How To: Beachy Waves
A few weeks ago, I posted this make-up tutorial and received follow-up requests for a lesson on how to create loose waves. I’ve heard about a million different ways to curl your hair, but this five-step process has proven to work the best.
167 comments
Beautiful! I always thought your waves were natural.
I just heard about a blow dryer called something like ’spin and curl’ where you put your hair through a funnel which whizzes it around and creates a curl. I want to look into that… I already have naturally wavy hair, but am always looking for ways to enhance the wave/curl!
Oh you look like a mermaid!
great tutorial! thanks!
perfect!
I wish my hair would hold a curl with tongs, it only works with ghd’s but the curl doesn’t come out so nice!
Loving the tutorials – i have naturally curly hari but please please please do a tutorial for the plait “around” the head at the fringe section! Dying to try it but hasnt really worked so far
i am so very much enjoying the how-tos so far
Thanks for the how-to! I’m definitely looking into a curling iron today!
fabulous darling!
lovely! thanks for the tips!
Why not just keep the clamp down instead of holding it the whole time with your thumb? The metal will heat up just as much, so just wrap your hair around the whole curling rod (clamp and heating element).
cute-i use the same exact method
oh my! i wish my hair curled.
your hair is stunning.
just like gisele b.
xoxoxo
End result: cutie patootie
I love these loose waves.
I love it! Thanks! You look awesome.
Thanks for the tips, I love your tutorials, I will def be trying this out!
i love these tutorials you’ve been putting together. you’re a natural with all these beauty things and make them look so easy. i swear no matter how many times i try for the beach curl, my hair just won’t keep it longer than 3 minutes. lame!!
Ach, you make it look so SIMPLE, doll!
Emily these waves are gorgeous! Love these how to segments of yours. AWESOME.
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Great segment! Love these new how-to tutorials of yours. Keep ‘em coming!
Your hair looks so pretty! I am def going to try this.
great hair curling tutorial, really an eye-opener. now the 1st step is to buy the curling iron and the spray.
Seriously, despite all the magazine articles I’ve read on this, I think yours is the best tutorial — thanks for sharing!
Dang, that looks gorgeous. Just wish the Hong Kong humidity wouldn’t kill any semblance of curls the second I step outside!
fabulous! Thank you.
I have never seen that particular way to do the “beach waves.” It looks that the best one yet! Can’t wait to try it! I recently saw another way to get them in my June issue of ‘Self’ magazine: braid hair in three sections + use the flat iron on the braids + undo braids = beachy waves…haven’t tried that one either, but thought it was a fast and easy to get the look.
Gorgeous result! You really have a great method down-pat. Thanks so much for sharing with us.
Loose waves are my favorite hair style!
I’ve been thinking about growing out my red hair. This post may have just convinced me!
it is only a matter of time before you are a top stylist! love the waves!
Great post! I’ve always wanted to try this, and now I will know how!!
GORGEOUS!!! I like using my flat iron to add waves too
Beautiful!
so cute! i have to try this with my hair.
I cut my hair last year… and oh how I long for it to be long again so I can have beautiful waves like this.
Lovely picture. Thanks for the lesson!
Great tutorial. Thanks for sharing your secret to natural looking waves.
Nothing prettier than a beachy wave! xo
so beautiful! too bad my hair is short and stubbornly straight!
i cannot wait for my hair to be long enough to play with again!
wow! you make it look too easy<33 but i will definitely try because they look gorgeous!
xx
Must try tomorrow! I am growing tired of the straightener but have not had luck with the curler. Thanks for posting this how-to!
thats amazing! gorgeous!
thank you!
Amazing results!! Thanks!
omg i’m having an epiphany- i now know that the secret to great waves is not to use the clamp!! i’ll try it!!! thank you so much, and you look so beautiful!
Gorgeous! My hair would not look like that.
First, I have to say I love your blog. I found you through Rockstar Diaries and went through all of your postings in one night. You have great style and I love the diverse topics you cover. The beach waves are so cute. I too am a west coast girl but don’t know if my hair would hold waves in the humid NW with all of the rain we get!
Kudos to you. Fabulous job Emily. You make it look so easy!! I’d be sitting there for hours doing my hair…I wish I could just snap my fingers and have it done for me! Great job on the do!!
Emily, fantastic tip! And thank you for the Spain hat guidance yesterday! It’s so nice to have such a divine fashionista amongst us in this blogging world! Thank you.
Fantastic!! Thanks for the tutorial
Gorgeous and perfect! I will definitely be trying this out once my hair gets a little longer!
