In the beginning of 2018, I told myself I was going to make this my “year of hair.” As a new mother, I was already making pretty substantial lifestyle changes and was deep in the process of recovering my core strength, so I wanted to make my new years’ resolution something really fun and low stakes. Plus, I was around the three-month postpartum mark, a.k.a. the time when your hair starts falling out! So I planned to make my remaining hair look as good as possible. (Don’t worry, it grows back! I love the goofy little baby hairs filling in my hairline).
The year is now half over, and I haven’t met all of my hair goals (learning a few chic but low-maintenance hairstyles, masking regularly, staying on top of trims), but I have been really good about conditioning and changing the hard water filter in my shower (small victories!).
I haven’t given up completely on learning new hairstyles that don’t take too long but look better than wadding my hair up in an ancient plastic butterfly clip (please don’t forsake me, butterfly clips…). To that end, I always have my ear to the ground, trying to absorb every easy hair tip possible.
My latest bit of hair inspiration came from Hilaria Baldwin. The mother of four and woman-who-makes-overalls-cool recently responded to a fan asking her how styles her perfect yet lived-in curls. Hilaria said she relied on the hair mastery of Joseph Bennett (you can see his work on Hilaria here), but also curled her hair after a blowout, using one special tool:
“The beach waver is my lifesaver, and I don’t use product in my hair after shampoo and conditioning. I think this allows for movement.”
Perfect waves.
Glorious shine!
The Beachwaver is a curling iron that rotates itself and clamps just a small portion of hair at the bottom of the barrel. For many users, it increases ease of curling and decreases styling time. While the resulting look is perhaps less beachy texture and more of a cross between Victoria’s Secret bedhead and polished curls, it’s super pretty.
One could easily recreate Hilaria’s curls with a regular, 1” or 1.25″ curling iron for a fraction of the cost, however. If rotating a regular curling iron bothers your wrists, a Marcel-style iron may be of help (your wrist can be relatively stationary while you crank the iron via the upper rod with your fingers). Although a Marcel-style iron takes a little practice, it can be a time-saver once you’ve mastered it–plus, a nice one is still less $$ than the Beachwaver.
While I have never tried using hot tools on my hair without product, I have experienced the heavy crunchiness of using too much product. To avoid this, you can try the following (because let’s be honest…not all of us can get away with skipping hair product—especially if your hair is on the thin or thick end of the spectrum or if you live in a humid area):
- Use a hair primer. Living Proof Primer Style Extender Spray is applied before styling (and it’s great for fine hair).
- Use traditional, alcohol-based sprays sparingly. When over-applied—or applied too closely to the hair—these sprays are usually responsible for that sticky/crunchy look. To preserve the movement in your hair while adding a bit of hold, spray these sparingly and from at least 8 inches away.
- If you have time, compress your curls immediately after curling them and pin with a single bobby pin. Allow curls to sit and cool for about 10 minutes. This helps the curl set and may help you avoid using an excess of spray.
What are your favorite hair styling tips?
Related: Celeb Hair Stylists Share How To Get A ‘Do Worthy Of The Red Carpet
Best Cruelty-Free Dry Shampoos To Keep Your Hair Fresh & Fierce All Summer
These 3 Vegan Hair Dyes Are Drop Dead Gorge–And Way Better For You
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Photo: Hilaria Baldwin via Instagram, Respective Brands
