The Most Popular Beach Waves On Pinterest

This post was formerly called "Does Pinterest Know Everything?"
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If you haven't read about why we do these posts, check out the explanation in our first "Does Pinterest Know Everything?" post.

So Pinterest told me that if I braided my hair and then used a straightener on those braids, that I would end up with these beautiful waves. So naturally I click on the picture to see a tutorial and I just end up on an image. No tutorial. But I'm thinking... I like to sleep on damp braids to get pretty waves in the morning- this just might work. So I pull out my straightener and get started. Only I ended up with more of a frizzy and crimped mess. Not like the picture on Pinterest at all! But I tried several different techniques and the one I'm about to show you is the one that worked best on my hair.

You will need:
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Here is my hair before, completely straight. This would definitely work better though if your hair hadn't already been styled before. If your hair doesn't take well to heating tools, you may want to use some curl spray or hair spray before you start.

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Split all of your hair into two parts and then braid each part and secure with a hair tie of your choosing. I found that the "waves" ended up looking better with bigger braids.


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Take one of the braids and twist it tightly away from your face.

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Place the straightener around the twisted braid and instead of just pulling the straightener down...


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Twist the straightener in the same direction the hair is twisted. I started at the top and worked my way down the braid. Make sure you don't put the straightener where your hair tie is or else there will be a weird crease.

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This is what the braids looked like after being "straightened." I repeated the twisting and straightening step one more time on each braid just to be sure.


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When your hair has completely cooled, pull out your hair ties and run your fingers through the braids to release them.

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This is a front view of my hair.

PROS
-Beachy waves look without adding texture products to your hair
-Fast and easy

CONS
-Inconsistent

I think this method worked okay. I usually will french braid all of my hair when it is still damp and sleep on it and I get some pretty fun waves. For some reason I thought this tutorial would produce some of those same waves but it is much different. However, this is a great way to add some texture and body to your hair really quickly without much effort.

If you've tried this and it worked, send us a picture!
heywanderer@gmail.com

xo, Savannah

**This post contains affiliate links

102 comments

  1. Great idea! I'm going to try this :)

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  2. Ooo great tutorial - I can never usually get my hair to go curly/wavy!

    I'm definitely going to give this method a try later today!

    Em
    x

    http://emberdrake.blogspot.co.uk

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  3. you're exploding craftgawker! :)

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    1. haha! heck yeah we are :) It is so hard to get them to approve your picture so we are so proud every time one makes it on there. Most of the time we have to submit 2 or 3 pictures before they'll accept it.

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  4. Yes! Those are awesome waves! I'm going to have to try this tomorrow!!!

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  5. Nice!! I love this and totally trying it. I did the straightener on braids and ended up with a crimp-tastrophe! So thank you!

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  6. I bet if you braided your hair over night like you said then did this in the morning before taking the braids out it would probably give you the effect you were going for

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  7. OMG! I will definitely try this!!

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  8. What a great tutorial! I would not have thought of this, and have been enjoying the beachy waves look since my hair is longer, but my hair is stick straight and super fine, so, keeping texture or curls and waves is difficult, but this is worth a fun try! Looks lovely on you, and what a fun blog you have! :)

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  9. What a great idea! The results looks great - even for a first try. I'm totally trying this tomorrow morning!

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  10. So I tried doing this to my hair, but mine is in between thin and thick, so it just came out really frizzy and super tight curls. :/ Have any suggestions? Btw, My hair is never a frizzy so it was a surprise. <3Riss.

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    1. Well, this happened when I braided my hair but did not twist the braid. So twisting the braid is super important. Also the size of your braid is important. The bigger the braid the less likely you will have frizz and tight curls. Hope that helps!

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  11. I'm so glad I wasn't the only one that couldn't get my hair to curl with that Pinterest tutorial. I love y'all's DIYs! You guys are awesome!

    The Rich Style

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  12. Have you tried smaller braids/sections?

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  13. Stumbled upon your page from Pinterest! Thank you soooo much for posting! I can't wait to try this! *hugs*

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  14. My hair already waves by itself, but I'm going to try this just to see what kind of effect it gives. Thanks for posting :)

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  15. SO funny! My hair looks like that naturally, and I am always trying to get it to look like your "before" state! LOL!

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  16. This was very interesting! I have naturally super curly hair so I'm curious what would happen if I straightened it and then tried this and see how my waves come out. Thanks again!

