I don’t know about you, but I’ve always envied girls that can pull off sexy beach waves in the summer months. I’m talking about those soft, natural waves that look like they’ve just emerged from the surf. Celebrities like Sienna Miller, Cameron Diaz, and the Olson twins seem to be naturally blessed with them, but my hair is frustratingly poker straight and I have no idea how to pull them off.

To further fuel my obsession, the style is a big trend for Spring/Summer 2011 – so when I had an interview scheduled with top stylist Pippa Crellin from Birmingham’s award-winning salon Bad Apple Hair, I took the opportunity to quiz her about what I needed in terms of products and styling tips to get the beach babe look. Here’s what she said…
At the salon
“Talk through what you want to achieve with your stylist, as Beach Waves work better on some styles than others. If you have long or mid-length hair, adding some layers through it will boost the volume and add texture,” recommends Pippa.

At home
She continues: “Start by applying a thickening product to hair while it’s still wet, as it gives the hair volume. My favourite is TIGI Bedhead Superstar Queen for the Day Thickening Spray, £8, which pads out the hair and gets it ready to be worked into shape.”

“Roughly blow-dry hair, making sure that you apply a heat protection product beforehand – Sexy Hair Straight Sexy Hair Smooth & Protect, £9.73 would be ideal.”

“When the locks are dry, start curling sections of hair (as thick or thin as you like) with straightening irons, curling tongs, or a curling wand. Put a bend into the sections from half way down – and most importantly, do not curl the ends! It’s really important to leave the ends straight, as you aren’t curling the hair, you’re putting movement through it. You don’t have to make the sections symmetrical, as the beauty of this style is that the waves can be as random and relaxed as you want them to be.”

“The finishing touch is the most important, as using the right product is what makes the style. I love TIGI Bedhead Foxy Curls High Def Curl Spray, £6.72, Spray it at the same time as your hairdryer, which will work the product into the soft curl and turn it into a beach babe wave!”

On holiday
Pippa says: “Let the salt water do the hard work for you! Give hair a quick dip in the sea and allow it to dry naturally in the sun, which will create natural beach waves on most hair types and lengths. Just make sure you’ve protected your hair from the sun’s damaging UV rays before spending the day in the sunshine – I recommend following your shampoo with Schwarzkopf Professional BC Bonacure Sun Protect Spray Conditioner, £7.55 every day while you’re away.”