Wow! I always wondered how to do that. Thanks!
My hair can barely hold a curl but maybe I need to try this method. Thanks for the tip and I’ll have to try the spray too.
I am a girl that seriously needs tutorials when it comes to hair. 95% of the time I just put it in a ponytail or bun because I don’t know what to do with it. This is awesome. And it looks great on you!
Very impressive and you look amazing. I love that the style doesn’t require pin curls. Who has time for pin curls? Thank you!
Now I’m sad I cut my hair off. Although I’m pretty sure mine would never look like that, unless I had you over to do it for me.
Gorgeous!! Even though my hair is not nearly as long as yours, I am so going to try this!
This is lovely. Thank you.
Looks gorgeous. I have long hair so it takes me forever to do it, but I still can’t master those stunning waves you have. Maybe I should get a new curler.
Great tutorial! Have you tried GHD’s flat irons? They have a beveled edge so you can curl easily without getting an ugly crease that a regular curling iron causes when you use the clamp. Also has a ton of other great features, I loooove mine. Looking forward to more how-tos!
Can you come over and do my hair in the morning?! This a.m. my Super Solano broke. You know, the blow dryer that is supposedly THE BEST? It broke, mid dry. So I’ve got my own version of curls going on today. Only, I wouldn’t say they’re salon-worthy. More like frizzy and crazy. Add to that the hand cream I smoothed in to control the flyaways, and I’m having one hell of a hair day!! Time for a pony.
I love your how-tos, keep them coming!
Oh geez, the second step is a life saver. I’ve read EVERYWHERE on how to just curl the hair without the clamp, but they never actually SHOW it so it was just way too difficult to do all that on my own. But your way of turning the curler upside down REALLY helps. I’ll definitely try it like that now. I love your tutorials! They’re so simple to follow, but oh-so very effective.
Simple and easy! These would be perfect for my frizzy hair. Thanks.
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Oh my goodness, I remember getting SO FRUSTRATED trying to achieve this just right, back when I had long hair. You make it look so easy! Haha, if I ever grow it out again I will TOTALLY reference this post.
JUST did this with my 1.5 Bed Head curling iron which worked very effectively. So effectively I managed to burn the tip of one of my fingers off, but that’s a different story. I had some trouble with my left side with hand/iron placement but after some practice I’ll be a pro! The waves look gorgeous, thank you!
Thanks for the excellent tutorial. I always clamp my curling iron, it never occurred to me not to!
Oh, you’re awesome. Thanks for the instruct–you make it look easy!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I always love the look of beachy waves, but am completely clueless as to how to achieve them. You make it look so easy!
Will try it but can guarantee I won’t get the same fabulous result. Your tutorials are the best…keep ‘em coming!
you make it look so easy! I have no patience when it comes to my hair. I barely even blow dry it anymore! so bad, I know. that’s what happens when you work from home though
anyway, maybe I’ll whip out the ol’ curling iron one of these days, maybe for a wedding I am going to this summer, but I think I will always be lazy on most days when it comes to my hair. thanks for sharing though! I do love the tutorials.
this makes me want to have long blond hair.
jealous.
I love this method, although I usually just keep the clamp down and wind my hair around the outside to keep from burning my klutzy fingers. Your hair looks gorgeous!
fun! This is similar to how I do my beach waves, but I use a tool that is basically a hot stick, so all I have to do is wrap my hair around that. I feel like the messier you are about it, the better!
oooh…I always close the clamp! you clever girl…I much prefer the way it looks on you…more natural.
great tutorial! I have that iron as well and love it!! I saw a cool one in the bliss catalog that has two shafts and no clasp…I think that you wear gloves with it. I have been dying to try it!
So perfect and summery. You forgot to mention you have to have beautiful hair like yours to get the full effect.
Thats a great post! I love wavy hair! I gave you a blog award on my blog xoxox
These are great tips! I’ll have to try it out
Love it! Thanks for the tutorial!
Favorite Blog ever!
Any chance I could hit you up for a Gilt invite?
Thanks!
i like the tutorial and will try it soon! i love messy curly hair
I’m totally going to try that, your curls look so much more controlled and even…I am good at the front and the back always gets overlooked…I hate that!
My latest post totally reminds me of you/your style, check it out
http://www.gracelikekelly.blogspot.com!!!
Fine, fine. Rub it in, gorgeous. The rest of us with our stick straight hair that won’t hold a curl will just admire from afar…
Wonderful tutorial!
And I love hot tools curling irons too…they are definitely the best!
