Stay-All-Day Curls!

Ever spent a grueling hour in front of the mirror with a curling iron and then wondered why your bouncy curls turned to sloppy waves before lunchtime? Because you didn't do a hard set! There's a reason your grandma has so many photos of herself in curlers... girl was hard setting her way right to some fabulous Rita Hayworth hair! In today's tutorial I'll teach you how to get bouncy curls that last and last.

Step 1: Prep & Prime

Just like we prep and prime our skin before putting on makeup, we're going to prep and prime our hair to protect it and help hold the style. Make sure your hair is clean(ish) and dry, then spray generously with a heat protectant. I'm using Got2B Hot Twist Curl Iron Styler.

Step 2: Section

Section hair into what is called a "mohawk part" by separating the hair from temple to temple and clipping up and out of the way. Section hair again into one-inch portions if necessary (like if you have crazy ridiculous thick hair like me).

Step 3: Curl

Curl your first one-inch section of hair. I'm using a wand (because I don't have a curling iron small enough for my short hair) (without a glove because I'm hardcore. Or lost my glove. WHATEVER.)

Step 4: Shape

Now, instead of just letting the curl go to do whatever, we're going to roll it up on itself all the way to the scalp...

Step 5: Clip

Using a duck-bill clip, clip the curl to the head THROUGH the curl. If you've done my pin curl tutorial, same deal, just with dry hair instead of wet. This is going to set the curl's shape as it cools and allow it to hold WAY longer.

Step 6: Continue Curling & Clipping

Continuing curling and clipping (always curling the hair away from the face) in one-inch sections until all the hair out has been curled. Now release the hair in the mohawk part, decide where you want to part your hair, section it, and curl until your entire head is curled and clipped.

Step 7: Spray & Cool

Spray your whole head with a medium-to-firm hold hairspray, and allow your curls to cool completely. The longer you leave them clipped up, the bouncier and longer-lasting your curls will be! Sometimes I'll even do this before bed and then wrap my head in a silk scarf so when I wake up in the morning, all I have to do is finger-tousle my curls and go.

Step 8: Remove Clips & Style

Once your curls have cooled, carefully slide all of the clips out of your hair. You have tons of different options for styling-- for loose, bouncy curls, simply finger-tousle. For smooth, 40's-esque waves, brush out your curls with a metal round brush and apply gel or argan oil. You can even use this as the basis for bumper bangs (last week's tutorial!) or victory rolls. Remember to spray again with your favorite hairspray for extra hold.

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