I consider myself a DIY hair master class graduate — as much as one can be without a beauty school degree. I do 90% of my blow-outs myself, save for the ones associated with my job (the best job in the universe is one where having your hair done counts as work). I know my way around a wand, a self-rotating curling iron, even a marcel iron. But flat irons flat out stump this gal, so when Sally Beauty Hair Expert Gregory Patterson, a long time mane man of mine, busted out Sally’s new Magnesium Ion Collection, I asked for a quick tutorial. Here’s how to achieve modern, piece-y, unfussy waves quickly.

Why magnesium? Before yesterday, I thought it was just the sleepy supplement I hoarded at French pharmacies. Here’s what Gregory says.

Lived-in waves blow-dry tip: skip the brush, use your fingers to pull hair upward in small sections.

This keeps the blow-out from looking too done, i.e., not modern.

Here’s the KEY to flat iron waves: cooler temperature to avoid that stupid kink.

Mix up the texture with a ribbon beach wave:

If you don’t do that, you wind up with old-news Kardashian sausage curls.

Check out more hair must-haves at sallybeauty.com