Mermaid Hair Routine: How I Get Beachy Waves

I refuse to believe that summer is coming to a close! Those of you who have been following Style Lullaby for a while now might remember this post from last year. But, since so many people have been asking me how I achieve such effortless beachy waves, I thought I’d re-share my routine here today. Please don’t mind the poor product photo quality… these were taken back when I solely relied on my iPhone. I’m proud to say that I’ve upgraded since, and often steal my boyfriend’s DSLR for product shots now. 😛

Anyway, back to hair talk! Ever since I first discovered the deep waver tool, I fell in love. A deep waver is a must for summer if you’re looking to get that consistent mermaid look! It’s a great alternative to using a traditional curler or straightener to create waves in your hair because 1) I find it’s a bit quicker and easier, and 2) the look is more like the look you’d get after waking up in the morning and taking off last night’s braids (but who thinks that far ahead nowadays?). 😉


The deep waver I got is the purple one by Hot Tools. Not going to lie, the purple caught my eye… and then the reviews practically begged me to buy it. So far, no regrets! This deep waver comes with a secure lock, so you can compact it when you’re on the go. This is great for vacations, photoshoots, etc. It’s also relatively light for what it is but doesn’t feel flimsy. Like any other waver, it also has the on/off switch. What I like a lot about this especially is that it has a heat dial with actual temperatures written on it.

I have to mention that this tool works best for people with longer hair. When I got a haircut, I had to go back to using a regular hair curler because the deep waver looks a lot better when there’s more length to work with. While a regular hair curler can achieve a similar effect, it does take a bit more time to use, which is why I prefer the deep waver whenever possible.

To achieve perfect beach waves, I like to wave my hair the night before, and sleep on it. That way, when I wake up, the waves are more natural and don’t look too fresh. After all, the beachy look isn’t necessarily fresh, right?

Before doing anything, I always apply some pure argan oil into my hair after a shower, while hair is wet. Argan oil is a good hair treatment that helps to keep the hair healthy. I find it to be a good leave-in conditioner, and it helps keep frizz at bay. Then, I use a wide-toothed comb to comb my hair, getting rid of any tangles.

I let my hair air-dry, and then I put on some heat-protectant spray (VERY important because this deep waver gets super hot and you don’t want to fry your hair!). I really like the Not Your Mother’s line when it comes to hair styling products. The one I like to use is the Beat The Heat Thermal Shield Spray. It smells like apples… and I’m a sucker for fruity scents! Then, I put a very small amount of the Beach Babe Texturizing Hair Cream. This will help the beach hair feel more texturized, rather than just soft (otherwise it looks more like fresh unbraided hair, rather than beach hair).

After all this prep, I go ahead and start deep-waving my hair sections at a time. It actually only takes me around 5 minutes for me to finish my whole head, which is amazing! I like to take bigger sections & don’t press the waver down on my hair for too long because I like them looking pretty natural and loose, rather than too crimpy 🙂 I also like the ends to be straighter, so I stop waving about one inch down. After waving all the hair, I’ll go back and touch up areas I want the waves to be deeper. Once it’s how I want it, I’ll use more texturizing cream (as much as needed to achieve the desired look), scrunching the waves loosely with my hands/fingers.

For those looking for a more Youtube-y approach, I found this tutorial helpful — she gives a more step-to-step tutorial on how to use the deep waver 😉 I’m not a video person, but my boyfriend wants to test video on me eventually… maybe you’ll see some tutorial videos from me then if I’m not too awkward 😛

Last but not least, I have Asian hair, which translates to FLAT HAIR if I don’t get a lift! This volumizing hair powder is really good at giving a bit of volume to the hair roots. A little bit goes a long way! When it comes to beachy hair, don’t feel obligated to wash your hair every day. From my personal experiences, mermaid hair actually gets beachier after the 2nd or 3rd day without washing. Just don’t forget to dry shampoo your roots!

Even though summer is coming to a close, I plan on wearing these waves into fall and beyond. Since I was born with stick straight hair, I rarely find it appealing on myself, especially when my roots are growing out. Wavy hair all the way — it definitely makes those roots look more “lived in,” so to speak. 😉

Any mermaid babes out there? What’s your secret behind perfectly beachy waves?

Featured Image by David Potter

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64 Responses

    1. Thanks, Tamara. Mine actually doesn’t hold curl very well either, but for some reason the deep waver works wonders on me. With hair spray, of course 😉

  1. I wonder if these will work with my ultra long hair. I am def going to try it and buy every product . . . I love the beachy wave hair look.
    Life is just Rosie

  2. I love your hair and this post is just what I needed! Thanks for sharing what products you use and your routine in detail <3

    xx, jasmin marie

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