How do I get long lasting, beautiful curls you ask?? Here’s my “mane” regimen of tools and products I use and LOVE!
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WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
1) A damn good blow dryer (brand recommendations below!)
2) Regular Hair brush
3) Round Brush
4) Deep conditioning mask
5) Smoothing serum
6) Hair clips
7) Curling wand
8) Finishing cream or serum
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FINDING THE RIGHT BLOW DRYER
If you’re looking for a great blow dryer, I would recommend one that has at least 1875 watts of power + using the blow straight attachment on the end that typically comes with most blow dryers. I used to be the haircare Buyer at Macys.com so I personally feel it’s worth it to splurge on a good blow dryer because you’ll have it for years AND because more expensive ones typically have ceramic, ionic or torumaline technology. This technology helps to lessen frizz and reduce the amount of heat damage to your hair. If you’re looking to learn more about the difference between these technologies, read more HERE. In addition, many brands offer a 1 to 2 year warranty which is sometimes also renewable for a small price in case something goes wrong or it breaks.
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PREPPING + THE PERFECT BLOW DRY
Step 1
In the shower, wash your hair as you normally would with shampoo & conditioner.
After conditioning, I recommend using L’Oreal’s total repair damage erasing hair mask in the shower. It will make your hair feel soon soft and adds an extra layer of protection to hair breakage and heat damage. It’s only $5.99 at Target.com and you can shop the product HERE.
After you apply the mask, and let it soak in for 5 min per the instructions. Brush your hair out in the shower using a detangling brush (I use the $15 Tangle Teaser from Sephora HERE) and rinse out the mask under COLD water. The cold temperature of the water actually helps to reduce frizz!
Step 2
Once out of the shower, towel dry and brush out your hair before applying a smoothing or frizz reducing hair serum. Ive been using John Frieda’s anti-frizz and smoothing hair serum for YEARS and swear by it! It works wonders for my natural beach waves and curly hair as well, even on humid and rainy days. It’s only $7.99 at Target.com and you can shop this product HERE.
Let your hair naturally air dry for 20 minutes before blow drying {as long as you’re not in a rush}. This reduces frizz and dry time..the best of both worlds!
Step 3
Start by sectioning your hair half up with a clip. (I find that it’s easiest to blow dry the bottom portion of my hair first.)
Section off the bottom half into two sections and pick a side to start with. Depending on the thickness of your hair, you may need to break this section out into 2 more using another clip. I have super thick hair so I do but it’s not always necessary!
Step 4
Start with a round brush at your head and place your blow dryer on the round brush, working your way down the section. Simply repeat this step over and over until each section is dry. Make sure to completely blow dry each section of hair before moving to the next section!
Step 5
After blow drying the bottom potion of your hair, break out the top portion into 2 or 4 sections as you did the bottom portion, again depending on the thickness of your hair. Dry each section at a time until complete.
Once your hair is completely dry, I recommend waiting until the next day to actually curl it. This allows your hair to produce natural oils which will hold your curls better and longer!
_____________________________________________________________________________CURLING
Just as I walked you through blow drying your hair in sections, I also curl my hair utilizing the same sections. Most importantly, I use a wand instead of a traditional curling iron because you can start curls closer to your head and because a wand holds curls better. I use the Conair Infiniti Pro Curling wand, only $20 at Ulta. It will take some getting used to but I promise you will be SO happy with it once you learn how to use it! I may take you 4-5 times to get the hang of it. Buy this amazing wand at Ulta Beauty HERE.
Step 1
Start by clipping the top half of your hair up. Break the bottom portion of your hair into 2 sections and start with about an inch thickness of hair and begin with the wand pointing down and thickest part of the curling wand on your section of hair closest to your head. Wrap your hair around over and over working your section of hair down the wand. Again, it may take some practice but I promise you will get the hang of it!
Step 2
Once you finish curling the bottom section of your hair, begin with the top section. As when you blow dried, break out the top portion into 2 sections. Start with an inch of hair and continue to wrap it around the wand, again with the wand pointing down and thickest part closest to your head. Repeat with each section until complete.
Step 3
For finishing touches on my curls, I use biosilk. It’s smells AMAZING and also makes your hair luxuriously soft. You can purchase a travel size version that goes a long way for $15 at Ulta Beauty HERE.
It may come as a shock, but hair spray is an absolute NO NO for me. It allows my curls to look more natural when I sleep on them. I’m able to make my curls last up to 3 days and use dry shampoo & conditioner to look fab all week!
If you’re looking to make your blow dry and curls last longer, I recommend using dry shampoo and conditioner each morning. I use Oscar Blandi, Living proof or Drybar brand but prefer the powder over the spray because I feel like it absorbs grease and dirt much better. Shop Sephora’s dry shampoo products HERE and dry conditioner products HERE.
Happy Curling!
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