The £15 Styling Buy That Could Give You Gleaming LA Waves Like Meghan Markle

It's been over a year since the Duchess of Sussex stepped out in the Netherlands to attend the Invictus Games friends and family reception, and we're still not over Meghan Markle's wavy hair. Her white Valentino suit, Valentino Garavani bag and Aquazzura heels looked both pared back and glamorous as Meghan made her first international appearance of 2022, and her gleaming hairdo levelled up too. Created with the best curling tongs and a secret £15 product, Meghan gleamed.

You might call Meghan's Invictus Games hairstyle a hybrid, a meeting of classic beach waves and a glossy blow-dry. The pro behind the look? None other than London's very own George Northwood. The hair guru - who is beloved by the likes of Alexa Chung, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Claudia Winkleman - took to Instagram to showcase Meghan's recent hair looks. He wrote, 'Two years and one pandemic later; It’s great to be finally reunited with Harry and Meghan,' and, 'And they're back. Wonderful few days with Harry and Meghan.'

While George is respectfully tight-lipped about working with Meghan, he did let Grazia into the secret behind achieving similar glossy waves at home.

We're dubbing them 'LA waves' - OC-level beachy-ness meets a Beverly Hills blowout. 'It's undone waves with an expensive finish,' says George, 'and the key to the whole look is hair prep. The shine, the volume, that all needs to be there from the start.'

How To Achieve Meghan Markle's LA Waves At Home

According to George, a lot of the necessary shine is product-dependent. 'I like to use my Undone by George Northwood Moisturising Cream, £15.' It's made with beetroot extract, which helps to boost volume, reduce unwanted frizz, make your hair easier to brush and boost shine. What's not to love? Simply smooth a pea-sized amount through wet hair pre-styling or through dry hair if you want to nourish and smooth on the go.

'First up, you need to blow-dry your hair,' says George. Never fear though, struggling away with a round brush isn't necessary. 'Try tipping your head upside down while drying and brushing through with a paddle brush as you go,' he says. 'You don't want a perfect blow-dry, you need to keep some guts in the hair. Do blow-dry it forwards over your face,' he says. 'That's what creates that beautiful sweeping shape at the front.' Never underestimate the power of this fuss-free blow-dry stage. 'This blow-dry gives you the foundation of the overall look,' says George, 'it's 50% blow-dry.'

'Don't be tempted to flat-iron or straighten your hair first either,' he says, 'you can only, really use an intense heat styler once on your hair, and your priority in this instance should be a curling tong.'

What type? 'If you want a loose, luxe wave, go for a big-barrelled curling tong. Work with big sections of hair and tong them away from your face.' For classic, more irregular, beachy waves George advises tonging your hair in different directions, but this slightly more methodical technique gives you a far more polished finish.'

'Once you've finished tonging, let your waves cool, then run your fingers through them to separate them,' says George. A misting of light-hold hairspray later, and you're done. Hello LA waves. Keen to try it? Shop must-have George Northwood styling tools below.

SHOP: Styling Tools George Northwood Swears By For Waves At Home

Meghan Markle Waves: Is George Northwood Worth The Purchase?

One reviewer remarks on the Undone Straighten or Wave It Flat Iron, "These straighteners are great and such good value. My old pair of straighteners recently gave up on me, so I was looking for a new pair. But some can be so expensive. These are very reasonably priced and I am very happy with them!" If you're searching for a way to achieve the best hair waves, whether that be loose curls like Kate Middleton or mermaid waves like Molly-Mae, the George Northwood curling tongs or flat iron is the obvious solution. Want a more crimped, noughties-style-waves look? Best to go for a three-barrelled hair waver instead, such as the one loved by Tasha Ghouri.

Rose Huntington-Whiteley regularly beams about George Northwood's commitment to beautiful hair, saying, "I love the way that George does my hair. He makes it feel very undone, very relaxed yet glamorous." The pair have worked together since Huntington-Whiteley started modelling at age 16.