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  17. I think this would be an awesome way for people with straight hair to do before they put it up in a messy bun! adding great volume and style! I really like that the waves are suttle. If I braid my hair damp and sleep on it, it turns out VERY crimped. So, this offers another choice of style!! :)

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  18. I'm glad someone's finally calling out pinterest on this, because I tried all those "beachy wave" tutorials with absolutely no success! I just ended up with half straight-half frizzy weirdness. I'll have to try your method too! :]

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  19. Thanks for a great tutorial! I'll have to give this one a try. And thanks for the tips about other pinterest tutorials, I've definitely had hit and miss success with some of them.

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  20. I tried this today and it worked great! I read the other comments and made sure I used my Aveda phomollient and then also an anti-frizz serum. I was happy that the braids did not have to be pretty because I am a bit hair styling handicap! The braids were not perfectly equal, so one side was a bit waver than the other. Next time I would divide it into 3 sections, I prefer the tighter waves. I did the flat iron twice, allowing cooling time between and then gave them a shot of hairspray. I did not touch the braids for a while allowing the hairspray to dry and the braids to cool (did my makeup meanwhile). Once I took out the braids, I then used my fingers to break-up the waves and gave an overall spray of hairspray. It gave my hair volume and they were very chill waves. Super fast and easy, I will do this again. I agree with a previous post that it would be great to do with a messy up do! My natural hair is on the thicker side with a slight wave to it when it air dries.

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  21. My hair is thick, fine and straight like yours--the only way we will ever get curl or wave all day without product is to sleep in damp braids. I got my tips bleached for an ombre look and the blonde part curls fine now with no product. Everyone is different!

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  22. Fantastic tutorial! It's the first time I see all the steps and explanations so I can understand what is going on - no skipping! I 'll try it asap!!! I'm so glad I found you!!!
    http://www.fashionatint.blogspot.com/

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  23. Good morning great tip. If you find that you are frizzy sleeping with braids you could either use a no frizz mousse or anti-frizz serum on damp hair before you braid. also a great old fashion way to get lots of curls for all day is called rag curls. If you need direction just message me.

    Cosmetologist/Stylist/Make-up artist
    Samantha Shaffstall

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  24. In the 70s we got this same result by dampening our hair, then braiding a bit tight and leaving it overnight, in the morning you undo the braids and walla! Just run your fingers through hair and you have nice waves.

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  25. Just a by the way, braiding your hair or twisting it and then using a blow dryer has a better affect.
    It works a lot easier. But your hair has to be a little bit damp.

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  26. I'm definitely going to try this.

    check out my blog! www.soundtracktolife-laura.blogspot.com

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  27. I'll definitely try this - thanks! :)

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  28. My hair has a problem holding any type of wave or curl. I didn't braid it due to the fact that I was running late. I just twisted my hair in a lot of different sections (I have super thick hair) and used the straightener. I then just undid the twists with my fingers and sprayed with hair spray and it actually held all day. That really surprised me and everyone loved it. I will deffinately be doing this again. Thanks from someone who has problem doing anything but a ponytail.

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  29. I agree with some of the other ladies.. when I sleep on my braids the end up looking a little too crimped. I tried this and it worked great for me, I did use some curl spray before and after so I think that helped! I did 4 sections of braids too because I wanted a little bit more curl and I found that the longer you hold the iron on the braid the more crimped and curled it will become.. obviously you don't want to do that too long though or you'll end up with fried hair! in the end though, I really like the soft "messy" look I achieved with this method.I'm sure I'll be doing it a lot in the summer or when my hair just isn't doing anything I want it too!

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  30. this is a great tutorial! i love how honest you are about it and very helpful :):)

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  31. Thanks for the tips! I was wondering if it actually worked...
    P.S. I JUST bought that same shower curtain yesterday! So cute!

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  32. I don't have enough hair so my 3 braids were too small=a crimped look but I will have to try it on my sister who has very thick hair. A trick i discovered for myself to get a similar effect is to section hair into 4 parts like anytime you want to curl your hair. Starting from the back forward, grab about 2 inch sections at a time (depending on what size you want the wave/curl) place small flat iron about 2 inches from root twist your wrist toward your face so hair wrappes slightly around flat iron and pull through hair (I don't go all the way through end for a more natural look.) make your way forward and for the front about 2 pieces, twist the opposite way (so away from your face). Hope this helps some of you that were unsuccessful with the braids like me.

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  33. Check out my hair experiment that is very similar to this one here: http://theemmabeandiaries.blogspot.ca/2012/04/beach-waves-part-1.html Used a youtube video as inspiration :) Would work well for you if you sleep with braids in often!! Let me know what you think!

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  34. Awesome! Thanks for posting a practical tutorial!

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  35. I tried this and it didn't work...I have long hair, medium thickness. I did 2 braids like you and twisted but I still got the supper kinky 80's hair...is there somehting else I could try?

