
These simple tricks will give you perfect beach waves in minutes
Generally recognised as the hottest hairstyle of the summer year after year, effortless, beachy waves are loved just as much by celebrities as us.
Gigi Hadid, Jessica Alba, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Blake Lively are all well-seasoned veterans of the tousled trend.

Luckily for those of us who don't have a hairdresser-to-the-stars on speed dial, the look is easily achieved whether you rock long hair, a midi, a lob or even a bob.
In fact, it's the kind of style you can achieve in your sleep. Here's how:
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OVERNIGHT BEACH WAVES
What you need:
- Texturising mousse
- Hair ties and/or bobby pins
Step-by-step:
- Wash your hair and towel dry.
- Spread the texturising mousse (we like , £17.45) through your mid-lengths and ends, using your fingers to comb it through.
- Separate your hair into sections, braid and then secure. For bigger, looser beach waves, just do two braids, but for tighter beach waves, create multiple braids.
- In the morning, release the braids and use your fingers to unravel and shake out the curls.
- Secure with hairspray.
GLAM BEACH WAVES
What you need:
Salt Spray
Top 5 and why:
- (£22) is best for boho tresses. If you like a messier finish with less defined waves - this is the one for you.
- L'Oréal Professionnel Beach Waves (£15) is really light, meaning the hair is not held down by being too "wet". Best for fine or thin hair. Also an excellent price point.
- (£38) will give you the windblown bombshell look. Think big. Think voluminous.
- (£23) is where it all started, you won't be able to believe what this salt spray can do to the limpest hair. Expect an ultra-natural, looser finish.
- (£16) is best for those who are into natural products. Chemical-free, it also smells of lavender. Bonus.

Features
Turns out we've been using sea salt spray wrong this entire time
Curling Wands
Before purchasing your pair, make sure you check out the size of the barrels on the chosen set of curling wands. For thinner hair, small to medium is best and for thick hair, medium to large. Depending on how tight you'd like the waves, a temperature gauge is a welcome addition. The hotter you set the tong, the more statement the tousles. We love the ghd Curve series of wands and tongs. The (£120) offers more of a vintage finished look, whereas the (£120) creates softer, tumbling waves.
Hairspray
The key with tousled hair is to find the best hairspray that will provide the hold without the weight. You want your tousles to be able to bounce so avoid anything too sticky. We love ghd's (£3.95).
Step-by-step:
- Wash your hair, making sure you don't use too much conditioner. To create the best waves, you want your hair to be as light as possible so it's not weighed down.
- Once you've towel dried the hair, flip your head over and generously spritz your chosen salt spray all over the ends. This will mean it's coated with texture but the roots have been avoided.
- If you want a super natural, loose look - just let your hair dry naturally. However, if you want more of a statement, voluminous look, roughly blow dry your hair, using your fingertips to create volume in the direction of the air.
- Turn on your tong until it's heated and section the hair.
- For ultimate beach babe, take sections of your hair, varying in size and wrap around the tong, holding for around 3-5 seconds.
- Once the entire hair has been done, you can keep them tight, or for boho glamour, run your fingers through them, so they blend with each other.
- Add some hairspray and you're good to go.
Love following a tutorial? We called upon to show us how she creates easy beach waves.
Now browse our gallery of celebs wearing the style flawlessly...
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Brushed-through lengths and a few accessories take waves from relaxed to red carpet in a matter of minutes. Laura Whitmore shows us how it's done.
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Wow. How gorgeous did Taylor Hill look at The Business of Fashion 500 Gala? We're obsessed with her wavy locks, worthy of a post-beach 'do.
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We adore Clemence Poesy's relaxed take on the tousled look.
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Thylane Blondeau shows you can still have beach waves but look totally polished.
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Will Sienna Miller ever stop being our ultimate girl crush? Not with these waves.
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Jemima Kirke has been winning with her beauty looks lately. We're obsessed with her tousled, textured shoulder-length bob.
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Emma Stone proves beach hair isn't just for Blondes with this sultry, fresh look.
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Dakota Fanning's tousles are sheer perfection. Beachy but not messy - it's a low-key but glossy look.
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Ciara rocks some ultra subtle tousled waves, which makes for surfer girl chic!
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The ever-stunning Claire Danes wows with her bright blonde hair colour and beachy texture.
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We're loving Kylie Minogue's current hairstyle. Her bright blonde beachy waves are making us want to go on holiday!
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Kiernan Shipka looks a world away from her Mad Men character with this beautiful style. Glossy blonde waves? Yes please!
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Khloe Kardashian has bombshell waves down to perfection - that subtle tousle is the the ultimate effortless glam.
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Woah - Fearne Cotton shows how to wear your tousled waves with an extra dose of volume. We love!
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Lily James has been growing out her locks for a while now, and she's recently been styling them in this tousled, textured 'do.
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We're obsessed with Vanessa Paradis' pretty matte lip shade, nearly as much as her beachy tousled hair.
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How gorgeous are Naomie Harris' perfectly tousled locks? We also adore her subtle smoky eye makeup. Win, win!
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Emily Ratajkowski's hair is always on point, and we love this subtle tousled look. Top marks, Emrata.
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Selena Gomez has such dreamy long hair, and it looks perfect when it's styled into these textured waves.
