Riding the Wave

Garbo Then

Fox Now

You may not have her 22-inch waist (unless you’re in 5th grade), but you can have Megan Fox’s glamorous retro waves. The Transformers “star,” I use that term lightly since she’s more known for her looks than acting chops, and other tabloid hot shots like Lauren Conrad are leaving their braids behind and graduating to this regal hairstyle. Perhaps they’ve been watching some Greta Garbo classics, or maybe their hairstylist is to credit. Whatever the case, the finger wave is back and it’s really easy to do with the help of some modern styling tools. Oscar Blandi Salon senior stylist Nunzio Saviano, whose clients include Brooke Shields and Mira Sorvino, walks us through the steps.Before the styling begins, you should know there’s no need for a perfect blowdry. Finger drying the hair will suffice. Nunzio also recommends spritzing in a heat protector like Chi’s Thermal Protection Spray first so locks don’t get scorched from the hot iron.If you have time to playWhat you need: 1 1/2 inch barrel curling iron. Technique: Brush the hair into a deep side part. Then, take a one-inch section of hair and wrap it around the curling iron. The next one-inch section should be wrapped in the opposite direction.Note: you can either start curling the hair at the root and then brush out the curl later to soften the bends, or, if you have enough natural volume at the top of your head, you can start the curl at ear level. Continue this process until you have enough waves to drape in front of your shoulder. Finish by rubbing a shine spray in the palms of your hands and very gently loosening up the waves.If you’re in a rush What you need: 3-barrel curling iron. Technique: Rather than single handily forming each curl, this tool creates rolling waves for you. It works like the crimp iron we unfortunately fell in love with in the ’80s. Just clamp down on a section of hair, hold and repeat until you reach the ends. Again, depending on how much lift you want at the crown you can either start at ear level for minimal height, or, you can start at the roots to get more body and then smooth out the waves with a brush.*BG Tip If you’re turned off by the traditional curling iron because it can be a bitch to work with, here’s a pro secret that will turn it into your new favorite toy. Instead of pressing down the lever, sticking your hair between the plates and curling, pretend that the lever doesn’t exist. All you need to do is keep the iron still, wrap the hair around the barrel and hold for a few seconds. This technique is a million times easier, faster and way less exhausting on the wrist.