How to get gorgeous, beachy curls with a flat iron

Beauty School: Flat Out Part 2

Think of all the insider secrets a professional hairstylist picks up over the years. It's enough to make your hair curl – literally.

Which is why, for part two of our style guide, we asked Paul Brown Hawaii master stylist and educator Shawn Rodriguez to use a flat iron to create gorgeous, beachy curls.

Follow these simple steps and wave hello to your new off-duty model-slash-surfer do.

Optional: Spray damp hair with a heat protectant followed by a volumizing spray at the roots then blow dry.

Rub a pea-sized amount of argan oil through the hair. Starting at the nape of your neck, section off a layer of hair, then pull and twist the iron in a slow, continuous motion following the step-by-step photos above to create a soft ringlet. Curl one-inch sections at a time and work your way up in tiers.

Tip: Never straighten your hair before curling or you'll run the risk of limp curls. If your hair doesn't hold the curl properly, increase your iron's settings according to the following recommendations: 180-360 fine and/or color-treated, 360-410 medium, 410-450 medium to coarse.

Left: For hair framing the sides of your face, switch to vertical sections and twist the iron out and back. As you progress up the head, start curls further down the length of the hair to avoid a Shirley Temple look.

Right: When you reach your forehead, sweep the iron out and away from your part (using the same technique as Part 1), then curl the ends. If you have long bangs, keep the curl loose and natural.

Tip: For neater curls, direct all your twists out and toward the back/center of your head; for carefree, beachy waves, alternate your twists left and right, not including the sections that frame your face.

Use vertical motions to curl the hair at the top of your head, creating volume at the roots. Finger comb your hair and recurl strands as needed before misting with hair spray.

To emphasize curls and give them a tousled, "piece-y" feel, use a tiny amount of styling paste or hair wax and twist curls with your fingers. Apply what's left to baby hairs and flyaways, then scrunch hair at the top of your head for added volume.

{Need a refresher? Click here for Part 1 of our flat iron styling guide.}

Rodriguez is using AKI, a new diamond-coated ceramic flat iron made in Korea in collaboration with Paul Brown, $179.99, available at all Paul Brown salons.