I’ve gotten so many questions on hair curling lately, I figured it’s about time for a new YouTube video! Since it takes me a long time to curl my hair, I usually only do this about once a week, and try to extend the hairstyle as much as possible using starch on my roots (read about it in this post) and texturizing spray (read more below)!
HAIR CURLING TUTORIAL Tools & Products
- Blow Dryer Brush Tool – Update: I started using this genius tool sold at Amazon or at Target, so you don’t need a barrel brush in addition to a blow dryer. I use this on the low heat setting (FYI, the high heat gets very hot) and then cool to set. I blow dry smaller sections of hair by lifting each section upwards at the root while drying it, then flipping each section over.
- Curling iron – Update: I’ve switched over to this Revlon 1.25″ curling iron sold at Ulta or at Target, and use it pretty much the same way as shown in the video just with the clip. The curler shown in the video is my older clipless wand, 1 to 1.5″ size, but lately I’ve preferred using a curler with a clip again. I used to heat this up to over 400 degrees to save time, but just do 375 now to be a little gentler on my hair.
- Hair clips: no-slip grip jaw clips. These are great for volume tip #1 below, and also to securely clip up sections of hair while curling. Make sure you get the regular size and not the mini.
- Hair oil and or Heat Protectant. I alternate between the products below, and usually just use 1 each time after toweling-dry hair:
Moroccanoil (also sold here) – Makes my coarse hair feel softer and easier to detangle.
Caviar CC 10-in-1 Cream (also sold here) – I use this about once a week to treat my hair that’s fried from years of repeat highlighting aka bleaching. I like that it also contains heat protectant. - Texturizing spray. Used in lieu of hairspray, this helps provide lift, absorbs excess hair oils, and adds grip to each strand. It extends my day 1 curls to sexy bedhead waves on days 2 and 3. I alternate between these two below (both have free shipping & returns, but are unfortunately pricey):
- Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray (also sold here) – All the hairstylists I’ve worked with on shoots love this, and layer it on for volume and texture both before and after curling.
- Shu Uemura “Texture Wave” Finishing Spray – This one is harder to find in-stores so I usually get it at a salon, but works really well for my hair in terms of adding beachy “grit”! (Update: Good news, the 2020 updated version of this texture finishing spray is now sold at Sephora, and it has better hold than before!) Compared to regular hairsprays, it has a more gentle hold, but doesn’t weigh my hair down at all or make curls feel crispy or stiff.
Tutorial Video on YouTube
Press play for my hair curling tutorial (or here’s the direct link to the video):
HAIR CURLING TUTORIAL Pump up the volume Tips
Volumizing tips, as shown in the hair curling tutorial video:
- Dry in a poof. After washing my hair and toweling it dry, I always, ALWAYS clip up the hair at the top of my head (I go bonkers I’m traveling and forget my grip clips)! I then either air or blow dry it while clipped, to let it set with a little lift at the roots. This makes a noticeable difference for me, but everyone’s hair texture is different. If you have fine or slippery hair, it might help to work some heat-activated sculpting product into your damp hair, before clipping it up and blow drying.
- Texturize before curling. Spray texturizer in before curling your hair, making sure to lift up pieces of hair and spray from the underside. If you’re starting with freshly-washed hair, this will also help the strands grip onto curled styles better.
- Curl in bottom-to-top layers. The biggest mistake in how I used to curl my hair was that I sectioned my hair from side to side. It makes much more sense to section from top to bottom, since the curls will fall down in a cascade of layers and build volume upon itself.
- Don’t flatten while you sleep: After going through all that effort to style and curl your hair, the last thing you want to do is smoosh it down overnight! When in bed, I sweep my hair up above my head. I also make sure to do this if I have to sleep with damp hair after showering, otherwise I’d wake up to hair that dried flat and misshapen!
SET WHILE COOLING…
…even if it’s just for a few seconds, or just with the top layer of hair!
I think most of us know that letting our curls “set” in place (usually with clips) while cooling allows for more defined and long-lasting curls. However, few of us have the patience. Letting a curl slide slowly off of the curling iron into my palm (keeping the curl coil intact) to cool takes just a few extra seconds, but makes the end result look more defined and springy. To save more time, I usually just do this on the outermost layer of curls since that’s what is most visible!
Let me know any other hair questions you might have, and I’ll try to answer in a future post! xx
