tutorial: blake lively beach waves

So, I'm honestly a little obsessed with Blake Lively. She's so, so beautiful and always has that easy, California-girl, beachy style.

When I went blonde, one of the things I was most excited about was getting to recreate some of Blake's beauty and hair looks! I think I probably mentioned her six times to my hairdresser when she was putting the highlights in.

Beach waves are my favorite hairstyle this summer, and I'm so excited that I finally got this one right. The secret is a tapered, clampless curling iron -- totally amazing, and gives perfect waves every time. I got mine at Bed Bath and Beyond's beauty section, and it was about $40 (since then, I've seen the same one at a drugstore for $10 more), and Amazon has it for $35 with free shipping!

If you'd asked me five years ago if owning four separate curling irons (plus two flatirons and a blowdryer) was ridiculous, I probably would have said yes.

But I would have been wrong!

Because I tried for a long time to get this style with the curling irons I already had, and nothing worked this well. If you really want summer beach waves, $35 for this one isn't such a bad investment.