Although “perfect” is a relative term, this method for curling hair is pretty much perfect by my standards, mostly because it isn’t fussy. While I’m a sucker for both ringlets and Californian waves, I like my own curls somewhere in between: relaxed but bouncy. Mermaid-like.
Supplies: 1″ curling iron, brush, and hair spray
Time: 45 minutes (for thick hair)
All of the magic happens with Revlon’s “Helen of Troy” ceramic 1″ curling iron. For those who have long, thick hair like me, you might find that larger curling barrels produce the most pathetic excuse for “waves” that fall out within the hour, regardless of the amount of hair spray. I’ve found that the 1″ barrel creates tight waves that look good for at least 5-6 hours (though they do relax over time). Although I’m sure any iron will do, I love Revlon’s ceramic one – it keeps your hair soft, and it heats up in 30 seconds!
For hairspray, I’m a fan of Tigi’s Hard Head, which has a strong hold without the severe crunchiness. I’m almost out of mine, though, and I’m willing to try something new. Any hairspray suggestions?
1. While heating up your iron on the hottest setting, brush out your hair. I’m a believer in a little bit of frizz and imperfection, so I don’t put any product in it beforehand.
2. Grab a small chunk of hair, no larger than 1 inch. The more hair you curl at once, the less tight your curls will be. You can spray this before you curl, but I’m usually too lazy.
3. Starting at the roots of your hair, and without using the clasp, wrap your hair down the barrel. Hold the ends of your hair with your fingers on the end of your iron (if your iron doesn’t get hot at the end). Try not to overlap your hair as you wrap it around – this way all of it gets hot. Leave it there for 15-20 long seconds.
4. Tilt your curling iron downward, and let your curls fall off the barrel. I try to pull as little as possible so that they don’t straighten out.
5. Spray with hairspray. And you have a curl!
Repeat this around your entire head. Scrunch curls if need be. Once I’m done, I wrap some of my curls around each other so that they form larger ringlets rather than a bunch of tiny ones.
Don’t get lazy with the back of your head! I’ve noticed that my curls tend to fall out in the back first, so pay special attention to the back so that you don’t have lovely, bouncy, voluminous hair in the front, and wet-dog hair in the back.
Et voilà! Mermaid curls!
Keywords: wavy hair tutorial, curly hair tutorial, curling iron tutorial
May 25, 2011 at 1:18 pm
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How do you curl the back of your head? That’s something I always lack on, but I don’t know how to fix it.
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June 5, 2011 at 8:35 pm
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Thank you, Catherine! This worked incredibly well on my thick hair. I’m in love with the look :)
June 5, 2011 at 9:24 pm
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i love this.
June 8, 2011 at 5:21 am
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That’s really beautiful. I have really thick hair, too, that’s very hard to curl. I have been seeing this method a lot lately, and your lovely results have inspired me to give it a shot! Do you find that the ceramic irons work better than a standard metal one? I always have trouble with curls lasting unless from a roller or the flat-iron curling method.
June 22, 2011 at 7:01 pm
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i adore ceramic curling irons. the reason flat irons work better for you is likely because they have ceramic plates.
June 10, 2011 at 1:32 pm
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I just tried this and it looks so good on my hair! Thank you for posting this!
June 12, 2011 at 9:10 am
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Thank you very much =D You have beautiful hair by the way :) x
June 12, 2011 at 11:27 am
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wow! ive got to try this!
June 13, 2011 at 1:34 pm
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I cannot get over how beautiful your hair is! I love how beachy and natural this hairstyle looks.It makes me think of the little mirmade.
June 16, 2011 at 2:01 pm
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Your hair are beautiful!…. My hair become so dry ..coz of curling iron . :(
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June 18, 2011 at 12:05 am
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OMG I love this!! I have red hair just like yours and the waves are just perfect!! It didn’t take long at all! Love it!! You should post more hair things :)
June 18, 2011 at 9:51 pm
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Oh gosh your hair is such a beautiful colour! I would do this, but my hair is naturally curly so I’d have to straighten it before I curled it to get those big soft curls or it will frizz. Thanks for the tips though as my hair is pretty long and thick. I might try this when I have time!!!
June 19, 2011 at 7:40 pm
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Thanks for this post, never tried curling my hair and now I just might.
With that being said, the hairspray that I use may or may not be good for this type of styling, but I’m in love so maybe you would like to try it.
Its called Sebastian Shaper Plus.
June 20, 2011 at 9:46 pm
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Looks great! This is have i’ve been curling my hair for the last 8 months of so and i love it! The curls are so much more natural! Love your color btw!!
June 21, 2011 at 10:33 pm
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Why hallow there, this has been such an amazing experience as i learned new ways to curl my hair, and out of all the websites I’ve gone through,this is the best.
Thankyou :)
June 23, 2011 at 1:20 pm
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Saw this pinned on Pinterest, tried it this morning, and my hair looks fab! Thanks so much for posting and even bigger thanks to whoever pinned it!
