You know that, "I woke up like 'dis", curl? Well, that coveted undone curl is referred to as the "S-curl." Why? Because it makes a perfect 'S' {duh}. It has been, in my opinion, most precisely & perfectly rocked by none other than Khloe Kardashian. I can't tell you the hours I've spent studying this sassy curl. {Head cocked, full-squint on, lips pursed to the side} "I don't get it—is it a curl come undone? Is it a flat ironing gone crinkle in the night? Is it a magical set of rollers? How, Khloe, HOW!?"
Maybe the 'S' stands for sexy, but for many of us it stands for, 'Seriously, HOW do I get those curls?!' Trust me, I know the feeling. You, the curling iron, a few burnt finger tips & a plethora of cuss words spent the better half of Friday evening in the bathroom attempting to come out all Kardashian-like. Instead, you succumb to your failure {mostly because the hubs is standing in the bathroom doorway tapping his foot & pointing at his invisible watch}, go for the usual mess of curls, & then wake-up the next morning all, "Oh hell no! We're going to brunch—this curl deserves a public showing." Don't settle for the usual mess, get that sexy 'S'! ...the first time around. {Just call me Rhyme Master Nyx}
Step 1: One day I won't even have to explain this because it will be engrained in your brain {seriously, I'm on a roll!}. PREP FROM BIRTH. Say it with me now! {PREP. FROM. BIRTH.} Naturally flowing freshly washed hair may be pretty for you to run your fingers through—but that's about it. It won't hold, it won't style, & it will actually get greasier faster with no grit to soak it up. So, lather-up that puppy, lightly condition, rinse & then prep with some grit-inducing products {my favs are Kenra's root lifter & mousse}. Step 2: I like to futz around while my hair airdries a bit—less heat damage, & really, when can you NOT find something to futz with? Then, fire up that blowdryer, toss your head over, & dry! No rhyme, no reason, no round brush. Just dry upside down. This will give you a good bit of volume to start with—in my case, aka, a big frazzled mess! Isn't is purdy!? Step 3: Chi time! Or, for all of you non-Chi users {I assume such users exist?}, flat iron time! Pick your part & smooth those strands by taking LARGE sections and running them once or twice through the flat iron. We're not going for Cher-hair here, just a quick smoothing—you don't want to make it soooo flat that it won't then hold that 'S'! Step 4: Using a 1 1/4 inch barrel iron, curl two-inch sections of your hair, keeping the iron vertical at all times! This may be a dance to accomplish, but you're getting ready for a night on the town, so a little warm-up dance won't hurt! Step 5: I know, I know, you want to touch them. You want to touch them & tousle them & run your fingers through their bouncy goodness. Don't do ittt. Ah-ah, N O. Hands DOWN. Breathe, it's going to be okay. We are going to get through this. For now, they must rest. Rest and set. Go get your fab little outfit on, finish your make-up, & keep your dang hands out of your hair! Step 6: N O W. Now you can touch them. Using a teensy weensy bit of serum {I like Paul Mitchell's Skinny Serum}, run your hands over large chunks of your curls so they meld together in one large 'S' pattern. Some may brush, some may run full fingers through—you know your hair and whether it will bounce back up or not, so ween in lightly & play with it, but don't play TOO hard. After your 'S' is perfectly coiffed, spritz with hairspray {Kenra Number 25, for me} & confidently bounce out of that bathroom like you are Kardashian Sister #6 {or, #7, if you count Kris}. You're S'welcome :-)
