It’s one of the most sought-after looks of all time.
For years, we’ve walked into the hairdresser clinging to photos of Duchess Catherine, hoping that the end result will somehow mirror her impossibly voluminous curls.
The secret to Kate’s beautiful, flowing locks have managed to remain a royal mystery, but that was, of course, until her very own personal hairdresser decided to let us in on the secret by showing People a step-by-step tutorial on how to achieve the coveted Chelsea Blow Dry.
In the video player above, royal hair guru Richard Ward talks us through the exact technique he applies on the mother-of-two.
First, he explains the importance of clean, brushed hair. “This look is all about having the hair in the best condition possible.”
He then applies a bulking spritz in sections, to ensure the roots are as lifted as possible. But the key to the perfect curls all comes down to the blow drying technique.
His number one piece of advice is not to shake the hair when drying (like most of us tend to do), but rather to heat and lift the roots on a low speed to ensure maximum frizz control.
Click the video above to see exactly how Kate’s bouncy curls are created.
The super-stylist then creates those magical curls by sectioning off the hair and applying rollers.
And a twist and a spritz of later, the look is complete!
While the look is undoubtedly best recognised for being Catherine’s signature do, the silky smooth style – coined the “Chelsea Blow Dry” by royal spotters – has since been trademarked by Richard, and is now one of the most requested looks in salons worldwide.
It’s a relationship built on both history and trust for the mother-of-two and her dedicated hair stylist. The pair met over a decade ago, when the now-Duchess was just a university student who happened to be dating a royal.
The brunette beauty would frequently visit Richard in his London salon situated off the famous King’s Road and according to the 49-year-old expert, Catherine hasn’t changed one bit!
“She’s the same person that first came into the salon 10 years ago!”