Bombshell Waves in 15 Minutes or Less

I pride myself on how I’ve been able to recreate the perfect loose, beachy waves time and time again. Greatest achievement? Maybe not… But by combining some tips and tricks I’ve gathered through the years I’ve found the secret recipe that has earned many a compliment.

This is victoria’s secret model kind of hair. That effortless, “I just woke up like this” kind of touchable perfection. The best part? I can do this in less than 15 minutes! Because of this, I’m able to use this technique whenever my hair just isn’t cooperating.

Examples: Sometimes when I blow dry my hair it still lays flat (thank you Florida humidity!) This curling technique is so quick I can squeeze it in before leaving for work. Another situation is if I shower at night, I wake up with weird waves and that lopsided volume in the back from laying on the pillow. This easy curling technique polishes off those kinks.

Now while this works 95% of the time, there are those days when my hair just isn’t having it. In these cases where the curls and waves just won’t lay right, it leads to the ideal hair texture for braids and buns! I’ll walk you through the step by step process of how I get my beachy waves (but better), along with the tools and products I use to get the look.

My first tip for you is to let go of perfection. The key to effortless is to be on an organized mess. This means not curling every piece of hair in the same direction. And not curling even sections of hair.

I specifically use the term organized mess because it’s important to throw a little organization in there in order to make these waves in 15 minutes. If you’ve got lots of time, go to town picking up random pieces and making it perfectly messy. Check out my post on 4 methods to a more productive life if you’re ready to take your efficiency to the next level in the rest of your daily tasks.

Prep + Prime

First, spray your hair with a heat protectant. This is a must! I have a few recommendations for you. I’ve never tried, but I’ve heard great reviews on the Kenra Platinum Blow Dry Spray, and it has 5 stars on Ulta’s website. Another great one is Bumble and bumble Invisible Hairdresser’s Oil. I used up a whole bottle of this! It works as a detangler and leaves your hair feeling soft, but not weighed down. I’ve always had a hard time finding items that involve oil that doesn’t weigh my hair down, but this one takes the cake. Currently, I have my eyes on the Ouai Memory Mist. It boasts heat protectant and the ability to make your style last longer.

Curl In All Directions

In order to get bombshell waves in a short time, you need to section off your hair to make it more accessible. The easiest way to do this is to pick up some claw/alligator clips. (I picked these up off amazon and they’re great!)

I then section my hair just below the halfway point of my scalp. I curl the front pieces away from my face, and the back pieces towards my face. This is wear that organized mess comes in. The strategic alternating of curl directions keeps your hair looking like a natural curl. As a bonus, it keeps the curls from clumping together into one curl. This stacking means more volume, and we all know volume is a must for model-like hair goals.

Before I section off the next bit, I take a second claw and clip the curls together on the bottom. This separation really makes it easy and quick so you don’t have to wrestle with your hair. Section two is taken right at my crown. I just claw the remaining uncurled hair to the top of my head to keep it separated. With this section, I do the opposite when it comes to curling direction. The front two pieces are curled towards the face, and the back two pieces are curled away, or you can curl them towards your face again. There’s one more layer that will smooth everything out.

Add the second round of curls to the bottom clip. Then I let the rest of my hair down. This section is all curled away from the face. This is the most flattering around the face and gives you great volume on top. I have also found that curling the back pieces in this direction helps give a little extra volume at the crown. This gives you that big southern hair look without all the teasing and backcombing.

Next is the fun part! Let your curls sit for a minute or so to cool, then brush them. Yes, I said brush them. I know this is counterintuitive since you just spent 8 minutes curling your locks. I find that running a brush through them once makes them more bouncy. After I comb through them I spray my curls with Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast and then scrunch them a little with my hand. A little goes a long way! This is a holy grail item for me and I just bought a replacement. I used a whole bottle up and I have to say, I do this with my hair probably 3-4 times a week, and that one bottle lasted a long time.

If you need a little extra “oomph” at the roots, you can use a touch of Dry Bar Triple Sec (which smells wonderful by the way)…You’re welcome to throw in a little teasing to the mix before you spray the triple sec. It does a great job of keeping your backcombing in place.

And that’s it! You’re left with touchable, voluminous, bouncy curls/waves. The perfect base to any updo, or left on its own. Comment below if you try it out and love it!