Perfecting The Effortless [but, a lot of effort really] Wave

A couple of weeks ago I did something that I never thought I was going to do. I got my hair cut into a long bob...Which I realise isn't a big deal to many people but after making such a huge effort to grow my hair as long as I possibly could to then slowly return back to the length that I started with it seems a little out there to me. In this post, I spoke about the fact that I've been struggling with hair loss so it seemed like a good time to make the change but I had no idea just how much of a difference it would make. So here is an ode to a shorter do and some current favourites for adding some serious volume and perfecting that messy beachy wave.

8 REASONS WHY SHORT HAIR IS AWESOME

It dries so much quicker, I don't blow dry my hair as I prefer to let it air dry. Now it only takes a few hours compared to the 36 it did before.
I no longer get strangled or choked on a daily basis.
There are no more hair food dipping incidents.
I no longer feel like I'm wearing a scarf on a hot day.
My head feels generally lighter.
I'm no longer just a lot of hair, there's an entire person under that mop.
I don't burn myself every time I curl my hair
You use so much less product when it comes to washing and styling.

INSPIRATION & THE CUT

all images from Pinterest, I hunted high & low for sources but not so surprisingly there weren't any...

Since around October last year, I've been slowly cutting my hair a little shorter each time I saw my hair dresser but this time I really took the plunge with the length. I think in total I've gone from nearly to my bellybutton to just past my boobs [a legitimate measurement system when talking about hair] to just past my shoulders and it feels so alien to me now that my hair was so long. The cut I have is now pretty much a long bob with long layers and cut into so it's still got that blunt choppiness but it's not so harsh against my face and it adds that nice tousled look. Going from such long hair to something pretty short was scary which is why I did it gradually over a few months as I know if I'd done it all at once I probably would have freaked out and absolutely hated it. But if I had done it all at once then that would have meant I could have donated my hair which is an incredible thing to be able to do.

PERFECTING THE MESSY WAVE

For a hairstyle that prides itself on how effortless it looks the amount of work that goes into getting those perfect waves is slightly ridiculous. It's taken me a while to learn how to curl my hair in that way as always when it comes to curly hair you run the risk of ending up with ringlets and because I have to over curl to get the curl to stay anyway I often end up looking a little like a Victorian judge. Here are the things that I've found awesome for helping to achieve those effortless waves;

Use a large barrel curling iron or wand.
Curl the pieces of hair in alternating directions, always curl the pieces of hair that frame your face away from you.
Spray and leave the curls to set before brushing through with your fingers or a wide brush.
Use a texturising spray to add volume and definition.
As always, second-day hair is much better.

PRODUCTS

DAVINES POLISH & SEPARATION SPRAY*: I'm not sure I've ever come across a product like this as it promises to add separation to the hair which adds to that effortless look but it also adds a sheen which is exactly what I want. I love the messy tousled wave look but I don't want my hair to look damaged or greasy for that matter as shine sprays often run the risk of doing that too. It doesn't hold the hair which is a shame because if it did then it would be the perfect product as it delivers such a beautiful lived in look. I've found this best when sprayed on freshly curled hair and left to sit for a while.

BUMBLE AND BUMBLE DRYSPUN THICKENING SPRAY*: For a serious volumising spray then this cult product from Bumble & Bumble is perfect. Unlike the Davines this does make the hair feel the tiniest bit dry but when your hair is in really good condition which of course is something we want it can be difficult to gather volume and maintain texture as things just slip out of style so it's great in that respect. It holds the hair a little more than just a traditional texture spray but it doesn't make it feel crispy or dry just very lived in and bed head like. I like to spray this in the roots to really add lift as that is where I need it the most as well as slightly through the curls.

JULIEN FARAL VITAMIN SHAMPOO*: It seems probably counteractive to use something that clarifies the hair when trying to add texture and hold but I find it better than using something volumising most the time. When we're spritzing in texturising sprays and dry shampoo as well as anything we run through the hair when wet it's all too easy for it to become weighed down and heavy which is the last thing you want when trying to build volume. Every couple of washes [every couple of weeks for me as I only wash my hair once every 4 days] I use something to get rid of build up. This Julia Faral Vitamin Shampoo gets rid of any build up without disrupting any colour you might have in your hair which can often be the biggest issue when it comes to anything clarifying. It doesn't make the hair feel dry either and delivers just the right amount of nourishment.