When I find something good, I do not shut up about it. Ever since I tried the newly launched Amika High Tide Deep Waver a few weeks ago, I have been preaching the gospel of my new hair obsession (just ask my coworkers). Prompted or not, I would tell anyone who even glanced at my hair, “It’s so easy to use—and I’m garbage with hair tools!” or “I feel like I’m in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.”
Let it be known that hair is my beauty weakness. I’m terrible with hot tools and usually just sleep on mine wet and come into work with bedhead that I think is cool in a sexy-but-not-trying way, but probably just looks like I didn’t try at all (not in a sexy way). I'm also always running 10 minutes behind, so I have no time to remedy it in the morning. So when I came into work and was actually getting compliments on my hair (which I was, left and right), I knew I had found something good.
I’ve been obsessed with loose, beachy waves (think Aquamarine meets Olsen twins) for forever and have tried tons of irons on my straight hair, but have never been able to get it right. They leave my hair too crimped and crinkly, and looking obviously “done.” I’ve even gone as far as getting a “beachy perm” in high school, but it left me looking more like a poodle than a mermaid.
The Amika Waver changed all that. It looks like a fairly standard waving iron with three barrels. The difference is that this one is pretty large, about four inches across, which I think is where the magic lies. Because of the extra-large size, it gives me big, loose waves without a crinkle in sight. It doesn’t look as though I’ve done anything to it; in fact, several coworkers asked me if that was my natural hair all along.
Besides the mermaid hair, my favorite thing about the waver is that it’s so damn easy to use. I almost never leave the house on time, so I like to use it at night on soon-to-be second-day hair. The fact that I can use it before bed and wake up with nearly perfect tousled waves is truly game-changing. I usually just divide my hair into four to six sections, depending on how big I want the waves to be or how much time I feel like spending on my hair. Then I brush out whatever section I’m working with, and start clamping my hair between the barrels like a sandwich.
I start the wave at the top of my head (but not directly on the roots—a few inches down) and gently work my way down the section, holding each “clamp” in place for about five seconds. I’ve found I get the most natural-looking wave by not pulling my hair so tight that it’s straight, but instead by moving it along with the natural motion of the iron—sort of bending it like an accordion as it moves through the barrels. It sounds more complicated than it is, but I promise it's super intuitive to use, even for someone who can somehow manage to eff up using a flatiron.
Instagram content
The only learning curve I’ve had is getting a dent on the top of my head where the waves start. Naeemah LaFond, Amika’s global artistic director, recommends holding the waver at a slight slant when working with the top layer of hair to avoid a harsh line, which I've found incredibly helpful for getting a natural wave. She also recommends going back over the roots with a flatiron to flatten the top of your hair down for a more natural look.
When I want my hair to feel slightly more lived-in, I start the wave further down my hair (slightly above my ears), and when I want to channel Carrie Bradshaw, I start them close to my part for more volume. I like to clamp down on my face-framing pieces for about one second to give them a little oomph without becoming waves. The next morning I'll finger-comb my hair with a little oil to tame any frizz, and then I'm out the door.
Instagram content
I truly cannot believe I love a hair waver so much, but the results are so good I basically don't have a choice. And the fact that it takes me about 10 minutes? I don't have an excuse.
Buy Now: Amika High Tide Deep Waver, $120, Sephora
Bella Cacciatore is the beauty assistant at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram @bellacacciatore_.
