hair

CURLY GIRLS: PRESERVING A BLOW OUT

photos/post/design: Kristin Ess

For those of you who have curly hair but like to wear it either straight or wavy, you know how gold medal it feels when you manage to convince your blow out to stay smooth overnight. There are lots of tricks in the book– dry shampoo, shower caps, buns with scrunchies, etc… and all of these are awesome. But the one that I rely on the most is twisting your hair at night before bed. I’m that girl with red, shiny, slightly wavy or straight hair, but in real life my hair is a curly mess and I know how frustrating it can be to spend all that time on it and then wake up to “the poof” (particularly in the warmer months). Here’s my favorite way to avoid that:

1. Apply whatever styling aid you like. I like to use this weightless leave-in conditioner by Sexy Hair because it promotes shine, restores ph balance and helps close the cuticle. Then it disappears completely.
2. Always blow hair out using a nozzle and point it downward as much as possible in order to really smooth the cuticle. If you don’t have a good blowdryer, I strongly suggest you save up and invest. It makes ALL the difference in the world for a girl with curls. Once you’re done drying, you can add some simple waves to your hair if you want. Note: Some people may ask “Why would you blow out curls just to put them back in?” But girls with curls know there is a huge difference between natural curls and curling iron waves. If you’d rather wear it straight the next day, just continue these steps without curling.
3. Find a good anti-humectant. I’ve always loved Brilliant Anti-Humectant by Aveda. It’s not too heavy and you just need a tiny bit to keep the moisture out.
4. Warm it up in the palm of your hands and distribute through evenly, beginning with the area that tends to be the most unruly (aka: the part that usually gets curly again first.)
5. Now twist the hair like a rope. The best way I can explain how to do this part is to divide the hair in two and hold one piece in place while you hand the other one over. The hair will automatically twist itself and you won’t have to worry about that part. Hold one piece still, pass the other one over. Hold one piece still, pass the other one over. Hold one piece still, pass the other one over…. keep going!
6. Repeat on the other side.
7. Your braids should look like this. Not too loose + not too tight. It’s totally fine if some of your layers fall out, just try and tuck them in if possible.
8. Now sleep! ZzzzzZzzzZZzzzzZzzzzzzzz….

When you wake up in the morning, unravel the rope braids. You will find soft subtle waves. Either add a teeny bit more Aveda Anti-Humectant or try using a soft, shiny beach spray like Oribe’s Apres Beach if you want a more messy look. Add a little more curl if desired! If you’re looking to wear it pin-straight, you’ll definitely get a soft wave and have to go over it with the flat iron, but  the point of this is to minimize frizz in the day(s) after your blow out.

If you have super-fine curly hair and want to try this to minimize the poof, try just doing one rope twist.

Good luck, curly girls!