Upgrade Your Loose Waves: Create Subtle Softness With These 3 Tips

The Right Amount Of Undone: 3 Tips To Soft Waves

While we’ll always love a good beachy wave, today’s must-know curl techniques deliver a bit more structure. If your clients are looking for curls that are subtle yet elevated, use these pro tips for more polished waves that still look effortless.

1. Try A Wrap & Slide Technique

We can skip the days of finessing a curl into a loose wave and instead create one straight off the barrel! Taylor Dellatorre (@taylordidmyhair) demos her wrap and slide technique to make true waves (not just limp curls) with the Olivia Garden Titanium+ion 1″ Curling Iron. 

How To:

1. Wrap the hair at the root around the Titanium+ion 1″ curling iron once, being sure you make a full turn. 
2. Gently slide the barrel down the hair shaft, wrapping the hair another half turn. 
3. Unravel the hair once, still holding the clamp shut. 
4. Pull the ends straight through the iron to finish—the Titanium+ion 1″ is capped with a silicone tip, preventing breakage or snagging!

Check out her step-by-step demo to try on your next client:

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by MA | BLONDES | BALAYAGE (@taylordidmyhair)

2. Strategize Wave Placement & Pattern

To achieve an undone look, you’ll want to be strategic with your wave patterns. Placing waves complementary to your client’s facial features is a total game-changer. 

Pro Tip: You always want the deepest part of the wave going away from your client’s eyes, framing that area. Similarly, if your client has a rounded face, you can place a dip of the wave at their jawline, turning inward towards their mouth. This elongates their face! 

Want a hack for framing your client’s face quickly? Try this trick from Kristen O’Donnell⁣ (@kristen_o_beauty). Divide the head into two sections, imagining a line running down the center. In both sections curl each wave in the same direction, going toward the imaginary line. This will assure every wave is going away from your client’s face—creating an effortless look. 

 

 

 

 

 

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Want pro-pricing on all Olivia Garden tools and products? Shop here!

3. Create Waves On Short Hair

Have you ever tried to give a bobbed client loose waves and ended up with every curl clumped together? Short hair doesn’t have the length to compensate for different wave patterns, so creating definition on each section is super important. 

If you’re struggling to style short hair, try this.

1. Create one full turn with the Olivia Garden Titanium+ion 1″ curling iron at the roots, leaving a small amount of hair off of the barrel. 
2. Pull the iron straight down through the ends of the hair, keeping the clamp closed. The smooth barrel allows hair to glide through without creating frizz or static. 
3. Alternate the direction of waves on each section. This helps to create the illusion of having more hair than your client really does.

That’s it! These few steps soften curls into effortless waves, eliminating any dents throughout the hair for a smooth finish. 

 

 

 

 

 

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