Curls--Done Right

OMG--How is it that thing, you know... life, gets in the way of my Fashion Passion!? Well, my apologies for the delay in the post, but I am feeling under the weather (ugh, this Buffalo weather is taking its toll!). Thankfully, I did accomplish a complete basement overhaul this weekend!

There are A LOT of pictures in this post, perhaps I should be thinking about a video tutorial!? Anyways, this post was before my new haircut, but the curling technique is the same, from the top!

To begin, I section my hair off and ALWAYS use a hot spray. Nothing touches my naked hair. Here, I have Kenra Hot Spray, but have been using KMS Heat Spray. Kenra has a bit of a more heavy texture and takes a bit longer to dry. Just be sure you are using something!

Be sure you hold the curling iron VERTICALLY! When done, pull down. Leave the curl alone until it cools. So, finish curling your whole head before you style.

I always start my curl from the TOP! Start with your curling iron at the root, and slowly twist the rod until your hair is all heated. TIP: it helps to hold one hand at the top for easy control.

Can you see this curl? I try to leave the ends of my hair out of the curl. This way my curls (when brushed out) look like natural waves. 

Just to prove my point--here is the "traditional way" of curling hair. People start at the bottom (including the ends-NO NO) and curl up! 

Look at the difference between these two curls!!! On MY left, you can see the curls is solid from root to tip. The other curl is heavy and really only flips a curl at the tail! Makes a difference, right!?

As I mentioned, I like to leave my curls reminiscent of Shirley Temple herself, at least until they cool. Don't touch, just yet. 

OK... ready for the style.

I use the same teasing brush Courtney mentions in her Tease Me post. I like this one because it is a bit wider. You won't find me without one!

Here I have teased from the bag, added a bit of hairspray, just look at my volume!

...and a little bit on the sides. 

Beauty in the works... now, it's time to blend.

My final product. The teasing element takes a bit of my curl away, but I am OK with that! I need the volume and it helps to make it look effortless! 

Thanks for stopping by! Let me know how this works for you!

Much Love,

--Kelsey

Follow us on Instagram @KelseyMKipp and @Courtney_m_B

Take Your Hair From Blah to TA-DA!

Ever feel like you hair is just screaming, "blah, blah, blahhhhhh?' Well, I do. Sometimes I get stuck in a hair rut and we all know how difficult it is to get out of it! I mean some people have been wearing their hair the same way for decades! My hair ruts only last about two weeks, so I guess I'm just being dramatic, oops! So, here's a quick way to take a look from "blah" to "TA-DA"!

Section hair off above your ears. Take inch-wide pieces of hair and wrap them around the iron or wand away from your face. I use a 1 1/4 inch curling iron by John Frieda.

 I sometimes twist the section of hair and then wrap it around the barrel. This creates a much more relaxed wave.

Wrap your bangs and hair close to your face all the way to the root, it adds volume to the front of the face. 

Flip your head upside down and shake it out. Spray lightly for hold, not helmet!

TA-DA!

I love the look of loose, wide waves. It is a refreshing and simple change from my normal blow out or curled hair. Not to mention, it is easily maintained, and still Polished!

 I like a challenge, people. Take your hair from "blah" to "TA-DA," I've got that covered. But take your hair from "TA-DA" to..."TA-DAAAAA," requires some thinking. Whenever I leave the house, I always come prepared with hair ties, bobby pins, and of course...a tease comb (check out my tease post, here). That way, whenever I feel like it, I can always do something a little extra to my hair. So for this post, I used my girl, Courtney Kerr (I haven't told her that we are BFF's, yet...shhhh) as an inspiration. She is from Texas and I am from New York. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the higher the hair...the closer to heaven is just not a motto that I live by. But, she does! Her teasing is sky-high and props to her for rocking that look. But, it's not me, so here is my take on Courtney Kerr's teased, center parted, half up-do (...I haven't perfected that name yet). 

Pin front pieces of hair under the crown of your head. 

I criss-cross the bobby pins for more support and security without having to wear too many. 

Use the back end of a tease comb to pull up and add height. The tease from before will support this upward pull and keep your hair where you want it. 

Use spray to smooth the front of the hair. Sometimes I spray my fingers and use them to smooth my hair to avoid a wet or crunchy look. I like this part to be smooth because it offsets the height of the back for a more dramatic look. 

TA-DAAAAAA...times two.

 As always, THANK YOU for stopping by! Please share your comments or ask any questions below!

XO--Courtney

For more hair tips and tutorials, check out our Instagram pages Courtney_m_b & Kelseymkipp