Thank you! I’ve tried (and tried and tried) to get this look down. Either it’s flat or it too much. This is perfect. Will be trying this soon. And I think I’ll have to link to you on my End-of-the-Week-Links on Friday.
Question: What pre-styling product do you suggest, on wet hair?
Ooh i love this post – you make it so easy! I’m going to try tonight
you always have gorgeous hair. Thanks for the tips, will have to try it out!
oooo in my dreams would it be that easy for me!
Just stumbled across your blog and it’s amazinggg. great tutorial! i’m growing out my hair to i get to do that.
you’ve got skillz, i’m not sure i could duplicate this but i am going to try. great how-to!!
Simply and great!! I made mines with GHD and looooove them.
Kisses from Spain!
LOVE your hair! thanks for sharing!
Fantastic tutorial! Thanks
looooove this look. now i need to grow out my hair!
your photo tutorials are so adorable! i swear by hot tools as well – they work just as well as the chi & are half the price!
I didnt think that by curling my hair your way my hair would look any different than the way it already does when I curl it, but I still tried it this morning. Love it!! the only difference was not placeing the clamp down on my hair but it really is much wavier !(usually it makes big curls)
I LOVE YOUUUUU~!!!
the to torial is really good and easy to understand..
and now I know my mistake .. I use the clamp =S
haha
Thanks for this. A very good step-by-step. I’d love to see a tutorial on how you create a braid across the head. I’m a bit of a newcomer to having long hair and I can’t seem to do much beyond ponytails!
So pretty. I can’t wield a curling iron to save my life.
I have no talent when it comes to curling my hair…but I had it done for my wedding and I wish I could do it everyday!
Thanks so much for this tutorial Emily – really, really helpful. I’m going to try this now that my hair is longer. It turned out perfectly on you
Beautiful!! I love the end results…great waves!!
really? . wow.
great tutorials! since it’s summer, i’m thinkin’ of doing something different – like highlights so that my hair has some depth when i curl it like that. whattya think?
Love this tutorial! You made it look so easy… I’m really bad with hair!
your hair is always perfect! as your make up!
Hairstyling has always baffled me, I know how to do makeup and love it, but getting natural waves on models for photoshoots is something that’s always evaded me. Thanks for this cool little tutorial! – ps if that’s you, you look great!
I la la love the tips! I use my flat iron but I think this makes it look a lot more natural. THANK YOU! I love the product tips also (i never know what to get) I would love more hair tips. I am useless when it comes to my hair and different ideas than down and a ponytail.
true life: i just tried this in my bedroom, and it worked LIKE A CHARM! you are just the coolest.
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hot tools + glossing spray. got it. now i must run to the store for them! curling irons + me aren’t really friends. maybe hot tools and i can bff. crossing fingers :] oh, and BIG thanks for this post!
Hi, for those curious about the Spin & Curl tool, I’ve tried it, it’s great. Read the full review on candyandcookie.com. Really like this blog btw.
[...] cashmere and cupcakes tells you how to style tussled, beachy waves and smoky [...]
Oh wow! Your hair are so beautiful and you look amazing!
I must try! Thanks for this great tip!
I’ve been trying to learn how to do this for about a year now! Thanks for the easy to follow tutorial. I can’t wait to try it!
This is amazing Im totally going to try it!!
Oh, perfect!! I have been playing with different ways and now I must try yours!-Taylor
[...] never worked. Well, now I’m thinking that I just wasn’t getting clear directions. Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere posted an easy-to-follow tutorial on how to get these natural looking [...]
excellent! I gonna try it.i love beach waves!
I went to sleep with wet hair and woke up with a wavy mess…. I tamed it then used your tute to do these waves and got compliments all day. Thank you!
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I just tried this today and right when I showed up, I got a few compliments on it. Thanks! I love it : )
Can I ask what products you used in your hair prior to starting this process? I have really fine hair, so most of the time when I straighten it first (which I would probably have to do) it just ends up looking limp.
I love it!
great hairstyle!
wow! i am asian and i have black, straight hair. i have always dreamed to have these kind if curls ever since! i’ve been wearing my hair long since high school and on my 31st bday next month, i want to do something new. i’m thinking of having permanent curls but decided to try it with a curler first to see the result. i have never used this before, but this definitely gave me an idea. thanks for sharing!
thanks for the how-to! my hair is very straight naturally and ive been bored with it im dying for wavy hair to give me that extra something!!! so im going to try this hopefully i can do it myself
thank you for sharing… it looks great!
i will make my hair dresser do it
Love it! I never used to do anything with my hair as far as straightening or curling it on a daily basis, but I tried this and I use it every day now! I gotta try the spray you recommended, but normal hairspray works too. Thanks!
