Hair Tutorial

I probably get the most comments on my hair. Whether it’s out in public or by followers of this blog or on my social media accounts, I get several almost daily. Sooo.. I’m finally sharing a hair tutorial with you all!

I had long hair all through my childhood. My mom used to love putting bows in my hair to match whatever I was wearing. I probably had 100. Fast forward to 8th grade and I head in to get a lil’ haircut. As I sit down and am asked what I want I say “I’d like a trim” the completely spaced out hair dresser somehow heard “Cut it to my chin.” And so began the extra awkward phase of my life. This was before I had discovered straighteners anddd I basically looked like a mushroom head. I will not share those pictures. Okay, maybe one day.. they are hilariously awkward. This was the last time I had short hair. The shortest it’s probably been since then is a few inches below my clavicle. I get random urges to chop it, but they usually pass as quickly as they come and I remind myself I won’t want to or be able to maintain hair this long forever. I also have friends who remind me how much they pay for those good, actually real looking, sewn in extensions and then I put my urge to chop to the side. Women on both my mom and dad’s sides of the family have thick hair, so that just runs in my genes, I suppose. I’m lucky that my future sissy-in-law does hair in Dallas so I never have to worry about a less-than-perfect cut or color. (Insert raise the roof emoji here).

As most have, I’ve gone through a lot of phases with my hair. I used to always wear it straight. I did side bangs. I did the entire bang swoop where my hair was basically parted on the side of my head. I went through a phase in middle school where I wore it up for probably 6 months straight in a super slicked back bun or pony with a piece or two usually hanging out (S’cute). In college, I decided I’d finally match my hair color to my always darker eyebrows (more on those in this post) and dyed my hair for the first time. However, instead of going to a pro, I used a box dye for about $9.99. I eventually died it black when I was challenging my inner Megan Fox. My mom was less than pleased that it was black at my college graduation. Towards the end of graduate school I decided it was time to be a grown up and splurge for a professional to color it. And so the weird growing-pain type phases begin to fade. I hope for good.

I’ve been wearing my hair curled or in the beach wave style for a few years. Exactly how it looks has varied., as sometimes I change up the kind of curling iron I use or the barrel size. Usually when I get bored with my hair I change my style up since I don’t usually make drastic changes in terms of the cut. I may try different products or no products at all for awhile. Basically, I like to change it up and keep it feeling fresh since I don’t switch up the length or even color too much. I don’t want to get myself in a rut with how I style it and think trying new products can change with what I like at that time and even with the seasons and weather. I personally can’t stand the feeling of crunchy hair spray in my hair and won’t use it. I also am not a fan of how long it takes to blow dry my hair, so whenever possible I let it air dry. In the summer I usually throw on something to help the beach waves  not be frizzy (like this or this), scrunch it a few times with my towel, and call it a day! With all that said, I will be sure to update tutorials or products if you all want as I change up my routine! For this post, I’m sharing what I do as of now in terms of my every day beach waves/curls.

As I mentioned, I prefer to start by letting my hair air dry. I brush it just out of the shower and sometimes apply a little oil to it such as Moroccan Oil. I part it how I want it (in the middle or almost middle lately) and often clip it out of my face while it dries. If I do use a blow dryer, I like to use a brush with thin bristles (like the Rainbow one linked below.) When it’s dry, I start by using a 1 inch curling iron and curl away from my face. I start at the top and spin the barrel around until I’m almost to the bottom.

I continue this process around my whole head in 1 inch or 1.5 inch sections. If I want tighter curls I hold it on longer. For looser curls, just a few seconds does the trick. I truly prefer to curl away from my face on the pieces closer to it and then alternate away and towards my face to create more depth and natural looking curls. But, it truly takes me way more thought and time so I very rarely do it. (I know, laaazy).

Once I’ve finished curling my whole head, I go back through and re-do any little pieces that don’t look like I held them long enough on for the look I’m going for.

Then, when everything is curled and I look like a version of Curly-Sue, I straighten the bottom inch or so of each piece. This gives it more of a beachy, relaxed look. Plus, I cannot for the life of me curl all of my hair with a straightener. One half turns out great and the other is a disaster. Sooo this lets me fake it til I make it. 

Once I’ve straightened the ends, I either brush it out or run my fingers through it. I like to use a different brush than I did when it was wet whether I blow dried it or let it air dry. I prefer to use a brush with thicker bristles like the grey one linked below, as I find that the thicker bristles don’t make it frizzy and just work better in helping me maximize time between washes. I finish it off with any of the products below depending on the day. I love dry shampoo for making my hair go two or even three days between washes. I also recently discovered dry conditioner which is sort of life changing. I’ve linked everything I mentioned I use for my hair as of now below!

So to sum up:

1. Let hair air dry or blow dry straight.
2. Apply moroccan oil or heat protectant if you please. Or if you’re in need of some freshening use dry shampoo and/or dry conditioner.
3. Curl your hair with a 1 inch barrel away from your face in 1-1.5 inch sections. *If you’re extra awesome, curl away from your face closer to and alternate away and toward on the rest of your head.
4. Straighten the bottom inch or so with a straightener.
5. Brush or run your fingers through your hair to separate curls.
6. Finish with texturizing spray.

If you have any questions, feel free to comment or e-mail me! I’m happy to answer them as best as I can or ask a pro who knows the answer if I don’t. Also, if there are more tutorials or anything else you’d like, please let me know! I know a video might be easier but for now, I haven’t cracked onto the video scene.. so if it’s in high demand I’m willing to try it out. Let me know your preferences and as I did here after being asked to do this post, I shall try and deliver!