It's Actually So Easy to Recreate Gabrielle Union's Perfect Beach Waves

Beachy waves are a go-to celebrity hairstyle for good reason: They look great on virtually everyone, since the effortless look flatters all face shapes, hair types and ages. But if you think the idea of mastering those perfectly loose curls sounds more than a little daunting, rest assured that the smart tutorials ahead make it simple to pull off the popular summer hairstyle all year long... no beach trip or salt water required. "Beach waves are relaxed curls that are great for an everyday textured hairstyle," says celebrity hairstylist Sarah Potempa, inventor of The Beachwaver curling iron. "To get the look, simply leave one to two inches of the ends of your hair out when curling."

Beach waves have only grown in popularity over the years because of their versatility. "They are the perfect balance between curls and straight hair and work for almost every hair length and type of situation, from a presentation at work to a night out," she explains. "Plus, beach waves add volume and movement to your hair, with the front pieces drawing attention up to your eyes and accentuating your cheekbones."

So what tool is ideal for making beach waves? A curling iron, experts say (Potempa recommends her Beachwaver, a Good Housekeeping Beauty Award-winning self-rotating curling iron). The key is in how it's used. First, know that the smaller the curling iron's barrel, the tighter the wave will be, she advises (think 3/4 inch for tight waves, 1 inch for classic beach waves, and 1 1/4 inch for loose, voluminous waves). Here's how to create beach waves with a curling iron, according to Potempa:

• Prep hair by spritzing a heat protectant spray all over.
• Section off hair into the top and bottom, then separate strands into the left and right side.
• Hold the curling iron upright with the clamp facing forward, place a one to two inch section of hair into the clamp, leaving an inch or two of the ends out to create a beachy wave, then twist the iron away from your face.
• Once the iron reaches the crown of your head, hold for three to four seconds, then open the clamp and pull the iron straight down to release.
• Repeat on the left and right sides. Avoid touching your curls until they are completely cool (touching strands that are still warm can loosen the curl and will cause it to fall flat), she says.
• Spray a flexible hold hairspray onto a brush, then gently brush out your waves. Apply a finishing cream to the ends of hair if needed to tame any flyaways, Potempa suggests.

This is just one method of many for getting great beach waves, as you can see below: The secret is pairing the right hair products and tools with these genius styling tips from our favorite hair pros and the experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab. Bonus: Each one of these beach wave tutorials for long, medium and short hair takes less than 10 minutes — some as little as two. Double bonus: Some can be done overnight and naturally without heat, so they don't even require a curling iron, wand or hair straightener!