If there's one woman who can bring back '80s hair, it's Blake Lively. So when she sported an unapologetically-big, ringlety golden mane on the third day of her NYC press tour for The Shallows, it was a testament to the fact that the permed look—whether actually permanent or not—is back...but boasting a modern twist. Eager to replicate the humidity-friendly, Stacey Q-inspired look, we got the lowdown from her hairstylist Rod Ortega who believes that big hair is back with a vengeance (and a 2016 update).
1. Finger dry your wet hair before you blow dry.
"You don't want to use a brush, just use your fingers," explains Ortega. "It's all about building up the texture that you have. If you have a little bit of wave, save that wave because it's going to help you with this look." Once your hair is textured and tangle-free, blow dry your hair.
2. Spray, brush, repeat.
Take your hairspray—Ortega's go-to is *always* L'Oréal Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold Hair Spray because it's brushable—mist it on the hair, brush, and keep on doing this to prep the hair and build volume. But don't get too heavy-handed with the product...
"The great thing about this style is that it's an homage to the '80s, but what makes it modern is that it's not crunchy looking. In the '80s it was very stiff and backcombed, like a plastered curl. This is more of like a billowy, fluffy, shiny, texture-y curl-wave than that look."
For these curls, Ortega used the tool that's been his secret weapon throughout Lively's entire press tour: The T3 Whirl Trio Curling Iron, which comes with three different barrels (1" straight barrel, a 1.5" straight barrel, and a 1.25"-0.75" tapered barrel). For this look, he used the smallest barrel.
3. Curl the hair...imperfectly.
"With my fingers, I wrapped the hair just like a corkscrew around the iron, but what made it more modern is not fully curling the ends," he said. "It's less curly-Q and gives it more of a boho look." Because the hair is already prepped with hairspray, it curls quick, so don't leave it on the iron for too long.
As far as the pattern goes, changing things up is the best way to go. "Curl one half-inch section going one way and the next section the opposite way, so it gives it more of a naturally-curly look. It's not supposed to be uniform," he advised.
4. Brush out the curls.
Once the entire head is curled, you're going to want to brush them out for fluffiness, says Ortega. (Editors' Note: You can also use the umbrella teasing technique.)
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