40 Long, Wavy Hairstyles

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updated Nov 22, 2020

model Gisele Bundchen on the red carpet — Taylor Hill/Getty Images

Hair trends come and go, but waves never go out of style. There is no one way to wear your hair wavy—you can opt for loose, beachy texture, tighter curls, or big, barrel waves courtesy of your curling iron. How to achieve the look will depend on several factors, such as your natural hair (is it super curly or pin-straight?), whether you like to use heat styling tools, your favorite method for styling... the list goes on. Long strands provide the perfect opportunity to really play with the texture. So, keep on scrolling for 40 long, wavy hairstyles you'll want to try immediately.

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Beach Waves

This gorgeous head of wavy hair on Sofia Reyes looks like it just came from the beach. Find out how to get beachy waves and mimic this classic look for long hair.

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Ombre Waves

Ombré is an especially fitting highlight technique for adding dimension to endless waves. The color on this style is amazing.

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Unraveled Braids

Partially unraveled braids, as seen here on Gabrielle Union, are a unique way to create waves. Hair jewels add a touch of red carpet-ready glitz.

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Painted-on Color

Getty: Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

We love waves paired with balayage highlights, which give the appearance of layers and thickness, while keeping the color looking totally natural.

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Long, Ombre Waves

Another take on ombré. These waves move from deep, chestnut brown to a cooler ash brow at the ends.

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Blonde Bombshell Curls

Nothing beats a classic old Hollywood curl when you already have thick, luscious blonde strands.

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Effortless Wavy Hair

No doubt actress Rachelle Lefevre has some help here from extensions. But if you have thick, wavy hair, you too can have this look. Smooth out the crown before sculpting the ends. Get this look with a wide-barreled curling iron.

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Wavy Half-Up/Half-Down

Beyoncé changes up her hair texture pretty often, but she's usually rocking thick, honey-colored waves. Here, she pulls the front back into an ultra-high half-up/half-down, with waves cascading down her shoulders.

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Giselle Waves

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen is the patron saint of gorgeous, beachy waves. Her golden bronde color is perfect for capturing a relaxed, carefree vibe.

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Big, Bouncy Curls

To get Amber Heard's big, bouncy curls, wash your hair, spritz with volumizing spray, and then blow dry hair straight. Spray hair with a heat-protecting spray and separate into two or three sections. Starting with one section, curl hair with a large-barrel curling iron. Let curls cool, then finger comb them into place and finish with a spritz of hairspray.

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Long, Casual Waves

Sofia Vergara's casual waves are easy to mimic and are a great way to add volume to straight hair.

For more natural-looking waves, alternate the direction you are wrapping your hair around the curling iron.

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Barely There Waves

To get barely-there waves like Erin Heatherton, it's important to only create a few curls around the head. Too many and you'll end up with way more curls than in this picture.

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Natural Waves

Most of us have some natural waves in our hair. To play them up, let hair air dry, scrunching hair into the palms of hands as hair dries. You can also wind and secure towel-dried hair into a loose bun to get the same effects. Once hair is dry, you can wrap a few sections a large, 2-inch or 1 1/2-inch barrel curling iron to play up more waves. Be sure to leave the ends out so it looks more natural (don't clamp in the hair, simply wrap it around the barrel). For a mussy look, bend over at the waist with your head down and give hair a good shake.

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Medium-Length Waves

Jessica Alba is another queen of waves. She usually rocks pretty long hair, but we love this medium-length cut that still has loads of body and movement.

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Curly Waves

This Tyra Banks style shows off the curlier side of wavy hair. Her strands here are are cross between loose curls and tighter waves. We love the way she's styled the look with a beanie for a relaxed vibe.

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Wavy Pigtails

To All the Boys I've Loved Before star Lana Condor gives us a super fresh take on pigtails with these wavy, loose double ponytails. It's fun and youthful, without appearing juvenile.

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Loose Curls

We love this look because we have curly hair that is extremely defined. This is a beautiful way to style thick hair that has a bit of a natural curl but maybe isn't super coiled.

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Super Long Hippie Hair

Ciara rocks '70s Cher hair with a wavy twist. A center part and mostly straight strands from the crown of her head to about her chin provide a throwback energy, while undulating ends add a modern twist.

