Waterfall Waves: The Soft, Flowing Wave Everyone Wants This Summer
There is a certain kind of wave that never tries too hard. Not the tight, sprayed-stiff curls of a red-carpet throwback, and not the salt-crusted texture of a day at the beach either, but something that sits beautifully between the two. We call it the waterfall wave, and this summer it has quietly become the look everyone in London is asking for.
Soft, loose and endlessly flattering, waterfall waves move when you move. They catch the light, frame the face and look effortless even when there is a little craft behind them. Here is everything you need to know about the season's most wanted wave, and how to get it.
What Exactly Are Waterfall Waves?
Picture water spilling gently over rocks: smooth, continuous, with a natural rhythm rather than uniform ringlets. That is the energy behind waterfall waves. The shape begins soft around the crown, then opens up into looser, flowing bends through the mid-lengths and ends.
The trick is in the imperfection. Where Hollywood glamour waves are precise and symmetrical, and beach waves are deliberately undone, waterfall waves borrow from both. They have e
nough polish to feel done, but enough movement to feel real. It is the wave that works for a wedding, a dinner, or simply a Tuesday when you want your hair to behave.
Why They Are the Look of the Summer
Summer styling tends to swing towards ease, and waterfall waves deliver it without sacrificing elegance. They suit the warmer months because they thrive on softness rather than rigid hold, so they age gracefully through a long day and a humid evening.
They are also wonderfully democratic. This is a shape that flatters almost everyone, whatever your length or texture, because the waves can be scaled to suit you: tighter and more defined for shorter hair, looser and more languid for longer lengths. For anyone who has felt that waves are not for them, this is the one to try.
Who Suits Waterfall Waves?
The honest answer is nearly everyone, which is part of the appeal. Longer hair carries the flowing, cascading quality beautifully, while a lob or mid-length takes on a romantic, swishy bounce. Fine hair gains the illusion of body and thickness, and thicker hair is given shape and direction rather than weight.
Face shape rarely rules this look out. Because the waves typically begin below the cheekbone, they soften the jaw and add gentle width where you want it. If you are unsure how to tailor the wave to your features, that is exactly the kind of thing our stylists love to talk through at the chair.
How to Get the Look at Home
Start with hair that is fully dry and prepped with a light heat protectant. Take medium sections, around two to three centimetres wide, and wrap each one around a tong, leaving the last few centimetres of the ends out for that softer, lived-in finish.
Alternate the direction of each section, curling some towards the face and some away. This is the single most important step: it stops the waves looking like a uniform set of curls and gives you that natural, spilling movement instead. Once everything has cooled, rake your fingers through gently, mist with a flexible-hold spray, and resist the urge to overwork it. With waterfall waves, less really is more.
Making Them Last
The secret to waves that survive the day is cooling them in shape. After releasing each curl, clip it loosely against your head and let it set while you finish the rest, then unclip at the end. A touch of texture spray at the roots adds grip, and a light mist of hairspray from a distance keeps everything flexible rather than crunchy.
If you want the look done properly, with the right tools and a finish that holds, a professional blow-dry and style is the easiest route. It is also one of our most popular summer styling and blow-dry upgrades, perfect before an event or simply as a treat.
Ready to float through summer on a cloud of soft, flowing waves? Our stylists at both Gusto Hair locations would love to create your perfect waterfall wave. Book at Oxford Street | Book at Covent Garden.
