One of my most frequently requested tutorials is for my curls, and although I did one a few years ago, the products I use have changed a bit and it was time for an updated tutorial.
The trick for me is to curl my hair the day after I wash it, and then just quickly refresh the curls and clean the roots with dry shampoo for the next five or six days until it’s unbearably and unmanageably dirty. It’s the best, and most low maintenance routine ever.
One of my secret weapons for my hair is my Luxy Hair Extensions. I’ll show you how I use them and why they make a difference for me, and I’m so excited to team up with Luxy Hair to give away one set of Luxies Hair Extensions to one lucky girl! Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to find the giveaway, or use code LUXYMERRICK to get $5 off your order of Luxies!
Click through to find the loose waves hair tutorial!
Products I use:
BEFORE YOU CURL: Start with freshly washed hair, air-dried, and straightened. I wash mine the night before, let it air dry, sleep on it, and then straighten it the next morning before I curl. This gives me a fresh palette for curling, and allows for maximum curl hold.
When washing my hair, I use
pureology hydrate shampoo (it’s so expensive, but worth every penny because it doesn’t make my hair flat, frizzy, greasy, or stringy…honestly every other shampoo I’ve ever used has done one or more of those things. Plus, I don’t have to use very much, and I only wash my hair once a week, so this one bottle has lasted me almost a year and I’m not even close to running out), and
clear scalp and hair therapy conditioner just on the bottom half of my hair. I also do a
V05 Hot Oil treatment on my hair every month or two.
Step 1 // Divide your hair into two halves, and pull both sections over your shoulders so you can easily see as you curl.
Step 2 // start at the back of one section, pulling 1″ sections of hair out to curl.
Step 3 // Wrap the hair around your curling wand, wrapping away from your face. Leave a 2-3″ section uncurled at the end, which will give it a more casual, less Shirley Temple curl.
Once your hair is wrapped around the wand, twist the wand so it’s right side up, as shown. This helps the top of the curl become more full, and less flat.
Step 4 // Hold your curl for about 15-20 seconds, then unwrap it and pull the curl while it’s still hot. This will make it more of a wave than a ringlet. This step is super important!
Continue with the rest of that side of hair until you get to your bangs.
Step 5 // I have long bangs so I just curl the bottom 4″ or so, but still leaving the very end of the hair uncurled like the rest of my curls. Don’t hold the hair on the wand for more than a few seconds. You want the bang curls to be subtle and blend nicely with the other hair — no ringlet bangs!
Step 6 // Once your first side is done, run your fingers through it to separate the curls a bit and give them a loose look. Then repeat Steps 1-6 on the other side of your head.
Step 7 // Now for the extensions. Some people clip in their extensions before curling, but I like doing it afterward because curling my real hair is easier without them clipped in. Curl one weft at a time, and separate the hair into 1″ sections, just like you did with your hair, to create nice loose waves. Curl all the extension sections you’ll be using.
I typically only wear three wefts at a time — one on each side of my head, and one across the back. I have a lot of hair already, but my hair on the top of my head is pretty flat, so I mostly use my extensions to give extra volume on the crown of my head when my hair is styled down.
Step 8 // Even though I have clean hair here, I spray in
TRESemme dry shampoo because this gives it the texture of dirty hair and makes it easier to manage — no static, and more volume. Spray all around the crown of your head, rub it in with the palms of your hands, and then brush through your hair.
* Don’t be afraid to brush through your curls! I do it all the time and then go back and comb through with my fingers to give it a less “combed” look.
Step 9 // clip in your hair extensions using the instructions on your hair kit.
Now for some finishing products.
Step 10 //
Leanne introduced me to
Mitch Stone Lustre Drops a few years ago and they have changed my hair. My ends tend to get frizzy and wild, but one drop of this and my hair is sleek and smooth. Seriously. One drop is all it takes. Rub the drop all over your hands and then comb your hands through
just the ends of your curls.
Step 11 // And finally, a little extra volume on the top (cause have I mentioned my hair goes flat??) I love the Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Powder play and have used it for years (I think I bought this little bottle 3 years ago and it’s still not empty!). It’s kind of like a waxy powder that allows you to manipulate and mold your roots a little bit. Shake a little bit on either side of your hair part, then massage it in gently with your finger tips, coaxing your hair to have more volume. Spray with
TRESemme extra firm hairspray.
Now that your curls are done, you can help them last all week! Sleep with them down and loose, preferably flipped above your head so they can lay nicely on your pillow. Don’t braid your hair at night. Every day, spray some dry shampoo on the roots, then touch up any flattened curls. With these simple fixes, I’m able to go at least five days before the curls are gone and my hair is too dirty to do anything but a bun.