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    1. Instead of braiding it, try to just twist it, then use the flat iron. I got cute relaxed curls that were closer to beachy waves.

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  36. I wonder if it would be wavier if you fish braided your hair first?

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  37. I actually braided my hair in pigtails when I got out of the shower tonight, so in the morning I'm going to give this a try. I keep seeing these tutorials all over the net that look super simple, but they just won't work on my crazy hair (it's super thick and naturally curly, but I want WAVES!). Hopefully this works - thanks for sharing! :-)

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    1. Maybe try doing more than just two braids. I have super thick hair too, and with this kind of thing, I have to do more than just two sections. Try three, or even four braids depending on how thick your hair is. It just doesn't work if there is too much hair in the braid, and it doesn't look as good if there is too little. You could also try applying styling paste (I recommend Redkin Rewind 6) before you braid it and when your hair is still wet. But if your hair is like mine, it is coarse and won't be dry in the morning. in a braid. :) I hope this helps

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  38. Genius. This is such a great and simple idea for a natural, effortless look in seconds. I'm trying this :D

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  39. will it work if i do the braids first then do the straitening part

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  40. Such a great idea. I'm trying this very soon~

    xadayinthelifex.blogspot.com

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  41. such a great idea, i'm always trying to get that great subtle wave! thanks

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  42. I didn't click on the picture, I just got the gist when I pinned it. However, I was completely wrong in how to do it. I thought she just twisted her hair, then heated it with the straight iron. So, I grabbed a handful of hair and did it. I have thick hair, so I had to do it in a few sections. Twist it tight, then I did the same technique of twisting the flat iron with the turn of the twist. It actually produced a very relaxed curly wave. It was cute. One tip though, it looks better with a thicker twist.

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  43. Amazing! I found your blog through a pin of this tutorial on Pinterest obviously =D. I love the final result! I'm most definitely going to try this today. I think I'll stay reading your blog from now on.

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  44. Would this work on all hair types??

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  45. I do the twist and straighten technique *without* braiding it first and find that to work MUCH better! After combing your fingers through the beach curls, run some curling cream through with your fingers (I use sunsilk captivating curls gel & cream) and scrunch it in for a non-frizzy end result.

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  46. you can also sleep in a bun, it gives you the same effect (with an added bonus of not getting hair all over your pillows lol).

    sleeping with a topknot gives my hair more volume, but I take out my bangs so they don't look crazy :)

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  47. I didn't get the same effect as you did. But when I just twisted me hair and pulled my straightener down my hair, just as you did, I got bigger and bouncier waves.

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  48. I'm trying this tomorrow :) Great idea <3

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  49. I tried this and i have shorter hair w/ layers, but it's pretty thick. I put it into 4 sections, but my hair just looks frizzy. THere are a few waves, but like you said, it's inconsistant. It was worth the shot though :)

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  50. gorgeous and simple . a great combination . thanks

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  51. Last night I put my hair in two braids when it was wet and woke up this morning, did the twist & straighten as you demonstrated. It came out a little crimpier than I would've liked, but after I ran the straightener through it lightly and let it set throughout the day, it looks great! Definitely doing this often this summer.

    I'm new to your blog and love it! Will be back :)

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  52. This looks so awesome and easy! I have shorter hair than you do, but I'm definitely going to try this out and see what happens!! Thanks posting this!

    makeupandliving.blogspot.com

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  53. Found you from Pinterest! Awesome hair trick! looks great!

    cutencomfy.wordpress.com

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  54. I've not tried this yet, but I bet if you have thicker hair it would work better if the braids in smaller sections say 4 braids. I'll have to try this though! Wonderful blog!

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  55. I'm going to try this tomorrow - thanks!!

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  56. Great tutorial! I'm going to try this

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  57. Found you on pinterest!! def. gonna give this a try thanks :)

    http://mommynheels.blogspot.com

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  58. after i saw this post i started to try to think of different ways to get the cute beach waves, ways that may be more affective & i thought about if you get out of the shower with your hair wet.
    if you put some moose in you hair then twist your hair like you did in the picture (without the braid) in smaller individual sections & took a blow drier to it & see if that would work so i tried it & it actually works & you get more consistent waves with it. but my hair already has a little bit of wave to it when i let it dry naturally. so it might be different for someone that has naturally straight hair. i'm not sure.

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  59. I have naturally curly hair, but I straighten it. To get some wave and bounce at the end of my hair after straightening (I know that sounds weird) I just twist my hair in the back and then put it in a really messy bun and after a half hour or so I got a lot of bounce and waves at the ends of my hair. Looks more consistent than the straightener waves.

