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All the different ways to get beachy waves (and what they look like IRL)
Which is your fave?
It's almost sunshine season and there are no prizes for guessing which hairstyle we're all about to start wearing... Beachy waves. Yup, to celebrate the return of summer's most-loved style, we've rounded up all the different ways you can create a beachy wave.
Oh, and if you're more into curls than waves, be sure to hit up our ranking of the best curling tongs next.
Beauty Works Waver, £69.99
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Best for: Mermaid waves
Honestly, I wasn't expecting to like this... Mermaid waves might look cute on some people, but when you have long hair like I do, they can sometimes feel a little OTT. That being said, this hairstyle was the most popular with my friends, I received a ton of unexpected compliments and that convinced me to be more open-minded about the style. Beauty Works' hair waver heats up quickly and gives a long-lasting bend to the lengths. I opted for a more 'undone' finish, by leaving the ends straight and loosening the waves with a drop of hair serum after styling.
ghd Gold Styler, £139
Best for: 'S' waves
Ghd know what they're doing when it comes to making hair tools, the newest styler has heat sensors across each plate to control the optimum styling temperature and keep it consistent at 185ºC. This means you get an even wave throughout the lengths - so you don't end up with that annoying 'straight roots, wavy ends' look. I used the styler to bend the hair back and forth, creating an 'S' wave down the sections, the whole process took less than 10mins and the beachy waves stayed in tact till I next washed my hair.
Mark Hill Pick N Mix Handle + Ellipse Barrel Waver, £29.98
Best for: Soft waves
For under £30 I wasn't expecting too much out of this waver, but I'm happy to admit I was 10000% wrong. The weird-shaped barrel gives a beautiful soft wave to the hair, the wider middle means that the mid-lengths have a soft curl, and the ends pull in a little tighter.
Whilst the wand gives a dreamy wave, you don't get any fancy thrills. There's an on/off switch to activate the heat, but no temperature dial, so you get what you're given when it comes to heat. Saying that, I loved the finished look, my soft waves stayed in tact for days.
Hershesons Tourmaline Professional Curling Tong, £63
Best for: Hollywood waves
This wand has a digital temperature dial, so can be turned up or down to give extra heat if you have thick strands or cooled if your hair is finer.
The only annoying thing about the tongs is the clamp, as it tends to get in the way when you're trying to wrap your hair around the barrel. Clamp aside, I loved the polished wave this curling tong gave my lengths, the smooth finish left my hair looking shinier than it actually is...
Lee Stafford Rainbow Shine Waver, £29.95
Best for: Textured waves
There's no denying that this bumpy wand looks weird, but have faith, because it actually creates a really cool wave throughout the hair. The textured wand gives strands a combination of both tight and loose curls, which ensures the hairstyle looks super-natural overall.
Victoria Jowett is an award-winning journalist and the former Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. She was named one of PPA’s 30 Under 30 for her work in beauty journalism and oversees the skincare, hair, makeup and fragrance content across all of Cosmopolitan’s platforms. She's worked in the beauty industry for over 13 years (and tested 1000s of products), making her an expert when it comes to recommending beauty brands that truly work. Having started her career working weekends on a makeup counter, Victoria began interning at the likes of AnOther and IDOL magazine, before landing her first Beauty Writer job at weekly fashion magazine, LOOK. Joining Cosmopolitan in 2016, Victoria has always remained a beauty fanatic and has been lucky enough to interview everyone from Britney Spears to Kourtney Kardashian about their beauty routines. Follow her on LinkedIn.
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