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Gigi Hadid is the queen of beachy waves. Her multi-tonal blonde is every surfer girls' dream.
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Jamie Chung's princess waves look like they're straight out of a Disney movie. Just look at that shine!
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Behati Prinsloo definitely has that pregnant glow, and just check out those glossy locks!
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Can we just have your hair already, Olivia?!
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How incredible do Laura Carmichael's mid-length locks look? Her subtle waves are perfectly tousled and look beach-ready.
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Margot Robbie personified beach babe at this year's Oscars. Just look at those waves...
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Kate Bosworth has undoubtedly become a tousled hair expert. Just look at those textured blonde locks...
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Rising star Saoirse Ronan showed off her subtly tousled blonde locks recently at the 2015 New York Film Critics Circle Awards in New York.
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Immy Waterhouse wowed onlookers with her gorgeously textured tousled waves recently. The young star has the ultimate mermaid locks...
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Fearne Cotton's locks are some of the best out there, especially when she styles them in this tousled fashion.
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Ashley Benson proved you can wear tousled waves, whatever the season. Her hairstyle for the 2015 AMAs = perfection.
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Hailee Steinfeld also opted for tousles at the AMAs but her's were a little tighter. Each to their own.
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The gorgeous Ellie Goulding performed on stage at the Victoria's Secret 2015 show, and changed into a red dress for the afterparty, finishing off the look with a choppy tousled 'do.
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Go big or go home! Copy Allison Williams' larger-than-life tousles to look like a smoking siren this party season.
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GLAMOUR fave Amy Schumer combined a gorgeous bold red lip with some pretty tousled waves.
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WOW! Kate Hudson seriously has the ultimate perfect tousled hair: long, wavy and mermaid-esque.
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The only thing better than Diane Kruger's style is her beautiful tousled blonde waves. #HairGoals
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Alicia Silverstone seems not to have changed a bit since her appearance in Clueless. Her beautiful
tousled blonde locks have never looked better. -
Georgia May Jagger looks lovely with naturally tousled beach waves on the red carpet. She proves you don't have to look too preened at a dressy event to look gorgeous.
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Make like Emma Roberts at the Emmys and wear your waves with a side parting - it has a real old school Hollywood feel about it, don't you think?
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I mean, we're always jealous of Cat Deeley's hair but her Emmy 2015 mane is something else. She has the loose-waves trend down.
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Elizabeth Olsen seriously wowed onlookers at the premiere for Ruth and Alice with her icy blonde wavy locks.
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Imogen Poots shows off how to wear your tousled locks in a gorgeous half-up, half-down 'do. Copy immediately.
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Cara Delevingne is very partial to the just-got-out-of-bed wavy look and hey, if we looked this good, we would be too.
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Amber Heard opts for a side-parting with loose, messy waves.
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Amber Heard rocks her tousles with a side-swept flip over. Proving your curls don't have to be tight or frequent, just add a few and brush through after for the ultimate low-key look.
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You know how Laura Carmichael's hair has that sort of 'oh-these-curls?-I-woke-up-like-this' vibe? Yeah, we want that for our own hair.
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Looking like a rockstar A-lister, Amber Heard let her tousles all hang out and we like it.
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Why not wear all your tousles to one side just like Blake Lively?
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We love January Jones' preened tousled lob.
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Make like J. Lo and pin a small section of your hair up for a subtle tousled up-do.
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Leighton Meester rocks a gorgeous dip dye and tousled look that we really want to recreate right about now.
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Please can we have Gigi Hadid's hairstylist on speed dial? Thanks.
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Beyonce shows off the ultimate waved long layers look. Extensions may be wise.
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Allison Williams tousled locks looked gorgeous casually styled whilst at an event in NYC. Teamed with a middle parting, this is a great look for the Girls actress.
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That's how we want our midi waved. Do tell, Diane Kruger.
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Sienna Miller proves you don't need long layers to tousle.
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Make like Chloe Sevigny and create slightly tighter waves for a night time look.
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Va va voom for Suki Waterhouse.
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Turns out, beach waves look smoking on a blunt bob too a la Jessica Alba.
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Keira's beach texture is making us seriously envious. We're loving that she finished the just-got-out-the-ocean look with a super sunkissed complexion.
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If you want to mix up your tousled waves, wear them with a deep set side parting. Changing your parting can seamlessly transform this low maintenance look from day to night.
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Super glam for Emma Stone.
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Tousled looks good up or down just look at Ms. Knightley...
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Laura Carmichael should channel loose waves more often, don't you think?
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As the reigning hair queen, it's no shock Jennifer Aniston looks beaut with this style.
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It's up to you how you want your curls. If you're after more of a statement look, recreate Natalie Dormer's style by curling smaller sections of your hair which will result in more frequent waves.
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If you don't want to go for tight waves, copy Kim's princess look and use a big barrel tong to a create larger, tumbling finish.
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Chrissy Teigen has California babe down.
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Those with a fringe, take your style nod from Fifty Shades Dakota Johnson.
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Team your waves with dramatic smoky eyes for a night out on the town just like Joan Smalls.
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Kate Hudson has one of the best tousled barnets in Hollywood. Just sayin'.
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This may be one of our favorite hairstyles in Alexa's history and that's saying something.
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Ultra textured and very loose, Rosemund Pike opts for the ultimate summer look.