Tight curls without the Frizz
I have very curly hair. Not the kind where you see Blake Liveley with some natural waves. But, real Tori Kelly curls. And because of my Puerto Rican heritage [thanks Dad], I can confidently say that I have been blessed with textured, yet unruly hair. But thanks to many trial and errors, I've been able to tame these luscious locks. How do I do it?
My first is and will always be, to deep condition! Second, never use any product that has alcohol and is sulfate-free. Those little bubbles that shampoo produces are always a great thing for curly hair since it strips our natural oils we need for healthy curls.
I learned a long time ago that apparently washing it every day doesn't mean, "clean hair, happy hair", that's a myth. It means " overly clean hair, dry and sad hair" [sad face].
So what is my routine now, after years of chemical straighteners, hot irons, and dyes on dyes on dyes? Here's my special formula: wash+condition+comb out+ deep leave in conditioner [while singing Mariah Carey in the shower]= shiny, happy curls! This is a good 30 minute routine at first, so set some time aside in the morning because you ain't done yet!
Now to really define your curls, I usually leave a deep conditioner [if my hair really needs an overhaul] and take strand by strand, separating with my fingers making sure each one is coated liberally with either deep conditioner or curling cream.
Once that's done, take an a cotton blend t-shirt or microfiber towel and gently "squeeze-dry" your hair. What the heck is squeeze drying? Instead of rubbing a coarse towel over your entire head, take your hair in between the towel and SQUEEZE all excess water and product out. This avoids any interruption from the strand defining your had done earlier.
And here comes the fun part [yes finally], take a hold of your thick pronged diffusing hair dryer and with your head flipped to one side start blow drying on high from the scalp down. Repeat on the other side. The Drying process should take another 30 minutes [ that's why it's best to set aside an hour for this, or for you non-early birds, do it the night before].
For styling, I like to do a half up half down look with a small claw or clipping one side up at the temple.
Now gaze at those solid, No frizz, bouncy curls! Enjoy!
What I use to define my curls:
In risk of repeating myself, I can't stress enough, before applying make sure you detangle with your favorite conditioner, finger detangling is the best way. Then with a slight towel dry (microfiber is the best)apply the Eva Nye or miss Jessie's to each strand while twisting the curls (twirl it around your fingers like you would if you were playing with it). Again repeat the towel dry with a scrunch after you twisted the product in your strands. Then diffuse diffuse diffuse while using a t-shirt or your microfiber towel scrunch and dry...then watch the curls tighten without the frizziness- here are the products you need:
1. I love using the Cantu product as an intensifier for defined curls. Of course it's best when you first put a leave in oil or conditioner, to get that first set of definition, and then use only a dollop of CANTU cream with each strand of hair.
You can find this at Walmart, Target, or even Amazon for under $10!
With Cantu curling cream, you want to use it on damp hair to wet hair, that way it's easy to seperate the strands. It is a thick cream which is why it's a great solution to calm down the frizz, and even though it's white it dries clear!
2. OK, when I bought Miss Jessie's Jelly Soft Curls product, that I bought at Target for the first time, I honestly thought, "oh great, this looks like another gel that'll just leave my hair crunchy with no hold." I WAS SO WRONG! I did my usual routine, wash, condition, comb out and towel squeeze dry. As I was applying to each of my strands with damp hair, I was amazed after I hade diffused it. I was left with soft, shiny, curly cues. I was so happy that I had FINALLY found a product that doesn't weigh down my hair with greasyness, and left it bouncy and full! I use Miss Jessie's after I have been conditioning and deep conditioning for a while to the top of my head down, and after diffusing, I attack the strays with some CANTU. This is a great product that you can find under $20 at Target!
3.I grabbed this little gem from my Ipsy Glam Bag [I highly recommended The Ipsy glam bag for my OCD friends needing an exact match on their make up...It's fenominal!]. It is a hair mask that'll rock your world! All you need is a dime size in your palm and it does the trick. I use it as an extra added shine and moisturizer on top of the Miss Jessie's or in combination with CANTU. I have never used a product that gives me more shine than this one! Because of the Argon Oil, it not only heals but reveals every inch of wave and curl.