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Wavy Hair Don’t Care! Say Hi to the Bed Head Making Waves S Waver

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Bed Head Making Waves S Waver
Wavy hair, courtesy of the Bed Head Making Waves S Waver

Yo, VIP…let’s kick it!

Last time I used a hair crimper — and that’s pretty much what the $34.99 Bed Head Making Waves S Waver is, albeit updated and newfangled — Ice Ice Baby was playing (nonstop) on the radio, and the 90210 Dylan-Kelly-Brenda love triangle was sending shockwaves through my high school. Snickers Bars were a bonafide food group, and I harbored dreams of Keanu Reeves asking me to the prom.

Oh, yeah. And wavy hair ruled the land.

Bed Head Making Waves S Waver
The Bed Head Making Waves S Waver ($34.99), available now at Ulta stores and ulta.com

So, this doohickey is much cooler than the crimping irons I used back in the day. The surface area is markedly wider, so it doesn’t take anywhere near as long to get lots of great texture in your hair as you move down the shaft. Plus, I think the bigger waves look more modern.

The marketing mumbo-jumbo: the S-shaped waver barrel uses tourmaline ceramic technology!

In non-beauty jargon, that just means that it’s coated with crystals that help eliminate frizz. The waver also has multiple heat settings and a handy tangle-free swivel cord.

It does not, however, have an auto off switch.

Basically, all you do is slip a 1-2 inch section of hair into the waver, clamp down, then let it heat up your hair for…however long you want to keep it in there. I usually do from 30 seconds to a minute.

When you release the iron, that section of hair will have a deep S-shaped wave. Then you move the iron down the shaft, lining up the outermost wave from the previous section as you work your way down.

My hair falls past my shoulders and already has a little loose, natural wave to it, so I use the Bed Head S-Waver on the upper layers and a few sections of inner layers, but I don’t use it on every section because I prefer it when the texture doesn’t look overly uniform.

I guess I like having a bit of chaos both in my hurrr and my life. 🙂

First, the pros. It heats up quickly — just a few minutes — works fast, and the waves it creates last for days. If I “wave” my hair on Monday (and refrain from washing it), the style lasts till Wednesday or Thursday.

From start to finish, it takes less than 10 minutes to use, which is great. The fact that I can get a lot of texture that quickly is a big plus.

Bed Head Making Waves S Waver

It’s not perfect, though (what is?). I do have a few beefs with it…

First, the smell. Not mincing any words here, but it’s janky. Jan-kaaaaay! When the iron heats up, it smells weirdly plastic and artificial, like sometime’s melting a whole mess load of Barbie dolls in a witch’s cauldron.

Not a fan. And it takes more than a few times using the waver for the smell to subside.

Also, it’s not easy to tell where the wave patterns end when you’re using it, so getting the waves to transition seamlessly into each other as you move down the shaft is a chore. There’s a bit of guesswork involved; I have to pay close attention, and seeing as how I’m usually doing this at the crack of dawn, that’s not ideal. Most of the time before about 9 a.m., I can barely even dress myself, but, ya know, I really do like how my hair looks when I’m done. We’re talking full-on mermaid princess. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Your hair looks really gorgeous!! My natural hair had similar waves before I over processed it to all hell lol but it looks really natural and suits you 🙂
    & I love your necklace! You’re so tiny and you pull off chunky necklaces so well I’m jealous! I’m 5’4 and I guess that’s not particularly tall or short and I can’t seem to pull them off

    Reply

  5. I think the result is very nice on you! I’m not a fan of straightening irons or crimpers and totally agree about the smell – it never fully goes away. I already blow dry every day so my poor hair definitely doesn’t need more heat! 🙂

    Reply

  6. My friend has this and it works so well even on her straight hair. After seeing your results and hers I really want this! My hair has a little natural wave to it and it holds a curl really well so I think I could get a couple days out of the style like you do. I currently blow dry it straight every day but with humid weather creeping in I need something different cause straight won’t last on me through hot days.

    Reply

  8. Did you put on heat protectant or any styling goop? Or you just went ahead with the crimper? (I’m so 80s!)

    Reply

  9. Your hair looks amazing in these pics! I used a waver a long time ago by Hot Tools, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. It seemed like such a chore getting the waves just right.

    Did you use any product to enhance the waves? I might pull my waver out again and give it a try.

    Reply

  10. I bought this after someone used an S shaped waver on my hair. I returned this after. It did not get hot enough to do anythkng to my hair 🙁

    Reply

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