• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To MakeupMakeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
    • Advertising & Media
  • Categories
    • Product Reviews
    • Makeup
    • Skincare & Fragrance
    • Style & Fashion
    • Hair
    • Nails
    • Tips & Tutorials
    • Just for Fun
  • Brands
  • Store

3 Easy Steps to Loose Waves

January 17th, 2009 by Karen 27 Comments

Left to its own devices, my naturally wavy hair turns into a big, frizzy mess.

I may not have Jennifer Aniston’s enviable loose waves, but I can almost fake ’em with the help of a few products — Sexy Hair Organics Styling Creme ($20), Bumble and Bumble Brilliantine ($20) and L’oreal Elnett Hairspray ($15).

Used together, they do a great job loosening naturally wavy hair.

1. Apply Sexy Hair Organics Styling Creme to damp, towel dried hair

It loosens my waves and eliminates frizz without killing the bounce. It’s neither crunchy nor sticky and moisturizes, too — a big plus for dry hair!

After washing and drying with a towel, I coat my hair with the creme from the roots to the ends, and then run through it with a a wide-toothed comb. The comb distributes the creme and starts loosening the waves.

2. Add definition with Bumble and Bumble Brilliantine

Bumble and Bumble Brilliantine works and smells great (like freesia). It’s a thick styling lotion that adds shine, smooths away frizz and creates touchable, malleable chunks of hair.

Choose a few pieces of hair around the bangs that you want to stand out. Dab a tiny bit of Brilliantine on your pointer finger (a little goes a long way). Then, pinch a piece of hair near the roots between your pointer finger and thumb.

Distribute the Brilliantine by running through the hair all the way from the roots to the end and repeat a few times on different pieces of hair until you have about 5-10 well defined sections around the face.

3. Set the look with a layer of L’oreal Elnett hairspray

Spray on a layer of soft and flexible Elnett to lock in that style. It keeps my hair in place without making it flake or feel sticky or crunchy.

It takes me about five minutes to apply all three products. Then, I air dry and let the products work their magic.

Do you have a special hair “cocktail” of products you use to get your hair looking its best?

Your friendly neighborhood beauyt addict,

Karen

3 Easy Steps to Loose Waves / Originally published January 17th, 2009

There are 27 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Hair

Previous Post: Beauty Snacks: Sites of the Day, Jan. 17
Next Post: Makeup and Beauty Blog on Video

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christina says

    January 17th, 2009 at 7:17 pm

    I’m going to have to try this! My hair has stopped responding to the tricks that used to work. Thanks, Karen!

    Christina´s last blog post..Guess Who Might Be Your Mother?

    Reply
  2. Rachel says

    January 17th, 2009 at 7:57 pm

    i dont usually do my hair wavy buuutt when i do i use:
    1. v05 curvaceous curls mousse – seriously not bad for the price
    2. fekkai summer hair beach wave spray – smells amazing, works fantastic!
    3. if my hair won’t listen, i use garnier fructis curl shaping spray gel, but sparsely 🙂

    if i had to recommend one it would be fekkai of course. good investment!

    btw karen, i checked out the blonde/brunette/redhead collection at mac today and it wasn’t so impressive for me in person. i fixed my disappointment by buying two amazing pairs of shoes 😛

    Reply
  3. Marisol says

    January 17th, 2009 at 8:31 pm

    Lovely hair Karen! Whenever I try to get loose waves, I get a lot of frizz. Might be the products or just my hair is too curly and unruly to do what I want.

    I do use a cocktail of products depending on what I want to do with my hair. But lately I have been straightening with a flat iron and using a heat protectant.

    Marisol´s last blog post..Pictures from my vacation

    Reply
  4. Tiera says

    January 17th, 2009 at 9:00 pm

    I don’t usually do loose waves like this either. If I put my hair in a bun long enough, it will hold the curl. That’s pretty much my go-to look, so easy!

    In totally unrelated news, I thought you might enjoy this video:
    http://video.yahoo.com/network/100000086?v=4283774&l=100000085

    Tiera´s last blog post..Laura Mercier First Blush Collection Now Available

    Reply
  5. lesley says

    January 17th, 2009 at 9:35 pm

    I love Brilliantine! In fact it’s one of the few things I use… I have a shoulder length bob with lots of layers so after showering with my Bumble and Bumble Creme de Coco shampoo and conditioner I put about a nickel sized amount of Brilliantine into damp hair. Then I let it air dry and then straighten it out with my GHD flat iron. Sometimes I’ll skip the straightening and add a little more Brilliantine to my ends to have a carefree shaggy bob. =)

    By the way, are you still using the Creme de Coco masque on your hair? How are you liking it in the long run? I’ve been thinking of buying it for the longest time and I’m due for another trim in about a month so I might grab it while I’m at my salon.

    Hope you’re having a good weekend!

    Reply
  6. Alison says

    January 18th, 2009 at 3:51 am

    Hi karen,

    I thought you should know, I was browsing for chanel nail polish on Ebay and a shop called Cosmetix Club has used your pics of vendetta and django.

    Reply
  7. tali says

    January 18th, 2009 at 4:03 am

    I have stubborn dead straight hair… i use Brilliantine as a de-frizz/glosser on the go!

    I always wanted wavy hair… the grass is always greener.. and you hair looks so nice!

    Reply
  8. Adriana says

    January 18th, 2009 at 8:14 am

    hi karen, you look very pretty! My hair is ugly wavy so I always have to use products to make it nice wavy and another product I recommend to everybody is AVEDA Be Curly. It is an awesome product and it really makes defined waves. It has wheat protein that when dry contracts and makes hair wavy, it is awesome! I guess it’s something similar to the Sexy Organic product you have.

