The New Way to Create Beach Waves at the VS Show Will Blow Your Mind

Backstage at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, there's always a ton of pink — the walls, the "pink carpet," the beauty products, the models' robes — but this season, there was a special addition. Every glam squad station was supplied with limited-edition hot-pink Sarah Potempa Beachwaver curling irons, the official hot-tool sponsor for the televised event. If you haven't heard of this genius tool, then it's time to catch up. The rotating curling iron was created by celebrity hairstylist and braid-lover Sarah Potempa. Sarah worked alongside lead stylist Akki to create bombshell waves with a twist on the gorgeous Angels.
"I did the show years ago, and I think in the very beginning it was a tighter wave," Sarah said of how the hair has changed. "Last year's show was really relaxed. And the year before that, they tried a natural wave. But to be honest, it's Victoria's Secret and the runway. They have to be sexy because [the models] have these insane outfits and wings on. Everything is larger than life."
She went on, "So this year, we are going back to that sexy glam, but it has that natural feel since we are changing up the way we're using [the curling iron]. And then, at the very end, we are adding that texture and movement."
Read a breakdown of the steps for how to get the Victoria's Secret 2015 show hair:
Step 1: Prep the hair with Victoria's Secret Mega-Lift Mousse ($14).
Step 2: Add hair extensions. "We are color matching and adding pieces," Sarah noted. "If you are going to re-create it [at home], you can do clip-ins. There are so many cool things you can do to turn your hair into this gorgeous, glam look."
Step 3: Roughly blow-dry the hair to keep texture in it. "If you use a round brush and blow it out too much, you're going to lose that natural roughness," Sarah explained. This will help the curls stay in place longer.
Step 4: After the blow-dry, add a tiny bit of cream and Victoria's Secret High-Shine Serum ($14) at the ends to give it some shine. "So it has that mix of texture and a gorgeous beach wave with shine at the end," Sarah added.
Step 5: Here's the best part: Akki showed Sarah a new way to use the Beachwaver to get a fresh curl. Clip a section of hair into the hot tool, leaving two inches loose. Press the arrow, curl it halfway up the hair, and take it out. Go back in where you left off in the middle, and curl it up close to the root. "It makes an uneven and flatter wave," Sarah said. "You can be creative with it and create different patterns. That was supercool for me because we are trying it a different way."
Step 6: If you have time before your event (or runway show!), roll the curled sections up, and clip them to your head to set them. Cover with a net to keep it from moving. When you remove the clips and shake out your hair, you'll have gorgeous Victoria's Secret bombshell waves!

Keep reading to watch Sarah and her team create stunning waves on Kendall Jenner, Lily Aldridge, and more models!