by BR Tabatha
Few things bring me as much joy as seeing a gorgeous mane of curls bouncing their way down the street. There's something so modelesque about them, but at the same time so carefree. They say "wild and wonderful", "fun and friendly", and sometimes scream "so glamorous and totally out of your league".
So how can we get the kind of curls that will turn heads and not in a "has she just been dragged through a hedge backwards" kind of way? Here's three of the best methods... and none involve trying to figure out how to do it with a hair straightner.
The curling wand
Super simple, super easy, and made quite literally to do one job, the curling wand is the go-to for when you want curls fast.
After popping on a little heat protectant, simply wrap sections of hair around the wand, hold for up to twenty seconds, then release.
Depending on the look you're going for you can either keep the section size similar and curl in the same direction, or you can change up the section size and direction of the curl.
Once your hair is curled, spritz with a little hairspray to help hold the look, and then you can either run your hands through the curls to keep more of the curly look, or brush them out for a more relaxed look.
Braid it
Want to wake up to beautiful mermaid waves?
Before bed, spritz your hair with water so it's a touch damp, then create two braids, one on each side of your head - just regular ones, nothing too fancy. Add a dusting of hairspray, then hit the hay.
The next morning, when your hair's nice and dry, take the braids out, give them a little bit of a finger comb, and you'll look like a siren who's ready to emerge from the sea.
Rags
This is an old school method that does the trick, but you might want to be prepared for a sleepless night because it's not the most comfortable. However, it does create some pretty epic curls.
To rag curl yourself up, take some old rags (my mum would use past-it cloth nappies) and cut them up into sections that are one to two inches wides and up to ten inches long.
Next, dampen your hair with a spray bottle, or give it a wash and towel dry it into a damp - but not wet - stage, then take sections of your hair that are about one to two inches wides and wrap said hair around the rags tightly, starting at the end and rolling up towards your scalp. Finally, tie the ends of the rags together to keep the curl in place.
Once your hair is fully ragged, let it dry naturally (this is why my mother would have me sleep overnight in them), or use a hairdryer to speed the process up.
Finally, untie the rags and carefully unravel them to reveal the kind of curls that Shirley Temple would've been proud of.
So, my lovelies, do you have a favourite method to create curls? Which is your go-to? Is there another we ought to know about? Chat below!
I always use hair straighteners