    Reply
  9. Karen says

    January 18th, 2009 at 10:01 am

    Hi Christina,

    I hope it works for you… do you have wavy hair, too?

    Reply
  10. Karen says

    January 18th, 2009 at 10:01 am

    Hi Rachel,

    That’s a bummer about BBR, but I gotta say — you can never go wrong with shoes. 🙂 What do your new pairs look like?

    Reply
  11. Karen says

    January 18th, 2009 at 10:02 am

    Hi Marisol,

    I go through those phases where I straighten my hair! Sometimes it’s just easier, you know?

    Do you find that you need anything in addition to the thermal protectant, or is that enough to fight the frizz?

    Hope you are enjoying being back in the Bay!

    Reply
  12. Karen says

    January 18th, 2009 at 10:02 am

    Hi Lesley,

    Yup, I’m still using the masque. I think in the long run having it helps, especially because my hair tends to get so dang dry. I have also started using both the Creme de Coco shampoo and conditioner… it’s REALLY GREAT STUFF! I love how it detangles, and it leaves my hair smelling so good. I can see why people get addicted to it.

    My weekend has been pretty mellow — I puttered around the house yesterday and then watched The Duchess on DVD last night. Today I’m going to go and visit my parents. How has yours been? Do anything exciting?

    Reply
  13. Karen says

    January 18th, 2009 at 10:02 am

    Hi Alison,

    Thanks for letting me know!

    Reply
  14. Karen says

    January 18th, 2009 at 10:02 am

    Hi Tali,

    Yup, it’s true that the grass is always greener, especially when it comes to hair! I have always wanted stick straight hair and I am envious of your mane. 🙂

    Reply
  15. Karen says

    January 18th, 2009 at 10:03 am

    Hi Adriana,

    I’ve heard good things about Be Curly. How does it leave your hair feeling? Is it a soft gel or a crunchy one?

    Reply
  16. Karen says

    January 18th, 2009 at 10:40 am

    Hi Tiera,

    How fun! Thanks for putting up that link. I loved the ninja kitty. 🙂

    Reply
  17. Christina says

    January 18th, 2009 at 12:14 pm

    Hi, Karen,

    It depends on the weather. Sometimes my hair behaves itself and is ringlet-y, and other days it needs all the help I can give it. Thanks for the advice!

    Christina´s last blog post..Have Fun And Help Out The President-Elect

    Reply
  18. Shiny says

    January 18th, 2009 at 6:53 pm

    Nothing has ever worked for me… if I wear my hair naturally I end up with a bunch of frizz… I may need to try this cocktail thing that you and other commenters are talking about because one product certainly isn’t doing the trick.

    Reply
  19. Heidi says

    January 18th, 2009 at 7:34 pm

    I rub in some Biosilk’s silk therapy in my damp hair to soften it first, and then I work in some mousse to bring out my waves without the crunchiness.

    Reply
  20. Alicia says

    January 18th, 2009 at 8:29 pm

    Your hair looks so gorgeous!

    Reply
  21. Karen says

    January 18th, 2009 at 9:28 pm

    Hi Christina,

    Girl, I hear that! My hair is weather dependent as well. If there’s any humidity in the air I know I’m up for a challenge.

    Anyhoo, I hope this method works for ya. 🙂

    Reply
  22. Karen says

    January 18th, 2009 at 9:29 pm

    Hi Shiny,

    Hmm, it sounds like you might have to start using more than one. A good place to start might be one to control the hair (like a gel) and a second to cut down on the frizz (like a serum).

    Reply
  23. Karen says

    January 18th, 2009 at 9:29 pm

    Hi Heidi,

    I was such a Biosilk girl circa 1999! I couldn’t get enough of that stuff. Isn’t it great when you put it on the ends?

    Reply
  24. Karen says

    January 18th, 2009 at 9:29 pm

    Hi Alicia,

    Thanks, hon! Do you have a special hair cocktail to get your hair to behave?

    Reply
  25. Lexi says

    January 19th, 2009 at 5:20 am

    Karen, you look beautiful in this picture! I know this is a hair post, but what do you have on your lips? Beautiful!

    Reply
  26. Karen says

    January 19th, 2009 at 7:51 am

    Hi Lexi,

    Thank you! 🙂

    On my lips I’m wearing a combo of two products from MAC BBR: What a Do! lipstick and Soft Wave lipglass. It’s a really easy neutral lip. You should try it! 🙂

    Reply
  27. rita says

    January 22nd, 2009 at 5:15 pm

    you re so lucky karen, it’s hard to do this hairstyle while keeping the hair shiny! I think this is the better hairstyle for you, at least this is the sexier one 😀 you re ready for the red carpet!
    kisses

    rita´s last blog post..Vogue Portugal Feb. 2009

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog

Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog! My name is Karen, and I’m a freelance writer obsessed with makeup.

Makeup and Beauty Blog features daily product reviews, makeup tips and beauty news — like an interactive version of a monthly print magazine, except with occasional pictures of my cat.

Recent Posts

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 878

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 894

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 893

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 892

Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 891

/* real people should not fill this in and expect good things – do not remove this or risk form bot signups */

Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Featured Posts

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 771

Lady Unicorn

Weird Things I Like to Do

brows fill out beforehand

Before You Pluck or Wax Your Brows, You Must Do This

current bare skin status

What’s One Thing That Drastically Changed Your Skin for the Better?

Copyright © 2025 Makeup and Beauty Blog. Get in touch.