using too much product, which weighs the style down.
• Skipping heat protectant, then wondering about the breakage.
• Styling soaking-wet hair — get to 80% dry first or it won't hold.

FAQ