The Met Gala red carpet was washed with water waves; pardon the pun! Fine-haired lasses like Phoebe Dynevor, Sophie Turner, Olivia Rodrigo and HoYeon Jung are just a few names who styled their hair with the perfectly laid, polished waves. The trendy hairstyle is an upgrade on the tousled, beachy waves and goes for a more put together, red-carpet ready look. The wavy ‘do add volume to fine hair without being too big, making it ideal for naturally straight tresses. Hairstylists love it for being versatile, as it suits most face shapes and is an easy 3-step process that can be recreated at home. It can be edited to suit shorter lengths, but girls with long lengths will really be able to sell the soft, fluffy vibe of the style. Hey, you can always put in some extensions to wear the look, granted that you follow our instructions to a T.
Water Waves – The Prep
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Your tresses need to be shiny to recreate the just stepped out of water goddess feel. Shart by blow-drying your hair with a leave-in cream; the Kiehl’s Damage Repairing & Rehydrating Leave-In Treatment will ensure you maintain the shine and lustre. You need glossy waves to catch the light, meaning dryer hair types will need some extra TLC. Work in a lightweight product like the Sebastian Professional Dark Hair Styling Oil to keep the detangled, laid, and hydrated. Use a heat protectant spray to avoid drying out the tresses with heat tools. Remove any frizzy flyaways, dents or unruly texture with a blow-dryer before creating the waves. If your mane lacks volume in the ends, work in some volumising spray before taking the dryer to it.
Water Waves – The Process
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You can use both a barrel tong or straightener to create the waves. Pick a smaller size to create more precise waves with the curling tong. Twist around thick portions of your hair and finish by extending the sections while they are still hot. Aim for elongated waves over tighter shapes. Use a larger barrel tong to put in waves in contrasting directions if you wish for extra volume.
If you’re using a straightener, start with your roots. Pick a larger strand and clamp it at the root to add volume. Move it up and over for one to two inches, pausing for a couple of seconds after every twist. You need to keep twisting in opposite directions, finishing by stretching it out while the hair is still hot. Mimic this technique by clamping a couple of inches of hair and working till the end.
Once you create the waves with either heat tool, pull them down again, gently though, to loosen them up.
Water Waves – Finishing Touches
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Creating the waves may not be the tricky part; holding on to them is. Since the texture of water waves is looser, they can flatten pretty quickly if not set correctly. Plus, you’d want to make the most of the movement that the style creates, letting your tresses dance with every turn, twirl and glance that you throw at haters. When picking a finishing spray, look for a formula that offers medium hold with a flexible, almost- bendable finish. You don’t want your tresses to be set in stone with a stronger hold, even if it guarantees better longevity of the waves. The argan oil-infused formulation like The Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray Medium will ensure that your tresses remain weightless and shiny for long hours. Avoid the temptation to use too much product; throw in some Y2k accessories to further cash in on the youthful nature of the ‘do.
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