What about us naturally curly girls?

[countrybumpkin]

I have fine/normal naturally curly hair looks quite alot of it a bit like Clabbergirls. I find pincurls frizz with me the most especilly when the wind grapples the finished set when aken hours to style, I could do with a good hairspray any recommendations? However, if i ever do them I moisturise the ends with a touch of kerstase oleo curl leave in conditioner (hair wet) and wrap the ends in papers and always roll under following the natural 'path' of the curl (oh yeah and I comb through just some cheapy setting lotion which is alright). My usual and most sucessful technique is perm rods, being the quickest, easiest (after a few practices) and most uniform, I also roll under and use endpapers with my hair wet. This gives a late 30s style frizz curl like ginger rodgers, but still it blows into a frizz puff fortunately not as readily as pincurls. In terms of heat styling I have just purchased a babyliss hot sticks set and need to experiment so ill let you know how it turns out and what works best!

 

[Clabbergirl]

Countrybumpkin, I haven't used perm rods for an overnight set - afraid I won't be able to sleep on them. I get much better frizz calming when I use something for end papers too. I also get a lot of frizz with pin curl sets - I suspect I'm making them too small though, but haven't had time to really experiment with a whole head pin curl set yet. I've put a few pin curls around my face when wearing my hair natural and found that I can use really thick 'chunks' of hair and still get a very good curl as long as it's rolled/stretched tightly into the pin curl. It makes sense that the curl pattern needs to be larger than my natural curl pattern in order to get the curl/waves I want instead of the ringlets I was born with. Please let us know how you do with the hotstiks. I like mine well enough.

As for hair spray, I've had good results with Elnet. It's available almost anywhere (in the US at least) although it's more expensive than most on the drug store shelves. It's in a can and I like because it holds but I can also brush it. I stay away from pump sprays because I'm afraid the liquid coming out of the pump will be just enough to set off my natural curl again. Once it's dry, I want those things to STAY dry, so I go with aerosol types.

 

[countrybumpkin]

Ah yeah I know what you mean about the big pincurl sections Clabbergirl, it definately does reduce the riglet problem and frizz i have only tried this dry though which reduces the hold, so thats another thing I shall experiment with (wet set of course). Oh and I did another hot sticks set sadly no time for pic but not too bad looser curl for some reason and struggling with hold used mousse and sprayed set with hair spray. May try spraying each section with hair spray before I roll and see how it goes! Although getting haircut in 2 weeks (sigh... got to go through the trouble of making a clear explantion of a 1940s-30s hairstyle to the stylist such an effort) so may be too short from then on. What did you ask the hairdresser to do with yours it looks great in your avatar Clabbergirl.

Oh yeah by the way what shampoo and conditioner do you curl girls use and how often do you wash it. I use keratase oleo curl shampoo and herbal essences moiture conditioner washing hair every 2-3 days depending on amount of exercise done previous. I also use a oleo curl hair masj aswell every fornight which helps to strengthen hair from all the setting and brushing toils Works fairly well for me though fairly dry and frizzy still.

 

[Mrs Chaddsley_Corbett]

There are so many gorgeous small hats, with veils, that just look ridiculous on me, and my wide head of curls

 

[Clabbergirl]

Ah yeah I know what you mean about the big pincurl sections Clabbergirl, it definately does reduce the riglet problem and frizz i have only tried this dry though which reduces the hold, so thats another thing I shall experiment with (wet set of course). Oh and I did another hot sticks set sadly no time for pic but not too bad looser curl for some reason and struggling with hold used mousse and sprayed set with hair spray. May try spraying each section with hair spray before I roll and see how it goes! Although getting haircut in 2 weeks (sigh... got to go through the trouble of making a clear explantion of a 1940s-30s hairstyle to the stylist such an effort) so may be too short from then on. What did you ask the hairdresser to do with yours it looks great in your avatar Clabbergirl.

Oh yeah by the way what shampoo and conditioner do you curl girls use and how often do you wash it. I use keratase oleo curl shampoo and herbal essences moiture conditioner washing hair every 2-3 days depending on amount of exercise done previous. I also use a oleo curl hair masj aswell every fornight which helps to strengthen hair from all the setting and brushing toils Works fairly well for me though fairly dry and frizzy still.

Thank you - I took the Tierney book with me to a stylish I trusted and asked her to give me a middy cut. She didn't blink an eye, said these are the kinds of diagrams they give to stylists at hair shows, and gave me a great cut. She was a little apprehensive about styling it afterward, but I told her to let it air dry (and my curls looked great from the layers this way too). That stylist has since moved on and I can't find her so I've had to try again with another. Not as much luck with the next one as she acted almost offended that I would show her a diagram, and she ended up cutting it from the layers previously there. It's NOT as well done but it's close enough. I'm thinking to try C-dot's tutorial the next go-round.

As for conditioners, I do the conditioner-only method unless I'm using lots of heavy products like pomades, etc., where I wash and condition with conditioner. It works wonders for my curls - they stay very hydrated and it really cuts down on frizz and static no matter what season. It also saves money because you use inexpensive conditioners without dimethicone and other silicones...VO5, Suave, etc., for that method. When I shampoo occasionally, I use a coconut shampoo...aubrey organics? I cannot remember the name. It's got no sulfates in it - those seem to dry out my curls. I do weekly coconut oil overnight treatments, or at least every other week, and I have good luck with the Cantu brand of strengthening cream for styling (no 'cones). I get out a dollop and run through my curls while wet, then comb through, then scrunch for natural or roll for setting (which I also add a setting lotion for sets). It seems to give more 'substance' to my hair, which is naturally fine but thick in number. Curly hair is so individualistic, it's interesting to me. I lean toward ethnic products but I have to be careful as some of them are too heavy for my fine strands and it makes it limp and/or greasy-looking. I like the logic behind the ethnic hair though - moisturize then lock in with oil for curls. I think this is why the Cantu cream works so well for me, it seems to mimic that process in one product.

 

[Miss Bunny]

I have very tightly curled hair if I don't touch it with a brush. As crazy as it sounds, I got frustrated with my hair back in January and cut it to a mico-pixie cut and oh boy, that was not a good look on me at all. I have been growing it out since then and it's been a miserable experience. Thank goodness I can wear hats to work! It finally is to the point where I can style it in sort of a fake updo and play off the curls but I am finding I have a problem with my hair dryer. When I use a handheld my style loses its definition (it puffs and frizzes out) but if I let it air dry it holds. Unfortunately this takes too long for my lifestyle. Do any of you use a bonnet dryer to set your naturally curly styles? Does it speed up the process of drying at all? Any input is really helpful to me. Thanks!