Fall Hair Update: Flat Iron Curl Tutorial

Sponsored Post




Now that fall is here, it's time to start changing my beauty routine up a bit. I've made a few important changes to my hair recently including the new "lived in color" look with my ends being a bit lighter/brighter, and my long layers are now "arrow pointed" making them more weightless. All of that means my hair will grow out nicely, but more importantly, it means that I can continue my current obsession with big waves and curls!




But, I've been experimenting with a new way to curl my hair. Rather than going for the "beachy" curls and waves that are all over the place (on the left above), I've been craving hair that is a bit smoother and refined (my end result is on the right). I still want big curls that are all over the place, but really... I want them to look a bit more planned out and less messy. I'm looking for a slightly dressier version of my favorite hair style, I think it will be perfect for the holidays! I can picture myself taking Christmas pictures with my girls and serving Thanksgiving turkey with these curls.




To get the look I'm after, I've been experimenting with flat iron curls! I've tried flat iron curls in the past without much success. It turns out that after quite a bit of practice, they get much easier. The trick is all in the wrist. If you twist your curling iron just right, it will smooth the hair shaft while it curls, making your hair smoother, shinier and giving you a great curl.




Everything that I used to create this look can be purchased at your local Sally Beauty! Sally Beauty has a huge selection of products, which can be a bit overwhelming. I asked for help selecting products that would pamper my dry, end of summer hair, but also give me great hold that was shiny and touchable. The manager helped me select products to get the look at home.

Products Used:
Biotera Ultra Moisturizing Shampoo
Biotera Ultra Moisturizing Conditioner
Beyond The Zone Behind The Scenes Blowout Styling Gelee
Beyond The Zone Smooth Criminal Thermo Protect Spray
Beyond The Zone Final Take Hair Spray
Beyond The Zone No Limits Smoothing And Finishing Cream
Colortrak Tools The Croc Clip
GVP Digital Ceramic Flat Iron
Palladio High Intensity Herbal Lip Balm in Blooming Berry




I started with freshly washed and blown out hair (I'm wearing Palladio High Intensity Herbal Lip Balm in Blooming Berry, another Sally Beauty find). I used the Biotera Ultra Moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, they're great for babying my hair after a long summer of sun exposure and swimming. I've found that my hair can get pretty staticky and dry with the fall weather change, but adding extra moisture helps a lot.

I then used BTZ Blowout Styling Gelee and BTZ Smoothing And Finishing Cream on my hair while damp to help add a bit of hold and smoothing. I blew my hair out quickly, mostly with my head upside down to add some volume.



Next I sectioned my hair for styling. I created a front section from my ears forward, and then created 3 sections from the back portion of my hair. I held each section in place using a Croc Clip, so I could just release the hair when necessary. I sprayed my hair generously with BTZ Smooth Criminal Thermo Protect Spray when I got to each section. I've found that using a flat iron to curl my hair gives more heat exposure than curling with a curling iron, so be sure to protect your hair!




Now it's time to start curling! I use sections of hair that are much smaller than I would curl with a curling iron. The best way to describe how to twist the iron is to hold the iron in your hair, grab the free end of your hair and pull it up and then over the iron as you see above, so the end is hanging down. Then twist the iron backwards (toward you) so that you're pulling the iron back into that loop of hair. When you've completed that twist, the hair end should be coming out of the bottom of the iron. It takes me 2 full twists to do that.




This picture shows you exactly where the hair is looping, and it makes a lot more sense! Practice this twisting before you turn on your flat iron, getting it right with a cold flat iron will prevent a lot of damage to your hair.

Once you have the twist just right, go ahead and turn on the flat iron. I like to start my flat iron pretty close to my scalp, bring it down a few inches and then twist. Once the twist is in place, continue bringing the flat iron down your hair. As you pull the flat iron down your hair, the end will go up into the flat iron first and then loop around the curve outside. The amount of curl you get depends upon how fast you curl, a faster speed will result in less curl (great for wavier styles and bangs), and slower speed will get you more curl. I was going pretty slow, mostly because I was taking pictures while curling.




Don't you twirl around as soon as your hair is curled? Isn't that completely normal?

After each section is complete, I sprayed a light mist of BTZ Final Take Hair Spray, which is a flexible hold spray and adds a bit of shine. At the very end I applied a bit more BTZ Smoothing And Finishing Cream with my hands, lightly breaking up the curls. They'll calm down a bit throughout the day, but they last 2 days and the curls are smoother than when I use a curling iron. Just the look I was going for! It's perfect for a holiday party or having family over.









Sponsored Post