Haven’t got your hands on a GHD curve yet?
If your budget doesn’t extend to having more than one heating tool – don’t stress! We are here to show you how to do beautiful soft curls with your straightening iron.
Step 1 – Prep:
We recommend curling hair when it is a day-old. (When we say this, we mean a day after its been washed). This means the hair has a bit of grit and oil, which makes it hold a curl for longer. However, never curl your hair without using a heat protector!
Our favourite is the Moroccanoil Heat Protect, it is a light spray which wont add any grease or oiliness, but will add a layer of protection to your hair.
Step 2 – Tools:
The best tool on the market for a beautiful soft curl is definitely the GHD Curve. However, we are assuming that most people haven’t got their hot little hands on one yet – so your GHD straightener will do just fine. You will need a sectioning clip, a fine-toothed comb, a wide-toothed comb, some hair mousse and some hairspray.
Step 3 – Section:
This totally depends on the thickness of your hair, but usually the hair can be curled in four sections.
Bottom layer, lower middle, upper middle and fringe. First, section off the last 3 sections and start with the bottom layer of your hair. Spritz the section with a light layer of heat protector.
Step 4 – Curl!
Take a small section of hair and pull to one side of your head, so you can see what you are doing in the mirror. Comb the section with a fine-toothed comb to get rid of any knots. Clamp the straightener on your hair, as close to the roots as possible. Twist the straightener AWAY from your face until your hair twists right around the barrel. Slowly drag the straightener through your hair, right to the bottom. Release.
If the straightener grabs on the hair, this may mean it is too wet from the heat protector. Let it dry first to avoid any damage.
Try and do the curl as quickly as you can to avoid burning the hair, and do not hold it on the ends for too long, as this is the driest part of the hair.
Repeat all around the bottom layer – then release the lower middle section and repeat.
Repeat until you get to the fringe section.
Step 5 – Fringe
This step will be different for each person based on their haircut, but for someone with a middle or side part, and mid-long layers, this is how we would do it. Take a larger section of hair, and do not clamp the straightener at the roots. Grab the hair at about eye level. This will add a softness to the look, rather than a ‘goldilocks-ringlets’ look.
Curl as you have been doing for previous sections.
Step 6 – Finish
Add a small amount of mousse to the palm of your hand and rub together. Scrunch the curls from the ends to roots in your hands. For extra volume, tip your head upside down, and then scrunch.
Sprizt the entire head with hair spray to hold. Once the hair is dry, and a little ‘crunchy’ from the hairspray – take your wide-toothed comb and lightly comb through your hair. This will break up the curls a little and give a more natural look.
Step 7 – Beach it up
If you are feeling the look is a little glamorous, and want it to look a little more beachy, we recommend grabbing a few sections of the hair that are less ringlety – and curling them in the opposite direction, towards your face. This will give a less structured, more natural, beach-babe look.
We hope we have helped you make the most of your GHD straightener!
If you are still finding this difficult – let us know on Facebook and we will film and upload a step-by-step video tutorial.
