You know the hairstyle—the “I just came from the beach” look that so many social media stars have seemingly perfected. We’re wondering what you’re wondering: How do they do it?
Celebrity hairstylist and The Beauty Department co-founder Kristin Ess, happens to be the master of those beach babe tresses. She gave us the step-by-step scoop on how to complete three of her favorite beach wave hairstyles you can wear anywhere from a backyard barbecue to an outdoor wedding—classic beach waves, a knotted half-up half-down and a messy braid.
All three styles are easy enough to recreate at home using nothing more than a brush, bobby pins, a curling iron and a few of her signature Kristin Ess hair products you can only find at Target! Follow along below:
Classic Beach Waves
1. Apply Weightless Shine Leave-In Conditioner to wet hair, followed by Instant Lift Thickening Spray if you need extra style support, hold or thickness.
2. Dry your hair.
3. Use a 1-inch barrel curling iron to create waves, dragging the iron through the ends to make them appear slightly straighter/undone.
4. Apply Soft Shine Beach Wave Spray all over.
5. Bonus: Throw a cute hat on it!
Knot Your Average Half-Up Half-Down
1. Follow the instructions above from the classic beach waves tutorial.
2. Instead of adding a hat, take two small sections from each side and tie them together in a half-knot in the center of the back of your head.
3. Use bobby pins to secure the knot in the middle. Prepping your hair with the beach waves will help this stay in place, but if you need extra hold or your hair is super slippery, use the Signature Finishing Spray.
4. Finish the look with a veil of Signature Finishing Spray over everything!
The Messy Braid
1. Start with the classic beach wave steps above, then split your hair into three sections—one in back and one on each side.
2. Create a regular braid in the back—if you want to French braid it you can do that, too.
3. Add some Working Texture Loose Styling Powder to the braid and pull it apart to fatten it up.
4. Weave a couple of pieces from each side into the main braid. I only like to do about two pieces from each side, otherwise it gets too complicated.
5. Pin the pieces into place once you weave them through, and give the braid a final veil of Signature Finishing Spray for extra hold so the pieces don't slip out!
Kristin Ess hair products are available on Target.com for prices ranging from $10 to $14.
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