Hollywood Waves Hair Tutorial

If I ask you to think of that “actress hairdo” that characterised many a red carpet, surely this gorgeous, classy and polished hairstyle will come to your mind at some point - although, with today’s celebrities, one never knows! 

Hollywood waves have been everything for a long while, defining the look of an era for cinema divas. Nowadays, this hairstyle is not only a popular option for galas and award parties, but it also makes a gracious bridal look. Want to know how to get Hollywood waves? Then read on to know how to recreate this gorgeous look.

How To Do Hollywood Waves (back to index)

When it comes to thick, luscious Hollywood waves stylists always add a cheeky plump with clip-in human hair extensions - unless you’re already wearing permanent hair extensions on your mane!

If you’re wearing hair extensions you may think that achieving this hairstyle is going to be more difficult, but don’t fret! Hollywood waves hair extensions are just as achievable as natural Hollywood waves! The key to hold and maintain this style on hair that doesn’t receive nutrition from your scalp is in using the right products. Let’s see together how.

Step 1: Prep Your Hair (back to index)

This is an essential step. After the shower, start with damp hair and prepare it with a good dose of heat protectant spray. If you need to stock up, we can help - get your Cliphair heat protectant spray here. Applying this product on your strands is a good custom before blow-drying, straightening and/or curling your hair.

Step 2: Protect Your Ends (back to index)

If you struggle with frizzy hair, know that this hairstyle will require some extra attention. Hollywood waves don’t work with flyaways and frizzy hair, and your ends will need to cooperate and stay together. An anti-frizz cream or lotion on your ends can help you with that.

Step 3: Blow-Dry (back to index)

This is another essential step, as the way you blow-dry your hair will change the way it sits on your head for the rest of the day. I recommend starting with a deep side part that will enhance the curve of your hair and how it will lay on your shoulder for a proper vintage, romantic look. Find out more about how to part your hair here.

Step 4: Section Your Hair From Crown To Ear (back to index)

Sectioning your hair is extremely important, and it will help you a lot. Once you’ve mastered this skill, you will notice a huge difference in how your blowouts come out. The way you hold your curling wand or flatiron when working on your curls also plays a huge factor. There’s a lot to say about sectioning and curling your hair, and I’ve talked about it more in detail in our blog post: How To Curl Hair Extensions: A Complete Guide.

Step 5: Prep The Strands For Curl-Holding (back to index)

Certain hair types don’t hold curls as much. Your hair texture, scalp condition and certain hair treatments are only a few of the possible causes. Either way, you can prep your strands to hold the curls for longer with a curl hold spray or even a light hairspray.

Step 6: Start Curling (back to index)

Start at the bottom of your hair to work your way up. Take a diagonal section (going downward towards your cheekbones) and place your curling wand below the hair, pointing towards the face. When curling your hair, make sure that your sections are all the same size and that you curl them in the same direction. Hollywood waves are very uniform!

Step 7: Pin The Curls (back to index)

This is a proper stylist secret, and if you have some time you’ll find it very useful to achieve long lasting curls. Pinning your curls up for at least ten minutes to cool down will help your strands to retain the style.

Step 8: Brush The Curls Down (back to index)

Hollywood waves are, after all, waves. Don’t get discouraged at the thought of breaking down those beautiful ringles you’ve just created - working through them with your hair brush will bring gorgeous, soft waves to life! To achieve this with no damage, you should always rely on a specific detangling hair brush - especially if you’re wearing human hair extensions!

Get your Cliphair detangling hair brush here.

Step 9: Rise And Shine (back to index)

Hollywood waves are characterised by a vintage, glamorous shine. You can achieve this by spraying a shine lotion on your locks when combing them. Some people like to spray their shine lotion directly on their hairbrush, whilst others prefer to spray it directly on their hair once they’re done brushing. Whatever your style is, you can count on Cliphair’s Moisturising Silky Hair Spray - you can buy it here.

Need more visual? Then check out this lovely tutorial by Alyssa for Cliphair:

Conclusion: (back to index)

Getting the glitz and glamour of an old Hollywood diva definitely isn’t easy - but you can start from your hair, and everything else will come naturally. If this is your go-to look for a bridal event you can add a touch of light with simple yet beautiful hair accessories such as hair vines and diamante hair clips. Worn on its own, this incredible timeless classic will immediately draw attention on your mane!

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