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Salt Water Waves

These beachy waves are the result of having long, naturally wavy hair, going swimming in an ocean and then letting hair air dry while suntanning on the beach.

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Gorgeous Old Hollywood Waves

This wavy Old Hollywood hairstyle on Stephanie Jacobsen is ultra-covetable and truly timeless. The pushed-back part really accentuates her face shape, drawing attention to her high cheekbones. Find out what cut works best on your hair before heading to the salon.

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Brushed-Out Curls

No need to take a flat iron or blow dryer to your natural curls. Take a page from Zoe Saldana's book and brush out your curls for an edgy, big-hair look. Frizz can be totally on trend, especially when paired with a cool oversized flower accessory.

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Formal Waves

An elegant twisted half-up, half-down is perfect for a formal event like a prom or even a wedding. It retains a somewhat relaxed vibe on Jourdan Dunn thanks to face-framing pieces and a loose silhouette.

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Bouncy Waves

Megan Fox is all about the big, beautiful, bouncy curls. To steal her style, you'll need to break out the hot rollers.

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Straight Bangs, Wavy Body

Audrina Patridge demonstrates that the quintessential early '00s straight bangs-meets-curly body style doesn't have to be dated. Side-swept fringe and natural blonde highlights bring this look to the present day.

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Thick Waves

If you want hair like Julia Roberts (and who doesn't?) pull it back in a loose bun while it's damp, let dry, then pull out the elastic and finger comb out the gorgeous waves. Super easy.

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Shiny Waves

Iman's luscious curls get even more depth with the help of well-placed caramel highlights and loads of shine. To mimc her healthy strands, add a dollop of a shine serum like Ouidad Shine Glaze Serum ($20) to damp hair.

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Classic Waves

When Taylor Swift first debuted on the country music scene, her signature was a head full of classic waves. Though she's never strayed from blonde, she's experimented with very different hair looks since those early days.

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Choppy Waves

We love Naomi Campbell's hair here. Choppy waves with long, eyebrow-grazing fringe are a match made in heaven.

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Wet Look Waves

The wet look is a fresh take on waves, as demonstrated by Tracee Ellis Ross. Get cozy with the hair gel in order to emulate.

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Super Thick and Wavy

To get this look, I'm afraid you'll likely have to invest in extensions, unless you're blessed with naturally abundant locks like Mariah Carey.

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Wavy High Ponytail

Rihanna has insanely gorgeous lush waves here, aided by the addition of extensions and a super high ponytail that adds tons of volume. You can easily add clip-on extensions to your natural hair, and brands like Insert Name Here even sell pre-made ponytails.

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Blake Lively

Remember how Jennifer Aniston's hair was so hot in the '90s? Blake Lively is the modern day hair icon. Textured is hot right now, as are waves. Gone are the pin straight looks from yesteryear.

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Caramel Waves

Kerry Washington gives us another example of irresistible waves, this time with well-placed caramel highlights that bring light to the face.

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Just Past the Shoulder Waves

Add curl with a curling iron to give straight, shoulder-length hair some body and the illusion of more length.

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Goddess Curls

Leighton Meester's timeless curls give us total goddess vibes.

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Face-Framing S-Waves

Loose, beachy waves are great, but for a more formal look, use a curling iron to create S-shaped waves that frame the face. No fancy up 'do required.

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Glossy Waves

Sarah Hyland has the shiniest hair. Seriously, we could stare at it for hours and not get bored. Her perfectly defined waves are off-set by side-swept bangs.

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Shaggy Waves

Slightly overgrown, shaggy waves, like those on actor Melanie Laurent, give off a quintessential cool-girl vibe that is equally at home on the red carpet as it would be at brunch.

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Pinned-Back Waves

If you need your hair out of your face but still want to display beautiful, full-bodied waves, steal this styling tip from Penelope Cruz. She's pinned back only one side of her hair with a bobby pin for an asymmetrical, tousled look.

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Subtle Ombré Waves

Zendaya has incredible, highly textured waves here, but the coloring technique used is also worth noting. It's a subtle ombré, moving from chestnut brown at the roots to soft, reddish caramel at the ends.