Or like this….

People ask me all the time how I do my curly hair.  I’d like to say I’ve perfected doing my curly hair.  Not because I wanted to, but because I had to (thank you, mom and to the universe that wanted to give me the challenge of my life).  I’ve also learned to embrace and LOVE it.  So for all you curly, wavy, frizzy, fed up folks- this post is for you.  Bare with me though, you’re gonna think I’m in sane in some of these instructions…

1.  Shampoo hair then rinse. Condition hair and comb through with a wide tooth comb. When you rinse out the conditioner, rinse it UPSIDE DOWN.  I know. Crazy.  Remember I said bare with me?  I can’t take all the credit for this tidbit.  A curly haired high school friend gets credit for this one.  Rocked my world.

2.  Scrunch out as much of the water that you can from your hair with your hands. DO NOT use a towel. The fibers on towels cause extra frizz and unless we want to look like an electrocuted poodle, that is no good for us curly folk.  If you MUST use something, use an old cotton t-shirt or a microfiber towel (no fibers to cause that evil frizz), but try the hand scrunch method first.  You’ll be hooked.

3.  Scrunch your styling products into the hair.  I emphasize SCRUNCH.  Do not finger comb or comb/ brush your products through.  This separates the curls, makes hair frizzier and less curly then desired.  The key is just to make sure you EVENLY scrunch the products into the hair.  No need for a comb if done right!

4.  Flip hair back up and go! Juuuust kidding 😉 well I guess you could…Ok, so lately I’ve been letting my hair just air dry (less heat is always better for your hair), but if I don’t have the time to let it dry I use a hair dryer with a diffuser attachment.  If you’re letting it air dry the key is DO NOT TOUCH IT.  This will majorly add to the frizz.  After you scrunch in your products do not touch it again.  This system works. Scouts honor.

* Note: sometimes I need to add a couple curls to the top.  Very rarely, the top gets flat or a few pieces have a mind of their own.  To tackle this, I use a 1/4″ curling iron.  I always wrap the hair around to simulate a more natural curl.

Now you’re ready to roll!!!!!!  Wear down or throw up for an amazingly easy (but salon looking style) up do!  You can rock this for 2-3 days usually.  Or 5 if you’re me… 😉

Now let’s talk products…

This is where I could write a novel. I love products. I do and will try everything- a (happy) hazard of working in a high end salon that carries Kerastase and Shu Uemura products.

For my shampoo and conditioner I’m currently obsessed with the  Kerastase Fluidealiste discipline line that is  great for controlling frizz.

For my leave in products I’m currently obsessed with the Kerastase Elixir Ultime (a cream oil that gives hydration, UV protection and amazing shine) and Kerastase Boucles D’Art (a water to mousse light weight foam that defines curly or wavy hair). I use these three products when I’m letting my hair dry naturally, but if I’m diffusing with a hair dryer then I sub out the Kerastase Elixir Ultime for the Kerastase Keratine Thermique, which protects your hair from heat.

*I have unique hair. It’s very fine, but I can make it look like I have a whole heck of a lot more than I do. If you have thicker hair you might want to experiment with stronger hold products like a thick mousse such as the Shu Uemura Kaze Wave.

Happy (non electrocuted poodle) curls!

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