Hi! I heard about your blog on the Coach Holiday Blog a Day thing and I love it! Do you think you could do come cute everyday up-do tutorials? Thanks!
Thank you so much for this tutorial!!! I tried it and it looks great! xxx
I actually have the hairdryer that spins your hair and leaves it in banana curls. I do it the night before and sleep on it , in the morning my hair is the perfect messy set of curls. I also use the curling iron but i actually took the clamp off. Love the tutorial .
The final look is great too, but I think I might like the 3rd step hair better…
I love that you put the products you use. Makes me feel like I might actually be able to do this!
i’ve been looking for a tutorial like this. hopefully it works out for me like it did for you!
i just tried this on my hair and it came out exactly how yours did! i absolutly love it.. it was the easiest tutorial ive dealt with and the one with the best results! ill definitly be doing this hair style more often
I have tried this a half a dozen times on my hair and each time it has come out beautiful! The first day I wore it to work my co-workers demanded to know how I did it and of course I pointed them your way. THANKS!
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this is the first time i’ve gotten beach waves and it actually worked and stayed fairly well. thank you so much. you should do more how-tos. defffinitley or DIY. that would be super great. thank you so much for teaching me this!!
wonderful tutorial – you’re hair looks lovely!
I just bought the hair iron and Fekkai Shine serum and am so excited to try the beach wave on my hair! I hope it is as simple as you make it look! Is it hard to do the back of your head?
gorgeous!! love the hair styles!! my blog hope u can visit, will helpful for all girl: http://blog.chiflatirondryer.com/ thanks!
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wow ur hair looks amazing i love your website i found it in the lucky magazine
[...] took a page from her “How To” book and recently purchased a Hot Tools 1.5 inch curling iron (it should arrive today!! yay!) and I [...]
so, i have neeever known how to do this to my hair but have always wanted to. after sitting with the curling iron in the bathroom and still being entirely stumped, i got my laptop, brought it IN the bathroom with me, opened your tutorial and TA DA! i have your waves. and now i know how. thankkkk you.
I’m really impressed!! well done =)
hot tools is the only way to go!! i’ve tried this with like a conair curling iron and nothing – hot tools even waved my japanese straightened hair.
Love it. I tried it this morning and it worked perfectly. Thanks for the tip.
Loving the waves! So cute!
Love love love your hair
I need to get a curling iron… maybe I have it God-knows-where.
This was EXACTLY what I was looking for! I got your link off Victoria Hart’s blog and I’ve been trying to find a good curling iron and a how to for ages. Thanks so much!
I was also wondering what 1.5 hot tools curling iron is the best? They have about 6 different lines and I’m not sure what the difference is…
Emily, this tutorial helped me more than any other wavy hair how-to I’ve ever watched! Thanks so much for giving me the perfect waves I always wanted
Great tutorial! I have the same curling iron. FYI you can take the clamp off. Remove the metal rest from the iron, it takes a little elbow grease, but not too difficult. Take a screwdriver and unscrew the screws from each side of the clamp and remove. Now unscrew the screw that holds the spring in place. You can put the metal rest back on by putting the two screws on the side back on and snapping the rest back in place. Viola!! You life is a little more simpler!!
xoxo
Janice
I finally mastered this! yay!
I’m brazilian and your blog is the best !!!
i’m loving your posts!!!
Hi Emily! Everyday I read your blog. You’re my role model blogger. I’m brazilian and I study Publicity, and I love fashion so much! Thanks for everything! xoxo Jessica!
Love this!! Great tips!
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Love this! My hair is so thick that nothing ever seems to work. I have a curling rod (no clamp – just a hot rod) and I will try this with my hair again using smaller sections.
It worked!!! I feel like I’ve finally been let in on the secret to beautiful waves – it’s how you hold the iron! Thanks for the “how-to”! I just started reading your blog – LOVE IT!!!!
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Thanks for awesome tips! Btw, did you get your curling iron online?
Just discovered this…trying it this morning!
I have been dying to know how to do this!
Thanks for the simple steps, can’t wait to give it a go!
I know some of my own readers will want to know to;
http://hippyhappytink.blogspot.com/2010/07/hello-th-hair.html
that’s why I put this up on my page with a link to yours!
Ta!
I actually roll the hair around the iron in the opposite direction with each sections… towards face, away from face, towards face, away from face (make sense?). It helps to get that more “naturally wavy” look and prevents on monotonous wave that goes around the head… I hate that
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