Ask Avery: Beach waves how-to

blog by Avery Hartmans • May 18, 2012 @ 8:00am

Dear Avery,
How should I do my hair for the summer? Wavy or straight? Long or short?

If you’re a girl with short, straight locks, I apologize but this is not your year.
This summer is all about long, loose waves reminiscent of a California surf goddess. While some of you lucky girls are blessed with hair that naturally waves with just the right amount of texture, keep it to yourself — perfect beach waves might be the single hardest style to create. But thanks to some intensive research (i.e. watching “Blue Crush” on repeat and staring at Blake Lively’s surf photo shoot for Vogue for an unhealthy length of time), I think I’ve finally mastered the look.

The first thing you’ll need is a great wave spray. While there are a lot of contenders, my favorite is Alterna’s Bamboo Style Boho Waves spray. While it’s kind of hard to come by, it is available at F/X Salon in Orchard Park. The cool thing about this product is that it’s organic, so you’re not spraying chemicals onto those luscious locks of yours. It contains bamboo and blue yucca root and is free of parabens and phthalates, whatever the heck those are.

You’ll also need a curling iron with the biggest barrel you can possibly find — I like Conair’s one and a half inch iron. A curling iron with a narrow barrel will create tight curls, something that only looks good on French poodles and Nellie Oleson. If you have naturally straight hair that doesn’t hold waves or curls well, you also might want to pick up a light hair spray that won’t weigh you down.

Now that you have all the right tools, the real fun begins. Start with damp, towel-dried hair and tip your head upside down, spritzing it with some wave spray. Make sure you spray lightly from root to tip to ensure that your hair is evenly coated. Scrunch hair towards the roots with your fingers and leave it to air-dry naturally. If you’re in a rush, you can speed this process along with a blow dryer, but just remember that hot surfer girls don’t rely on such silly devices as blow dryers.

After your hair is dry (and probable already wavy thanks to the spray), heat up your curling iron. There’s a trick to using the curling iron which is vital to this entire process: don’t curl from the ends upward. Start at the root and wrap the hair around the barrel and hold it there. This way, you’ll have an even wave through the entire strand of hair rather than a curl only at the end. Use the curling iron to enhance your waves, making sure you curl the hair away from the face.

Once you’re done with the curling iron, run your hands through the strands. The curling iron method seems to create very separated waves, so running your fingers through the individual locks will make it look more natural. Lightly spritz with some hairspray if necessary. When you’re done, you should have loose, naturally tousled hair to rival even the most well-coiffed beach-goer.

Avery,
What should I wear on my first day at my internship? I want to wear a skirt or dress but I don’t know what’s appropriate.

Dressing for a work setting can often be difficult, mainly because what might seem appropriate to you as a twenty-something isn’t always acceptable in real life. A few general rules of thumb are to dress more nicely than you think you should, and to err on the side of caution in regard to skirt length, amount of cleavage, etc.

Depending on your type of internship, you may have a little leeway on what you can and can’t wear. For the most part, however, hemlines should hit at about the knee or a little above, necklines should expose the same amount you’d show at church, and nothing should be too tight or too wrinkled. You want to be taken seriously as a professional, so dress like one.

My go-to internship outfit consists of a fun pencil skirt, a silk top or simple button-down, comfortable heels or flats and a bag big enough to hold everything you may need on the job. Top it all off with a statement necklace, layered bracelets or a cool watch, and you’re ready for anything they’ll throw at you.