June 23, 2011 at 3:30 pm
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._. just wanted you to know that my name is also Catherine and I am also an Animation major.
I found your blog on StumbleUpon, and I freaked out.
June 23, 2011 at 11:03 pm
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OH MY GOD!!! YOUR HAIR IS LITERALLY TO DIE FOR!!!! ITS SOOO PRETTY AND ORANGE (no duh)!!
June 24, 2011 at 5:04 am
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We could always play around our long healthy hair by curling it or whatever it is.
June 24, 2011 at 5:48 pm
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these are SO cute!<3 imma try this tomorrow for a wedding i'm going to! and i LOVE LOVE LOVE your hair color!
June 25, 2011 at 3:03 pm
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I love this.. works so well on my hair. i tried the hairspray you used and it doesnt work well on mine. but i did use kenra 25. Works amazing.
June 27, 2011 at 2:52 pm
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really really nice :) thx!
July 1, 2011 at 7:42 pm
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your hair is so beautiful
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July 16, 2011 at 4:59 pm
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While I really like how this turns out, you suggest not putting any product in your hair beforehand. I agree with using minimal product (my hair looks like it has a ton of buildup afterwards), I would definitely recommend a heat styling product to minimize damage. I would either spritz on Paul Mitchell Heat Seal before curling, or use a pump or two of shine serum. This ensures that your hair doesn’t get as damaged because there is a layer of protection between the curling iron and your hair, and the use of the product doesn’t affect the way your hair holds curl after (though sometimes it gives a bit more hold).
Hope that helps to keep all your lovely locks from getting fried! :)
July 17, 2011 at 3:58 pm
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I wore this look to a wedding and I LOVED it! I have long thick hair and it held the curls pretty well. It is perfect, somewhere in between ringlets and wavy.
July 18, 2011 at 1:24 pm
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Sebastian’s Shaper hairspray is fantastic for hold that doesn’t get crunchy!
July 22, 2011 at 6:46 pm
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Perfectly Gorgeous! I love it. Spray Starch 15 Heat Memory Styler by Redken and Quick Dry 18 or Forceful 23 Hairsprays by Redken also are my go to for holding a style all day. The Spray Starch in particular is my favorite and super easy- just spray on damp hair a section at a time, blow dry and then style with curling iron or flat iron. It’s amazing because it helps your hair hold the curl and protects your hair from the heat. Plus it leaves your hair feeling clean, eliminates frizz and doesn’t leave buildup on your curling iron.
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September 3, 2011 at 6:45 pm
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okay so I love this, and you pull it off really well. I have SUUUPER thick hair, which sucks, but I can never curl my hair. It falls out in less then 10 minutes.
September 4, 2011 at 9:02 pm
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try elnett hairspray from l’oreal. i have very long and thick hair very similar to yours. its a miracle worker for me. i also love that iron!
September 7, 2011 at 4:05 pm
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TresEmme Tres Two hair spray is the best $4 you can spend. It leaves your hair bouncy & touchable, but holds for hours!
September 19, 2011 at 7:14 pm
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Hey, I saw the curling iron you were using and I have the same one, but it just does NOT work on my hair. I have no idea how it works on yours, but yours definitely looks amazing! :) Thanks for the post!
October 5, 2011 at 8:24 am
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Now, if you could just bottle the secret to growing your hair out and keeping it that gorgeous color… ;)
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November 3, 2011 at 10:08 am
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I LOVE THIS SO MUCH! Thanks for inspiring and teaching. xo
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November 16, 2011 at 2:00 pm
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Excellent article indeed! Have you tried Alterna products?
November 22, 2011 at 3:54 pm
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Great tutorial!
November 23, 2011 at 3:20 am
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Hey! I Love your red hair, it’s gorgeous! You should definitely try Pureology antifade “In Charge” Hairspray, I took a year and a half of cosmetology in high school, and LOVE hair products and have tried a million different hairsprays, BEST hold, Matte finish, not crunchy! LOVE! Also my other favourite products are Moroccan oil… basically everything in the line… Sorry for the long post! :)
November 25, 2011 at 3:26 pm
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I LOVE your hair! The curls look awesome, but my hair is kind of short so I can’t quite get it like that. However the color is to die for. Is is natural, or do you dye it? I have naturally red-ish brown hair but I dye it a brighter red. But I can never find one that I absolutely love. If you do dye it, what do you use?
November 27, 2011 at 12:57 pm
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You Have written a superb and informative Post here.Article is up to the mark, Thanks for sahring dear !
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December 7, 2011 at 12:12 am
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Lovely hair and color!!!
December 11, 2011 at 11:40 pm
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I’m a big fan of tutorials because I like step-by-step instructions. I get a lot of good beauty tutorials through Taaz.com: http://www.taaz.com/trends/trends.html if you ever thought about sharing yours!
December 23, 2011 at 12:54 am
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Beautiful hair style & the red haircolor is gorgeous!
December 26, 2011 at 3:51 pm
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ewwwwwww
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January 14, 2012 at 5:05 pm
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I am looking for this tutorial thanks for sharing