Celeb Hairstylist Behind Katy Perry's Most-Liked Instagram Photo Shows You How To Recreate The Look

When Katy Perry debuted a new, long-haired look on Instagram, the post quickly became her most liked photo ever. And we can see why! Just look at her gorgeous soft waves:

Chris Appleton is the celeb hairstylist behind Katy's hair in the picture (not to mention J.Lo's Super Bowl halftime show hair and Kim Kardashian's Paris Fashion Week hair).

"People keep requesting, 'How do you get those mermaid waves?' I want to show you a few Hollywood secrets I use which are really, really easy for you to use at home," Chris says. "I think when you see it, you'll be surprised at how easy this look is to create."

Rachael Ray Show

Using our viewer Rylie as a model, Chris demonstrates how to style soft beach waves in just one easy step. And the best part? You can achieve this look without using any heat. Here's how:

How To Get Soft Mermaid Waves Without Heat

Chris prepped Rylie's hair by dampening it, parting it down the middle and doing two tight braids, one on either side of her head. He calls this "cheating the look." The hairstylist recommends going to bed with the braids in so they can dry overnight. 

In the morning, take the braids out and your hair will have that soft wave! 

How To Style Mermaid Waves With Heat

You can totally stop at the step above for pretty, soft waves, but if you do want to deepen your waves, you can also finish off the look like Chris did on Rylie with this optional second step.

Working with small sections of hair at a time, Chris used the three-barrel Mermade Hair Waver. "The size of it is what makes it easy to do," the hairstylist says of the gadget.