And now, it’s time to win a set of Luxy hair extensions of your own! Enter through the link below. The giveaway will end next Thursday, February 26th. Good luck!
Your hair is flawless and curls suit you perfectly!
️http://lartoffashion.blogspot.com
Absolutely love these tips! My hair goes flat so easily so I will need to check out that powder!
xx,
La Joie de Vivre
Love it!
Love this tutorial! I typically wear my hair similar to this daily and have never thought to try dry shampoo for more texture or volume! Definitely will give it a go in the morning.
http://www.lonestarlauren.com
Gorgeous hair and I love that the extensions are the perfect shade! They match perfectly
HAPPY MEDLEY
I’m so happy that you posted this! Your hair is always so gorgeous! I’m going to have to try this out!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Your hair looks super gorgeous! Can we trade? 😉
Unique Geek
I am jealous of how thick your hair is naturally. I love that you’re teaming up with Luxy Hair (hello to my fellow Torontonian girls!)
Love that pink sweater! I’m getting it! Haha, it’s the perfect top for spring vibes!
-Chelsey
–http://chelseypatti.blogspot.com
I LOVE THAT NECKLACE!!!
Great tutorial and I love this pink sweater!
Heidi
http://www.wishesandreality.com
I have been hoping you’d do a tutorial on your loose waves! I LOVE your hair!
Pulling the curls! Never knew how to get waves instead of ringlets! Thanks for the tips!
I’ve considered extensions before but my little pulls my hair and I would be afraid the extensions would pull out. Have you had any problems with anything like that?
I haven’t — but my kids are pretty good at leaving my hair alone. Sorry — no help!
Definitely will be trying this soon :). What do you do you use to protect your hair from the heat?
Your hair is so pretty. Mine is very curly and I might have to try that curl pulling to get a looser wave. Love this! And the sweater/necklace combo is gorgeous!
Hi Merrick,
I follow your blog and noticed you own a few of Sheinside’s pieces of clothing/jewellry. How do you find them for quality/fit? I am almost identical in measurements to you, so am hoping to get some feedback from you before I place an order. Thank you
It’s not super high quality — similar to Forever 21. But I love Forever 21 stuff so I can’t really say anything bad about it 😉 Just know you’re not getting Nordstrom quality stuff!
Thanks Merrick.
Gorgeous! I’d loooove to try this!
I love your necklace, where is it from? Your hair looks so good I would love to win some extensions! My hair is pretty thin so I would be stoked to get some extensions and curl it like you! Your outfit is so cute too
CinderellaStandard.com
the necklace is baublebar — the direct link to it is in the post above!
Those curls are gorgeous!
http://www.theavantguardian.com
Hmm, I never thought about extensions, but maybe I’ll have to give them a try!
I have a question though- what did you do when you work out? Do you just let it air dry sweaty and use the dry shampoo?
I’m not super good about regularly working out, so it’s not a big problem for me. But when I do, I’m not a big sweater so my head doesn’t get super sweaty. I just pull it up and put in a headband, and then pull it out immediately after exercising (and washing my face) and let any sweat air dry and then use dry shampoo. Hope that helps! xx
I love that you shampoo your hair so infrequently. I’m currently at three days of wear per wash…but would like to get closer to four or five. Do you feel like as you go longer in between your scalp adjusts to being less oily? I use dry shampoo….but it’s just not the same level of clean. Going to try that other stuff you recommended for your ends. Mine seem just super dry lately. Not cool. =)
I’ve trained my hair/ scalp to go 6-7 days between washes. You’re scalp will become less oily, it just takes time. The hardest transition for me was going from washing every 3 or 4 days to every 4 or 5 days. It took forever for my hair to adjust, but once it did, it was relatively easy to transition to washing every 5 or 6 or even 7 days. I used a lot of dry shampoo at first, but now I only even need that once or twice a week. Hope that helps!
Do you find the more you use the dry shampoo the more dry your scalp is. My scalp is really dry and flaking and ive just resently been using the dry shampoo on a regular bases. I cant figure out if that is causing it or if maybe if i sould try a diffrent shampoo. Thanks for your help
No — that’s not good! I’d for sure switch to a different dry shampoo. I really like the one from TreSemme!
I always try to create loose waves and so far it has not worked out as planned. I will have to get your way a try. Thank you for sharing. I do love this dry shampoo and have used it for years!
http://www.awhitewalllife.com
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Awesome tutorial. Your hair is looking so pretty!
Have you tried curls with hair extensions?
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