Big Romantic Curls

I hear from many women with long hair, who although they love their long hair complain of a common problem – a lack of styling options. They are tired of the straight, everyday-the-same hairstyle. The complaint is that to change their look will always require a lot of work and seldom gives satisfactory results.

Here is an idea for a soft, romantic look that is easy to do, with a free, unconstructed curl that has a very stylish, up-to-date feel. These instructions work well with hair that is either all-one-length or cut into long layers.

Long, shiny hair with big individual curls, is always in style and while this great look takes a little styling effort, it is well worth it.
Start by shampooing your hair and conditioning with a light (not too strong) conditioner.
Next, divide your towel-dried hair into five sections and secure it with clips or bobby pins.

Starting with section #5, apply a styling gel or lotion, to add texture, and begin to dry that section using a large round brush and your blow dryer, directing the air flow downward, flowing from the root to the ends. The air direction and round brush produce a sleek shine. Dry section #5 thoroughly before continuing on to sections #4, #3, #2 and then #1 using the same technique and remembering to apply a styling gel or lotion to each section.
At this point, you should have very smooth, shiny hair but if the drying technique frustrates you, don’t worry about it, just make sure your hair is completely dry through out.

To finish creating the style, you will need a set of heated, bendable rollers.

Start with an approximate three-inch square section at the crown. Take the ends of the hair and wrap them around the roller.

Complete the set by rolling all of the rest of the hair in three-inch square sections with the exception of a one-inch section around the face. You will use a curling iron to put soft waves into this area while the rollers are cooling. This is done by holding the curling iron in a vertical position and rolling the hair toward your face. It isn’t necessary to put a lot of curl into this hair, just a soft bend.

Remove the rollers when they are cool and finish your style by turning your head upside down and running your fingers through the curls. Flip your hair back right side up and smooth slightly, using only your fingers and you will have achieved big, sexy, romantic curls. And without a lot of work!