I get asked about my hair a lot, it's probably one of my most frequently asked questions on my blog. I've had my hair just like this since I was about fifteen or sixteen when I modeled in a hair expo, and since then I've really become "one" with my curls. It's been a process and I'm still learning new tricks every now and then, but since I'm not a makeup aficionado, it's all I got. I'm super excited to share my routine with you, my lovely readers!
So first and foremost, if you have naturally curly hair, understand that your hair has different (and sometimes more difficult) needs than straight hair does. Your hair is naturally dehydrated all the time, so infrequent washes are essential, no more than 3 times a week.
I use a super moisturizing shampoo/conditioner from Devachan, THE masterminds behind curls. Remember when I got my hair cut at their salon
last November? I've never been the same since, hair-wise of course. I tend to rotate my hair products every couple of months or so though to keep things fresh. Another great shampoo/conditioner combo for curly hair is
L'Oreal's Sulfate Free line, which hydrates beautifully and doesn't weigh your hair down with sulfates. I gave this to my boyfriend to try out and it
literally changed his hair like magic it made it so healthy. I also use
Miss Jessie's Baby Buttercream conditioner when I need an extra conditioning boost with my styling products.
As far as styling products go, I like to keep things super simple so that my curls aren't weighed down a ton. In totale, it's
Tresseme's Climate Control mousse, Sally Hershberger's shaggy style boost and Frederic Fekkai's color glaze for sunscreen. The style booster keeps things controlled while the mousse adds some amazing humidity blockage and gives curls perfect shape. While I'm on the subject, let me just rant a bit about mousse. Here is a mistake all my friends make and it drives me nuts. Here is the CORRECT amount of mousse you should be using, times 2 if your hair is long:
NOT THIS:
Dear God, minimal is key! let's avoid the spaghetti curls and just take it down a notch. The less your hair is heavy with product, the better the outcome.
Now, it's best to air-dry. Blow-drying just dehydrates your hair more and makes it limp and frizzy. Yes, diffusers are groozy, but my experience with them has been crap, no matter what temperature I use them at, they frizz out my hair. If you can't air-dry and you have an event the next day, it helps to go to bed with your hair a little damp. If you have the time, here's my method to shaping my curls:
Scrunch your damp hair with a little bit of product, after this though, don't touch your hair! I know this isn't an army camp or ceramics class, but this is essential! The oils in your hands tend to make hair more frizzy
Part your hair and section it off a bit and hold sections by the root
At the root, grab a clip and clip the section into a little "mountain". I know it sounds silly and you might look sillier with a bunch of mountains on your head, but this technique is amazing at giving volume! It picks the hair right up!
Keep these guys in until your hair is dry and voila! Volume galore!
Now, if like so many other curly girls out there, you find yourself with that one section of hair without bounce or spiral, I learned this tip from my amazing manager Karen over at DBA, who is the queen of curls!
Take the limp section and wrap it into a curl and secure with a clip
High fives for over-exsposure!
Now spray with water and let dry, but not too close to your head or you'll just have one super-boingy lock
Lifesaver, seriously. I get cowlicks ALL THE TIME and this just perks things right up!
Hope you guys liked this tutorial! If you have any more inquiries or if you feel like I left something out, keep 'em coming! I am here to serve! I think I'll be starting a routine of beauty-related posts on Fridays when I and call it "Frizz-Free Friday" (Credit goes to Reesa over at DBA for the cute name, I'm not that clever) So questions, answers, tips, I'd love to share yours and mine! Feel free to comment or hit me up on
Twitter or ask a question at my
Tumblr :]
Have a great weekend, everyone!