retro waves vintage hairstyle tutorial
Beauty, Hair, Tutorials

Holiday Hairstyle: Retro Waves / Vintage Hair Tutorial

retro waves vintage hairstyle tutorialretro waves vintage hairstyle tutorial

I turned to my friend Erica of PinMeUp HairĀ to bring you some retroĀ hairstyle tutorials, just in time for the holidays! I’ve always been crazy about vintage hairstyles, and Erica specializes in exactly that. She also does hair for weddings and special events, so you can book her if you’re in Long Island or NYC. But since we can’t all have an Erica in our pocket, she kindly walked us through this retro waves hairstyle. Does it take a few more steps than my go-to messy updo? Of course. But is the end result worth it? Absolutely.Ā Want to learn how to recreate this look? Follow the step by step tutorial, below!

retro waves vintage hair tutorial (before)

Here’s the before. Blah and boring, get outta here! Please give me some glamour, Erica!

retro waves vintage hairstyle tutorial

Step 1. Use 3/4″ curling iron to curl hair, section by section, all over the head. Use pin curl clip to secure after releasing from curling iron.

retro waves vintage hairstyle tutorialretro waves vintage hairstyle tutorial

Step 2. Repeat until your entire head is curled.

retro waves vintage hairstyle tutorial

Step 3.Ā Once all of the hair is curled and clipped, mist with hairspray.

retro waves vintage hairstyle tutorial

Step 4.Ā Take curls down and all pin curl clips out. Now, it’s time to make the waves!

retro waves vintage hairstyle tutorialretro waves vintage hairstyle tutorial

Step 5. Loosen up the curls with a gentle brushing, and then tease at the roots to give it a little volume.

retro waves vintage hairstyle tutorial

Step 6. Define where the part will be, then take a smoothing brush and brush out all of the curls until they are forming ridges or waves. Do this all around the entire head.

retro waves vintage hairstyle tutorial
retro waves vintage hairstyle tutorial

Step 7. Secure the ridges with large duck bill clips as you form the waves, following their pattern to keep them in place. Use a lightweight, flexible hairspray to hold as you go.

retro waves vintage hairstyle tutorial

Step 8.Ā To get the tall wave in the front, take the front middle section near the part and tease at the base, section by section.Ā Make sure you tease the hair until it is strong enough to stand up on its own.

retro waves vintage hairstyle tutorial

Step 9. Once good and teased, smooth all teased sections together with a smoothing brush and shape the arch with your fingers. Use bobbyĀ pins to secure the wave, making sure to hide them as you go.

retro waves vintage hairstyle tutorial

Step 10. Define theĀ front wave to your liking, and secure with clips to set.

retro waves vintage hairstyle tutorial

Step 11. Now that all of the waves are brushed, set and released, gently tease the ends of the curls to get a fuller look.

retro waves vintage hairstyle tutorial

Step 12. Spray all over with a heavy finishing spray. Done!

retro waves vintage hairstyle tutorial retro waves vintage hairstyle tutorial

Huge thank you to EricaĀ Ā for giving me this vintage Hollywood glam hairstyle. Follow her on instagramĀ to see more of her work, and check back for more of her tutorials in the coming weeks. If you have any special requests, be sure to let us know!