The Secret To The “Lived In” Look

Pro hairdresser, Alin Fekete, specializes in effortless textures and modern styling. During his visit to the StyleSeat HQ, Alin shared his secret to mastering those edgy “lived in” waves.

Alin explains the “lived in” look as, “looking a little undone, like your hair hasn’t been freshly cut or styled.”

To prep this look, Alin used a paddle brush to smooth out the hair. “Don’t overdo it,” he says. “You want it to look natural.”

Alin’s Product of choice: Kevin Murphy’s “Doo Over” texturizing dry shampoo to help protect the hair and give it a slight hold.

Alin’s Tool of Choice: ghd Curve – similar to a curling wand with a flatter surface.

THE PROCESS:

– Work in two inch sections at a diagonal.

– Use the wand at medium heat. High heat will make the waves look too polished.

– Hold the wand at a diagonal and wrap the hair around in an “S” shape for a loose finish.

– They key is to alternate the direction of the “S” for each section of hair.

PRO TIPS:

• “A common mistake is over ironing every piece and spending too much time to get a perfect shape. It’s ok if a couple pieces fall out because we are going to intentionally mess it up and shake it out at the end.”
• “People make the mistake of wrapping hair really tightly around the wand in a circular motion instead of an “S.” Doing this will create a ringlet effect rather than something more loose and modern like you are going for.”
• “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Mistakes are great. You can learn from them immediately and they will help you grow.”

– Once you are finished with your waves, it’s time to go to town with your dry shampoo.

– There are a few ways you can finish this look:

Traditionally, you would finish with some dry shampoo and hairspray, run your hands through it a little bit and you’re finished.

If you want an even more natural look, the more you run your hands through it, the more you distress it, the better.

“I use dry shampoo and then hit it with a blow dryer. That promotes even more of that effortless beachy feel.”

Watch the tutorial here to see Alin in action.  

You can check out Frankie (our hair model) here.