Katy Perry’s Long Polished Waves Are Actually Pretty Simple To Recreate

Attempting to recall each one of Katy Perry’s hair looks over the years is enough to cause a dizzy spell. Whether she’s rocking a buzz cut or a bright blue bob, the singer has proved to be as adventurous in her style as she is with her music. Her appearance on the latest episode of SNL, however, signals that she can bring just as much heat by going back to her roots. Perry graced the famous stage in a red latex ensemble and luscious dark waves that harken back to the early, guitar-strumming days of her career — but with a tad more pop star drama.

“The inspiration for Katy’s look came from her recent music video for ‘When I’m Gone,’ celebrity hairstylist and OGXpert Jesus Guerrero says in a press release. “We wanted to create a very textured and messy yet perfectly shiny look for her stage performance. Working with Katy is always so fun, she has such radiant energy that makes styling her hair so fun.”

To create Perry’s glamorous waves, Guerrero prepped her damp hair with the OGX Protecting + Silk Blowout Quick Drying Thermal Spray for protection and shine. Once dry, he added a soft bend from the mid-lengths down using the GHD Platinum+ Styler. “After I went through creating the loose waves, I went over them with the GHD 1.25-inch Curling Iron starting at the top portion of Katy’s hair to create a more structured pattern with some volume and shape,” he says.

He continues: “Since the goal of this look was to be effortless yet also polished, I spritzed a generous amount of the OGX Shine & Revitalize + Argan Oil of Morocco Multi-Benefit Hairspray throughout the waves adding extra hold.”

Once the curls were in place, Guerrero finished Perry’s look with spritzes of the OGX Natural Finish Aspen Texture Dry Texture Finishing Spray and the OGX Purifying + Charcoal Detox Dry Shampoo. “This combination of products created the most perfect finishing texture for the look,” he says.

Ahead, shop the exact products that Guerrero used and create your very own pop star moment — no celebrity hairstylist necessary.

We only include products that have been independently selected by TZR's editorial team. However, we may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.