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  60. Cool!!!! I am just trying it in this moment, i hope this work because is very easy and i dont like to spend much time doing my hair.
    Tnx! :D

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  61. hi! i want to try this and it looks interesting but i'm a little confused for one part. after you braid the hair and twist, are you just holding your straightener at an angle, then going straight down the twist. or are you actually rotating your straightener so it goes all the way around the twist, like turninng the straightener around and around so it follows the twist?(hope that makes sense)

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  62. Replies
    1. Thank you for your input "im so cool" but if you read the post, you'd know we were testing something out that we saw on Pinterest- not trying to look un-horrible.

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  63. im just wondering do you put the hair straightener on ur hair or not?

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  64. I was wondering if you straighten your hair first? I have super curly wringlets, and sometimes I just want exactly those waves so if I straighten my hair first and the braid and straighten the braid will it work?

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    1. Mackenzie, I have SUPER curly hair and have to straighten it allll the time lol. Luckily it does work with this the only thing i would recommend is after you braid it, spritz a little hairspary(I use Garnier Fructise with the Bamboo extract bc it keeps my hair from getting that hair-sprayed feeling) on ur hair before you twist it. This seems to help hold it, I have also spritzed it after i twisted before the flat iron and it worked well too but wasnt totally necessary :)

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    2. Laura,
      Thanks!! SO you just leave your hair natural then do the braid, twist, and straighten? And is your hair dry? Thanks!

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  65. I have done this to my hair and my sisters hair both... the waves are more noticeable and consistent if you split ur hair in half, braid both halves into 2 braids then twist and flat iron... I like the way it turns out MUCH better than just using one braid :)

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  66. This post was featured on truecharismacrafts.blogspot.com
    Check it out!

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  67. I tried this yesterday and I loved the results. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3639686921563&set=a.2191843526383.2094905.1556003086&type=1&theater

    The picture doesn't really show the texture of the waves that well.

    Thanks for posting :)

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  68. Great tutorial! Love the waves. I have crazy, frizzy, hair, so I use a little spray gel to make it do what I want. I also sleep with damp, spray gel hair up in a towel. Ill twist it in sections, then wrap a towel around it. This is a great one for the middle of the day or in the evening with 'worn' hair.. not super clean.

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  69. This is great!! I follow you know :D Would you mind checking my blog out? :)xx

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  70. That seems easy enough! Going to try it! Thanks! :)
    http://dixie-n-dottie.blogspot.com/

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  71. I love easy to do hairstyles. I am terrible at styling my own hair so I really love when something is simple!

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  72. Love this tutorial, my hair is short now but when it gets longer I will definitely try this :)

    www.fashionizelife.com

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  73. if you pull wet hair back into a pony tail twist it tightly then into a bun and secure with a bobble.When dry your hair will have beautiful waves.without the damaging heat thingy!!!x

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  74. thnks for sharing this, firt time on your blog and Ive been lovn it so far

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  75. This is really cute thanks for sharing!! I'm gonna try this ;)

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  76. Ill definitely try this. I usually hate the way curls turn out when I braid my hair, but I guess if you twist it like that it looks better!

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  77. I have naturally curly (very curly, very frizzy) hair, and I found that this technique calms the curls and adds a little structure to my natural look.

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  78. Skip the braids, loosly twist med sized sect of hair and slowly long press with straighter starting near the head and working your way down to the tip. move down only half the width of your straigher. I have a 1", so i moved down 1/2" at a time. It came out really pretty. It was a bit inconsistant, and took a bit of time, but it was super curly/wavy and adorable. =]

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  79. I used to get that effect by just braiding damp hair before going to bed... and it doesn't use heat on your hair

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  80. LOVE this idea! If you try bumble's surf spray after you un-do the braids it would make it last so much longer!

    http://brandonstephens.info/2013/01/bumble-and-bumble-dallas-salon/

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  81. I have short hair but wear clip in long extensions a lot. And I do this technique & it works great!! :-)

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  82. OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH!! i tried this before but only with the pulling-the-straightener-down-only technique! thanks so much for these tips i am SO trying this right now (:

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  83. So awesome blog honey! love it!!
    http://annluckindarkdays.blogspot.pt/
    Participate on my giveaway: http://annluckindarkdays.blogspot.pt/2013/09/giveaway-x-la-cerise.html

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  84. This was very interesting! Thanks for the tips.

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  85. Comming from a stylists opinion very damaging to the hair .

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  86. i love this, it looks so simple x

    leannewinters.blogspot.co.uk

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  87. I am so trying this now! thank you! xx

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    ReplyDelete