Reddit mentions of Awapuhi Wild Ginger Texturizing Sea Spray, 5.1 Fl Oz

These two products are amazing for adding texture to fine hair (mine is very similar to yours - very fine and poofy - and it does amazing things for me).

OSIS Dust - Adds texture without being sticky or stiff.

Sea Salt Spray - Spray all over adds volume and texture before blow drying.

These products are both a wee bit expensive - however, you only need a very, very little.

Your hair is shorter than mine - so you can probably get away using even less than I would use. Both products have lasted me over 6 months (and I am no where near the bottom of either).

Don't be afraid to skimp - if you over use the product, it can make it look greasy or weigh it down. You'll need to experiment to find just the right amount - less is generally more when you are talking hair product.

So this is my recommendation.

When your hair is wet - add in some Sea Salt spray then blow dry.
When you blow dry - start with your head upside down and concentrate on the roots until it is damp-dry. This adds volume to the roots - the ends should still primarily be wet at this point.

Then stand up and use a Round Brush in the front to finish off the ends of your hair.

Kind like this - only do it the opposite way - toward the back of your head. You will also need a much smaller brush than this woman. The brush should be small enough that you could wrap your hair around it at least once (so I am thinking at least 1/2 inch or smaller) - but be careful not to wrap and then pull, you could get your hair tangled in the brush. Always use the same motion into and out of your hair - never go sideways.

You'll want to do it multiple times in different locations on your head to get the swept back look.

It might not hold well - which is fine.
I recommend going really severe right at the beginning (it might feel kinda girly to have a few luscious curls on top, but bear with me) - and if you hair is like mine, after 10 or 15 minutes it will relax some and leave a somewhat wavy effect.

Then once you hair is all dry and you've got volume, and a lot of "wave" to the back (created by the round brush) - you'll want to sprinkle some of that powder on your hands and run it through a few times - do it naturally, like something you might do during the day to get it away from your face.

Do it once or twice - just enough to get some in your hair. Then concentrate some powder on the tips of your fingers and grab the ends of your hair in different spots and roll it between your fingers.

Rolling it between your fingers with the product will clump sections of hair together - this will break up the uniformity and add further texture and the illusion of wave.

At the end - your hair should look soft and probably won't seem like you have product in it - this is ideally what you want, because it is easiest to maintain all day long (when you use heavy hairsprays or gels - it tends to break down, or feel stiff).

If it starts to get windblown or isn't behaving itself, you can get your hands somewhat wet (barely any moisture at all) and run it through your hair once or twice (like when you do it while you are styling it) and it will revitalize the product somewhat.

I like the soft texturizing (as opposed to the hard gel/barber style) - if you ever find yourself in an intimate situation - being able to run your hands through the other persons hair is generally a turn on (where as trying to touch a plastic coif can be less-so).

I really like TIGI Curls Rock Amplifier, however you might find that it isn't strong enough to hold the curls / waves, seeing as you have thick hair.

You could try a sea salt spray like Paul Mitchell's one. It works very well, but your hair will feel a little 'dirty'.

The biggest thing to encourage waves at the front / sides of your hair is to dry your hair using a diffuser.