Everyone from Nicole Kidman to Julia Roberts has rocked the red carpet wearing a massive head of curls. Curly hairstyles are a trend that is only going to get hotter and you do not need a personal stylist or a celebrity budget to get a cool modern hairstyle. Always start with a sulfate-free, silicone free shampoo, such as DevaCurl’s No-Poo, or join the no shampoo revolution. After applying a good leave-in conditioner, you are ready to start styling.
Long and Loose
Celebrities from Joanna Brown to Cate Blanchette, Jessica Simpson to Scarlett Johansson have worn their medium to long hair in loose curls, to great effect. The look is best on people with oval, square, diamond or oblong faces that can support the weight of the curls. Apply moisturizer to wet hair. Then, use a diffuser to blow dry your curls. Add mousse, gel wax, a smoothing product and a spritz of hairspray. Do not comb, tease or brush the hair.
Spirals
If you have Minnie Driver’s corkscrews, you can coax your locks into big bouncy spirals. Wet hair and then squeeze out all excess moisture. Section your hair. Put moisturizer, conditioner or pudding on each section. Working curl by curl, stretch out each curl and twirl it around your finger. Finish by letting it dry naturally or with a diffuser while it’s in one big twist.
Natural
There is a huge wave of people with kinky curls deciding to skip the relaxer and go natural, a la Macy Gray. Keeping this hair natural means adopting a good moisturizing routine to control frizz but build body. Try using castor oil on wet hair before adding a gel. Then, you can scrunch or work your hair outward or upward. The Naturally Curly website (see Resources) has recommendations for the best products for ethnic and kinky hair.
Layers
Layered cuts are an enemy to curly hair because, within a couple days, you have frizz and width but no defined curl. However, layering works beautifully in wavy hair or hair with extremely loose curls. In fact, the layered look allows waves to retain more bounce and body. You can also put a section of hair in a clip, resulting in a messy upsweep or a bedhead look.
