Wavy hair is a study in tonality—it’s the Academy Award winner of movement, but it can easily be forced into a blank and spooky disaster by a routine that’s too heavy.
As dumb luck would have it, many wavy-haired players try to force their texture through an overly heavy curly-hair routine. The result? A ruddy mess where the waves are weighed down by a surface layer of product that cracks and looks dirty. You need a technical shift—a routine that defines your texture without the weight. Think of it as a “Flexible Greasepaint” approach: you need lightweight hold that captures the glow of incandescent bulbs without losing the airy movement of your profile. It’s about doubling your wearability by choosing products that load up the pattern without defeating it.
The prep is everything. For wavy hair, less is often more. Use a lightweight mousse or a sheer wash of gel to build softness and hold. Mind the resistance when you scrunch; you want to encourage the natural movement, not force it into a studio-endorsed wig pattern. Avoid heavy butters and thick oils that create a blank and spooky buildup. For wavy hair, the workday habits involve staying bouncy and defined. By mastering the art of the “micro-plop” and using a “slick lip coat” of lightweight oil once dry, you can ensure your waves capture the glow from lash line to socket. Something I think we’re all still kind of into.
—Lauren Maas