First off, I chose to shoot this tutorial at 8pm…excuse the craptacular photo quality!
Anyways. This weekend I had my girlfriends over for brunch, and they were asking me how I curl my hair with a curling wand. It’s flattering that my hair looks decent enough that someone would assume I know what I’m doing! Since I’ve had a few compliments on my curls since I cut my hair, I thought I’d share my tips for styling a lob. I also got great feedback on my last tutorial, so WHY NOT!
As usual, here comes the disclaimer: I DO NOT KNOW WHAT I’M DOING. I am not a hair person, nor do I consider myself an expert (or even good) at hair. I just love trying new things, so I like to share the wealth. Enjoy, and let me know if you have any fun tips for styling shorter, messy curls!
So I have 2 favourite curling wands: a Conair tapered wand, and a Remington clipless curling wand (1″ thick? Idk.) I love both, but typically prefer the tapered wand when I have longer hair. I also find that the curl stays for longer with the tapered wand, so I use it when I know I won’t wash my hair for a few days.
For day-to-day looks and for shorter hair, I like my Remington wand…the width makes a nice wave in my hair and doesn’t make it kinky. Both affordable, both great options…just depends on personal preference!
Both wands come with a protective glove…I don’t use it because I like to live on the edge, and I am also too lazy to switch hands. You’ll notice I also don’t use a heat protectant. Apparently I’m just begging to singe my skin and hair. You should probably use some sort of heat protectant on your hair and body. Do as I say, not as I do.
You all know the drill from here. Wrap the hair around the wand, hold for appx. 10 seconds, and let go. I don’t twist or pull the curl when I’m doing my every day style, but definitely play around with different techniques if you have some time. I like to make sure that the front two pieces curl away from my face, and from there on out I curl either direction. I’ll also go back and curl super close to my root to get a bit more volume. Remember that with the shorter, messy look, it’s okay to leave some pieces uncurled. I am MEGA lazy when it comes to styling my hair, so really only curl what people will see. It totally works out, just try to evenly distribute your waves so that there aren’t random straight chunks in between ringlets.
Using a curling wand allows you to get that trendy “straight ends” look that everyone loves (myself included!) Since you’re holding onto the ends of your hair for dear life, that bottom inch or so will stay off the heat. Just make sure you don’t have too tight of a curl, or else the straight end will look stupid. Learn from me.
Once my whole head is curled, I like to use a bit of pomade to add some texture. I have baby hair, so I need something to separate the curls. This Got 2 B Playful Pomade smells amazing, and a little goes a LOOOONG way (see below). I lightly dab my fingers in the product and that’s more than enough for my hair. Sticking closer to the ends, I quickly run the pomade through my curls, particularly the ones near my face…this defines them and gives them a bit of a rougher look.
Last but not least, onto my favourite hairspray: Dove Strength & Shine Flexible Hold Hairspray (thanks Elanna!) This stuff ALSO smells awesome, and combined with the pomade leaves my hair smelling delectable…if you’re into that sort of thing.
I don’t like a lot of hairspray, just enough to hold onto some of that texture we created. I aim the nozzle upwards, spray the bottom half of my hair, and scrunch the curls a little bit. This keeps the product away from my easily-greasy roots while still holding my style in place.
Now flip your hair over, shake it out a bit, and TA-DA! You have a messy, textured lob. Now go take some selfies and post them on Instagram so that I don’t feel so alone.
